What are you waiting on?

From one Rebecca Kushins:

Life is

fragile and short

and worth all

the loving presence

we can bring to it.

What are you

waiting on?

Issues

Have done a smidge of tweaking to this,
but ... oh, how true it is!

How people treat you

is their issue.

How you react,

is yours.

Ctrl Alt Del

Control your own self.

Alter your thinking & reactions.

Delete negativity.

Reboot as often as necessary.

Wish

No matter what you THINK you know about me,
based on whatever ridiculous criteria you've concocted ...

Whatever good things

you wish for,

I wish for you, too.

I am the same me I have been

for what feels, sometimes, like 100 years.

Loyal, loving, slightly loony,

occasionally roaring, punny, poetic,

and completely, beautifully,

imperfectly messy.

Struggling?

If you are struggling today,
remember this:

You have survived

everything you've gone through

up to this point.

The best day of your life

is still yet to come.

There are still people

you have not yet met,

and things you have

not yet experienced.

You can do hard things.

You are amazing.

Difference

Love me some Jane!
Ms. Goodall once stated:

You cannot

get through a single day

without having an impact

on the world around you.

What you do

makes a difference.

You just have to decide

what kind of difference

you want to make.

You can stand up for what you believe

without belittling or demeaning others.

You can fight without fists.

You can lead with love.

What kind of difference

do YOU want to make?

Thankful Saturday!

Had a beautiful birthday yesterday.
Spoiled by an overwhelming amount of love.
I am thankful for all of you who reached out.

On Be an Angel Day ...

Angel's Wings
by Lyn Marinello

Angel's wings, embrace me, from the wicked of this Earth
Sheathe me in your feathery steel, protect my Heavenly worth
A downy soft encasement to fortify my soul
A powerful light to guide me on a path to make me whole
Angel's wings, do comfort me. Soften the trials ahead
Grant me strength in faith to walk where I am led
Ratify my resolve to overcome what may
Offer me your solace to seek another day
Angel's wings, please lift me, to the heights of God's design
His glory rises ten-fold more than any inkling mortally mine
Soaring just below me, I ask for loft bequeathed
To my pinnacle of purpose with a winged net beneath
Angel's wings, provide me, a blissful journey to His throne
A celebratory ending to a beginning of glories unknown
Guide me home sweet Angel whispers when my clay shell's been wrung dry
Lay me down softly on Angel's wings and carry me home on high!

Me

Today,
we're going to have
a vocabulary lesson ...

The word for today is:

MELIORISM

the belief that the world

can be made better

by human effort

Meliorism ...

begins with "ME"

Have an extraordinary day!

matter

With no one to credit for this,
it still needs to be shared ...

... and perhaps ...

even the smallest efforts

matter more than you know.

Go.

Matter.

Social Media

Do you remember ... way back when ...

when Social Media was just that?

A platform on which to be social.

And then ... after the GTL,

after the what you had for breakfast,

after the pictures of your puppy,

someone decided to post an opinion ...

and it all kind of when south from there.

I'd like to get back to checking in with friends,

hearing about trips and babies and critters and jobs.

I'd like to know how you're feeling

without knowing your political affiliations

or your religious denomination.

We've become keyboard bullies ...

I'm trying to stick to my basics and just reach out,

be kind and be human.

I try not to react or respond because I believe

that I do NOT know everything and

I have NOT walked in your shoes.

In life, there are only two things

that we can actually control ...

our efforts and our attitudes.

What are you going to do with yours?

Energy

Found this and Lynified the snot out of it.
Sure hoping it helps your Monday
and your week ...

I do not want

to be around people

who make life harder

or darker or uglier.

I need people

who bring comfort,

and calm and peace;

who bring laughter;

who bring positivity;

who bring kindness

and caring and compassion.

I need people

who feel like home,

like a hug,

like serenity.

THAT is the energy

I am seeking.

The Good Stuff

Not mine, but very much worth sharing ...

You will never regret

the times you stopped to listen to a loved one,

or put down your phone to be present,
or paused to notice something beautiful,

or made an effort to be kind.

This is the good stuff.

Rich

Beautiful simplicity for your Friday ...

If you want to feel rich

just count the things you have

that money cannot buy.

Have yourselves a bright and blessed day.

Cups and Coffee

A little long, but well worth the read ...

At a High School Reunion, a group of successful alumni—now doctors, lawyers, business owners—decided to visit their favorite  teacher. They chatted about their careers and families, but soon the conversation shifted to life’s pressures, stress, and constant chasing after more.

After listening for a while, their teacher smiled and said, “Hold on a minute. I’ll go make us some coffee.”

