Greedy

An adaptation of a quote I found:

I find myself becoming greedy.
Greedy for new experiences,
new sights,
new beginnings,
new vistas,
new explorations,
new people,
new opportunities,
new places.
I've become an addict of adventure
and I'm afraid there is no cure.

Giving

I am a giver.
'Tis far better to give than receive.'
That's a great statement.
To witness joy
on the face of another human being
because of something you did
(preferably undetected)
is a blessing beyond words.
To soften a heart.
To lift a spirit.
To heal a hurt.
To assist.
There just is nothing better.
Go give it a shot today.

Thanks, Mom!

All that I am,
all that I do,
every ounce of me
I owe to my Mom.
I didn't realize how often
or intently I watched her.
But I absorbed her.
I filtered things from time to time,
but I am very much a mini her.
I can't sit still.
I enjoy my music.
I don't follow my passions,
I hunt them down.
Family is my everything.
I rise. I fall. I rise again.
I fight.
I refuse to fail.
I speak up and speak out.
I listen, learn, and try new things.
I love with all that I am.
It's not always easy,
but I wouldn't want to be anything
but what you've molded me to be.
Thanks, Mom!

Refresh

To loosely paraphrase . . .

You cannot change who you are,
but you can change
what you have in your head,
what you're thinking about,
how you're looking at things,
how you allow things to impact you.

Get some fresh air
into that noggin.
Figuratively and literally.

Hang On

When the world seems
to have thrown you a curve ball,
things have gone off the rails,
life's gotten a little messy,
there's a plethora of wtf's . . .
hang on.
For it is when all seems lost,
all efforts deem futile,
hope is surely frayed,
that things begin to turn around.
Chin up.
Knees down.
We experience these down times
to learn lessons,
to be educated,
or to realize our blessings.
It's all good.
Hang On.

This too shall pass.

Have Fun

It's Have Fun at Work Day.
But . . . um . . . why not anywhere?!

If you have the day off -
have fun.
If you're retired -
have fun.
If you're a student -
have fun.
If you're a housewife/husband -
have fun.
Wherever you are,
whatever you do,
instill a little fun.

Today
and
every day.

It's Complimentary, Watson!

Today is National Compliment Day.
It's a beautiful day to make it
a more beautiful day.
First thing this morning,
look in that mirror and
tell yourself how amazing you are.
Let the gas station clerk
know what a great smile he has.
Comment on the deli person's
great red shirt.
Tell your spouse how special they are.
There is literally a plethora
of people and places to appreciate
if we lay down all our anger and hate
and see the beauty that abounds.
Have an extraordinary day, gorgeous!

Wings

Those extraordinary appendages
that protect what's loved
and allow for soaring.
We had them as children.
Spread in innocence.
Preened as teens.
Sadly tucked away
as the worldly weight
begins to lay itself upon us.
Dig 'em out.
Dust 'em off.
Flap 'em a few times.
Take off!
Remember what made you
free and happy and hopeful.

Original

Hi!
Hey there,
you special person, you.
Do you know
how amazing you are?
Do you realize
how special you are?
Do you understand
that you are here
for a reason, for a purpose?
Because you are loved.
The world needs you.
You add just the right amount
of 'you' to it.
Everyone else is taken.
Be your most perfectly beautiful YOU!

Capable

It is quite extraordinary
how very capable
each and every one of us are.
We can be dealt
some serious havoc:
health issues,
money troubles,
people problems.
And there is an
innate and overwhelming
drive to not only fight it all,
but to be victorious.
A 'little voice'.
That 'inner tug'.
The 'lion within'.
It is there.
Listen, pull and roar.
You've got this.
You're amazing.
You were born
to do great things!

Foundations

For me,
my first foundation is my faith.
Then, the constant, my mom.
Followed quickly by my brothers.
Covered then by lessons and learning.
Supported by family and friends.
Cracked by pain and loss and
betrayal and hurt.
Repaired by love and kindness.
Topped with opening the windows
and sharing your light.

If you believe yourself too grand,
too good, beyond, or better than
where you started from, come from,
walked through, or learned . . .
your structure will fall.

Embrace every moment.
Absorb every lesson.
Envelope every individual.

Build a strong foundation.

Pooh

Today is National Winnie the Pooh Day!
What grand childhood memories.
The progression of my nicknames
is rooted in this tale.
My Lynette was shortened to Lynnie.
I then became 'Lynnie the Pooh"
which morphed into the ever-eternal 'Pooker'.
I had all kinds of Pooh items.
Books, pins, jewelry, stuffed creatures.
I watched the show whenever possible.
I still have a Pooh sleepshirt.
And you might find me quoting . . .
"Think. Think. Think."
Or when it's very blustery out,
I often hope to find a Piglet pasted to my window.
Doesn't matter any way.
Reach back and grab a hold
of what makes your heart happy.
Don't ever let go.
The wonderful thing about Tiggers,
is I'm the only one!
Enjoy the day.

2 to 1

We are given two ears,
two eyes,
two hands,
two legs,
and one mouth.

