The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes

Saw this inspirational video on Facebook the other day and had to share it here. This young girl addressed the UN on issues of environment. It was taped in 2008, but still such a powerful and relevant message today. I hope her dreams come true!

Inverse Paranoia

I encountered the concept of inverse paranoia in a truly inspiring book I read by Jack Canfield (co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul), and Janet Switzer. The book is called The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. It is a book I highly recommend if you are trying to get yourself motivated to make some life changes and need a new way to look at and think about things.

Mr. Canfield's earliest mentor, W. Clement Stone, had once been described as an inverse paranoid. Instead of believing that the world was out to get him, as a great many people tend to believe, Mr. Stone chose to believe that the world was out to do him good (no, not do him in good). He really believed that everyone wanted to do nice things for him, and acted accordingly. He expected great things to happen for him, and they did!

Imagine going through your life believing that great things were always about to happen to you! Remember that great feeling you had as a kid when you were anticipating your birthday, or Christmas, or maybe a trip to an amusement park? You were excited! You felt alive and you could hardly wait to see what was in store! Somewhere along the way in growing up, we become much more serious and "responsible" and forget what it's like to wake up each day and wonder what wonderful things the universe has in store for us that day.

I've always been a very serious adult, but more and more I'm seeing that being serious all of the time hasn't given me the life I want for myself. Being a serious and responsible adult has its place, of course, but it can be taken to the extreme, and it makes for a very dull and lacklustre life. I've been trying out this concept of "inverse paranoia" for myself, and I can honestly tell you that I am much happier for it. No, everything I want in life has not just been handed to me because I'm happier now, but more and more opportunities are presenting themselves that would not have had I been walking around being ultra serious with a sour expression on my face.

I've often read that you draw into your life that which you spend most of your time thinking about. If that's true, why not direct your energies into thinking and believing in the best of all possibilities? Certainly "bad things" will still occasionally happen-no human being on earth is immune from that-but by and large, your days just might be much happier all around, and you may find that you will bounce back from those occasional "bad things" much more quickly. Your brain will go to work looking for opportunities to make your dreams happen instead of looking for any and every reason to confirm your belief that life is hard and is a trial to be endured. If, for some reason, inverse paranoia doesn't work out for you, what have you lost? A few days being unhappy? Give it a whirl!

Pause For Inspiration

This is my first attempt at an inpirational video. The photographs are all ones I have taken over the past few years. Hope you enjoy it!

A Day in the Life of My Dog

My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet. ~ Edith Wharton

Coxie is my Cockapoo dog with the most loving, beautiful and tender soul I have ever known. She is a joy and I am so blessed to have her companionship in my life. Below is a typical day in her life, (or what I imagine it to be after I leave for work, at any rate.)


5:30 a.m. – Wake-up time! Mommy takes me out for a walk before she starts getting ready for work. Sometimes I’m quick, but sometimes I like to take my time and sniff everything in sight at least twice. Hate to miss anything, you know?


5:45 a.m. – Back inside! I spend some time cleaning my paws while mommy gets ready for work. I hate having any dirt on my feet; I am a lady, after all. When I’m all cleaned up, I take a nap since I’m not the one who has to go to work.


6:30 a.m. – Breakfast time! Mommy usually has cereal or yogurt, and I get to lick the bowl or cup when she’s done! Yumm-y! Sometimes she’ll have fruit, but I don’t get any of that. Boo!


7:00 a.m. – Another walk! I get one more walk before mommy leaves for work, just in case. Usually it’s just a quick dash out and I’m ready to go back inside because it’s almost time for something really special! First, mommy puts my super sharp and snazzy-looking shirt on me. It helps keep me calm while mommy’s away because I miss her so much.


Then it’s the time for the best part of my morning………TREAT TIME!!!!! I wish you could see the happy dance I’m doing! I heart the treats! I dream about the treats! I get a couple of chicken treats and also a couple of beef treats. Mommy leaves while I’m eating. She thinks she’s being sneaky and distracting me with the treats, but I just humor her and let her think she outsmarted me. (Shh! Don’t tell!)


After I finish my snack I go back to bed. I do sleep a lot more these days, but I am 12 years old...maybe 13…who remembers? You should have seen me when I was a puppy, though! I could run around and play for HOURS on end! If anyone even accidentally stepped on a squeaky toy, day or night, I was wide awake instantly and ready to party! Anywayszzzzzzzz


8:30 a.m. – Time to play with my toys!


8:33 a.m. – Nap time!


10:15 a.m. – Thirsty. Drank some water and sniffed at the door. All was well.


10:17 a.m. – Nap time!


11:35 a.m. – Time to play with my toys!


12-ish p.m. – Time for lunch! Ate a few bites of the dry food mommy left down for me, and then had some more water.


12:10 p.m. – Nap time! (I KNOW you’re jealous!)


1:15 p.m. – Woke up barking at a noise I heard outside. I barked at the door for a couple of minutes and then patrolled the house for a bit with my ruff up. I showed them who was boss around here!


1:30 p.m. – Wanted to go back to sleep, but was too keyed up from the brouhaha earlier. Decided to organize my toys into a neat little pile. Then I fell asleep on them. Mmmmmm…nice!


2:40 p.m. – Woke up and played with my toys.