He came back with a large pot and a tray full of cups—none of them matching. Some were fine porcelain, others were plain ceramic, a few were chipped glass mugs, and one even looked like it came from a diner. As everyone reached for a cup, the professor watched in silence. Once they all had coffee in hand, he said:
 
“Notice what just happened. Most of you instinctively reached for the nicest cups—leaving behind the simpler ones. It’s normal to want the best for ourselves, but that’s often where the stress begins.”

He gestured toward the cups.

“The cup doesn’t make the coffee taste any better. What you really wanted was the coffee. But you still focused on the cup.”

Then he paused.

“Life is the coffee. Your job, your house, your income, your status—those are just cups. They help contain life, but they don’t define it. And the trouble is, the more we focus on the cup, the more we miss out on the coffee.”

What are you focused on?

Grateful

Stole this and done Lynified it ...

Be grateful

for the ordinary moments,

the simple pleasures,

and the most basic things of life;

for these uncomplicated and routine things

are integral and necessary

for your peaceful existence.

It's those tiny elemental things

that make life so very beautiful.

Today

This is not my normal prose,

but it kind of just fell off my fingers today.

I hope you enjoy it.

I'm certain it will resonate with a few ...

Today

by Lyn Marinello

Today,
I visited you in a memory.

Laughter pooled in my eyes.

Hugs tumbled down my cheeks.

Conversations wiped them clean.

Lessons straightened my spine.

Love guided me forward.

I miss you.

Choose

A little Monday simplicity for you ...

Today I choose

Faith

Hope

Love

Joy

Seems like a good plan.

What are you choosing?

Survived

I love this
and I try to keep
my creativity kickin'!

It might occasionally

get sleepy or cranky,

but she's there ...

buried yet bristling ...

the creative adult

is the child who has survived

S&S

Short and Sweet.
That's what today's quip is.

But ... oh so incredibly powerful ...

Love without limits.

Live without expectations.

Conquer those two things

and you've got life by the dangly bits.

(Madison ... that last bit was for you ...

and I smiled. Thanks!)

Thankful

Today is Thankful Thursday!
It is a day I usually ramble on

about how grateful I am for

a great many things in my life.

I feel the same today!

I am mostly healthy, have a job,

have a beautiful family,

have some crazy good friends,

have been gifted with a talent or two,

and have been blessed with

positive eyesight and a loving heart.

I choose to see what's good out there

and I am loyal in protecting it.

I pray that today you are thankful.

You may not have bazillions of dollars,

but wealth comes in many forms.

You may not have a Hollywood frame,

but beauty is far more than just what you see.

You are created to be extraordinary.

I believe in you

and am thankful you are here.

For vs From

Love this
and if more of us
followed this mantra,
the world would be
a better place ...

Stay close to people

who want

more for you

not from you.

Wait

No one to credit,
and this is so so short,
but incredibly powerful ...

Every wait

has a worth.

In a world

forever expecting immediacy,

this is a lesson

worth learning.

Location! Location! Location!

This has been out there forever
but I thought I'd share.

It's very true and needs to be heard ...

A steak can be $7 from the butcher,

$10 at the supermarket, $25 at a diner,

and $50 at a high-end restaurant.

Same steak.

The only thing that changed

was the location.

The next time that you are feeling

a little less than worthy,

consider that you just might be

in the wrong location.

You are necessary and integral.

Have a lovely day, friend.

Trust

Lynified this ... just a smidge ...

Trust

that life

has more in store

than what you're able

to see right now.

Trust

in the unexpected blessings

that await you.

Trust

that there are miracles.

They happen every day.

A Better Me

A little bit of me as we begin this month ...

A Better Me

by Lyn Marinello

 

Expectations run amok

On my appearance and my job

How I should always far exceed

The average John or Joe or Bob

 

Isolated by my mirror

And the frame of societal hope

The box I'm supposed to fit in

Is terribly minute in scope

 

But those boxes now have morphed

Not sure toward positivity

The whole world's like a living part

Of Escher's Relativity

 

Up is down and down is up

Back & forth and forth & back

Good is bad and evil wins

This whole joint is out of whack

 

I may not agree with everything

But here's the good news, friends

The difference in our opinions

Needs exactly no amends

 

When I awake each morning

I greet the sky with gratitude

The chaos that surrounds me

Will not change my attitude

 

I'll do the things my Momma taught me

Be honest, frank and kind

Pushed beyond my limits

I will always speak my mind

 

I'll lend a hand when able

Always give 100 percent

Stand with those that are struggling

Guide them through their discontent

 

I will not be defined

By tomorrow's bourgeoisie

I will simply try with all I am

To be a better me