Thinking unemotionally,
and 'by the numbers,'
it would seem
we should be doing
twice as listening,
twice as much observing,
twice as much assistance lending,
twice as much lifting up,
and very little spouting off.

Imprints

I'm sort of stealing this from a friend.

Fingerprints are unique
to each person.
Mine is different from yours.
Yours is different than the person next to you.
Each is different than the guy at the gas station.
Every single line and dent  and ridge and bump and groove
is unique to every single person.
Beyond identification,
let's believe that is our unique way
to leave our imprint on the world.
The world needs your lines and dents.
The world needs my ridges and bumps.
And yes, the world needs the grooves
from the gas station guy.
Let us each appreciate what the other offers.
Perhaps instead of pointing out differences,
let us embrace them.

Let's imprint positivity.

Inspiration

Speaking only for my own little self,
I garner inspiration
from a great many opportunities:
great joy
great sorrow
tiny victories
stumbling blocks
beautiful sights
beautiful people
beautiful hearts

What inspires you?

Hello Monday!

For most of you that work,
or pretend to work,
'Monday' is a dreaded word.
It need not be.
Set small goals.
Realize your accomplishments.
Reward yourself.
Perhaps Mondays are great days
to celebrate the prior week's victories.
Then Monday won't be so dismal.
We will look forward to them.

Let's enjoy every second.

No Greater Joy

There is
No Greater Joy
than to be
the cause of
someone's
smile.

Grateful

There are a great many things
that irk me.
Laziness, betrayal, stupidity, cruelty.
Things like that.
But . . .
when we focus on the things that irk,
we lose sight of the blessings,
the grandeur, the beauty, the gifts
in our lives.
I am grateful!
For the Ch-Angels around me,
who lift me up and love me.
For the special people
with hearts too big for words.
For the kind people
whose self indulgence is non-existent.
And for the irk!!!
The stars do not shine
without the dark of night!

I am Grateful!
Thank you.

Absorb, Absolve, Enable

None of us are getting out of here alive.
Make the most of every day.
Listen, learn, educate yourself.
Forgive others and grow from those lessons.
Assist and do what you can to help others.

Absorb
Absolve
Enable

Life's too precious
to do anything else.

You're Loved

You are a wonderful person.
You are kind and generous.
You are fair and loving.
You are sweet and trusting.
You are extraordinary.
You are unique.

You do NOT have the words
WELCOME
or
WIPE FEET HERE
printed anywhere on your person.

Know your worth.
Know your value.
Know you're loved.

Yes!

Yes!
It is a teeny, tiny word
that wields unimaginable power.
Spoken to others,
you give them freedom
and opportunity
and drive.
Spoken to yourself,
you are given freedom
and opportunity
and drive.
Know your boundaries.
Know your worth.
But realize your potential.
Let's do a whole lot more
YES
this year!

Who's Your Momma

When my life
seems to be in shambles,
or even mild disarray,
I take a deep breath,
and close my eyes,
and seek the wisdom
of my Momma.
She served me well for many years.
She taught me morals and ethics.
She taught me faith and ferocity.
She taught me tenacity and determination.
She taught me bravery and boldness.
She taught me positivity and perseverance.
When you are in a rut;
when things seem askew;
when life seems raw;
to whom do you turn?
Faith?
Family?
Friends?
I pray that each of you
finds a 'Momma' like mine.
A safe haven and harbor
for shelter, hope, and love.

You

You
are extraordinary.
You
have definite purpose.
You
are beautiful.
You
are gifted.
Don't ever let anyone's
impaired vision of you
lessen how you feel about yourself!

Grow

We grow
by opening ourselves up
~ to new experiences
~ to new places
~ to new thoughts
~ to new perspectives
~ to new ideas
~ to new people.
Your comfort zone
is a great retreat,
to refresh and recuperate,
but nothing grows there.

Expectations

As the new year begins,
we set resolutions for ourselves.
Most are attainable
if we accomplish little goals
on the path to higher expectations.
The issue I have always had,
since I was a less-than-twenty something,
was my expectation that everyone else
would be as nice,
work as hard,
be as honest,
as I am.
Now . . . don't get me wrong.
I have made some serious mistakes.
I fall short every day of where I need to be.
But I give every thing I do my all.
My work and word are appendages.
I hold both in the highest esteem.
To find less than that in others
in bothersome, exhausting, and irritating.
I need to let it go. Perhaps you do, too.
We are in charge of ourselves.
I will continue to be the best me I can be.
Your actions and behavior will not lessen that.
I pray that I inspire you to improve yourself.

Breathe

Breathe life
into tired days.
Breathe laughter
into rainy afternoons.
Breathe hope
into painful situations.
Breathe faith
into every struggle.
Breathe love
into everyone you meet.

Just Breathe!

New

Hello 2019!

It's a new year,
a new day,
a new you.
New outlooks,
new goals,
new adventures.
Positive mornings,
joyful days,
blessed nights.

Make it yours!