2:45 p.m. – Oops! The water got to me & I couldn’t hold it anymore. Sorry, mommy. :( I feel really bad about it, so I’ll patrol the house some more with my ruff up.


3:20 p.m. – After a long patrol like that, I need a nap!


4:35 p.m. – Time to play with my toys!


5:05 p.m. – Nap time!


5:35 p.m. – I just woke up very excited…mommy will be home at any minute! I’ll sit right by the front door and eagerly await her arrival!


5:45 p.m. – Mommy sure is taking a long time today…


5:50 p.m. – I hear a key in the door…could it be….? MOMMY!!!!! MOMMY’S HOME!!!! Time for the ‘Mommy’s home!’ dance! Check out my moves! Snoopy’s got nothing on me! Woo-hoo!! Oh, I LOVE it! I get hugs and kisses and back scratches! Joy! Bliss! And now I get a walk! WOW!!!


6:00 p.m. – That was a GREAT walk! Time for dinner! I’m so excited!! Mommy serves me some of my favorite canned food, which I devour instantly. What’s a vacuum, I wonder? She mentions it a lot when I’m eating.


6:15 p.m. – Mommy is cleaning up the mess I made earlier. I’m looking as sad as I possibly can.


6:30 p.m. – Mommy is sitting down to dinner. I’ll stare at her until she gives me some. Darn. Well, sometimes it works.


7:00 p.m. – Nap time!


9:00 p.m. – Time for my last walk of the day and then bedtime for me. It has been one exhausting day!

A Day in the Life of a Bag of Apples

Ah, here we all are back from the grocery store and in our new home!

The nice lady puts us on the counter while she puts away the rest of the groceries.

Now she’s washing us. The water feels great!

Ooh! A nice buff dry, too and put into a bowl so we can hang out together!

This is the life!

Hey, what’s that contraption?

The little boy wants to know, too.

A deep fryer? Wonder what she’s going to fry?

The nice lady is pouring something in the fryer…oh, oil. Makes sense.

Is that a peeler she’s got in her hand now?

Why is she looking our way?

No! She wouldn’t!

She is! She’s peeling us!

Great, now we’re freezing. I hope she’s going to cover us soon.

Is that a knife!?

Why is she looking at us again!?

This woman’s a psycho!

Now she’s putting us on a cutting board, one by one, and SLICING us!

OMG! I can’t believe I have to watch everyone else get sliced first!

I have to get away!

Ha-ha! I’ve slipped out of her evil clutches and am rolling on the floor away from her!

Oh, no; she caught me!

Another bath and buff, but for some reason I don’t feel very relaxed this time.

Here comes the knife!

Now I’m in slices with everyone else and the evil woman is mixing us all together in the bowl.

It’s a good thing we can at least keep the doctor away, because we’re completely ineffective at keeping everyone else away; especially knife-wielding psychos!

She’s taking the lid off the deep fryer…and putting us in!

OMG! The humanity!

We’re getting all crispy and crunchy…

Now she’s taking us out and putting us on some paper towels to cool.

She left the kitchen! Yay! Our torture is over!

Who’s that?

Oh, the teenaged daughter.

I don’t like the look in her eyes…

Back off, Missy!

No! Put uncle Chip down!

Oh, no you didn’t!

You did not just eat my uncle Chip!

Put me down! Put me down!

Put me down….the hatch I go…

A Day in the Life of a Quarter

Good morning, world!

 Here I am, sitting on the dresser waiting for my adventure to begin.


Wonder where I’ll be at the end of today?


I hope I have a better day than the mirror had the other day.


Ooh! He’s getting dressed…socks, pants, shoes…reaching for his change..


Pocket! I’m in the pants pocket!


Now we’re moving!


Is that a draft?


I’m falling!


Crappo!


He didn’t even notice I fell out!


What was that noise? An engine?


Hey, look ou…Ouch!


Dang, that car’s heavy!


(a few minutes later)


Hey, here comes his little boy, the superhero!


He sees me!


He’s picking me up.


His hands are sticky. What is that stuff?


Aww..he’s running back inside to show me to his mom.


He’s so happy!


She wants him to rinse the jelly off his hands…


…and me, I hope.


Hooray! I’m clean again!


Now what?


We’re going to the store?


All right!


Back in a pocket…and off we go!


We’re at the store. The little boy is holding me in his hand as we make our way around.


He’s looking for something that costs a quarter. Poor kid.


Now we’re at the checkout counter and the cashier is ringing up the order.


Fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, orange juice, jelly (heh), candy, bread, and more!


The little boy sees a pack of gum that he wants, but he’s short about 75 cents.


Mom to the rescue!


She spots him a dollar as he makes the purchase himself and hands me over to the cashier.


He’s so proud! I’ll miss him.


Goodbye!


On to my next adventure!


A woman paying cash for a deli lunch receives me as part of her change and drops me into her wallet.


Nice wallet.


Soft leather. Smells nice, too!


Ah! We’ve arrived somewhere.


Starbucks!


She’s in need of a coffee to help wash down her lunch.


I’m back in a cash register, but I’ve barely had time to settle into the drawer before I’m given as change to the next customer.


A man drops me into his pocket and hops on a motorcycle.


I can’t see squat, but if all those horns and screamed profanities are anything to go by, he’s kind of a crazy driver.


We’re stopping now.


Where are we?


A bank! I’m home!


He takes me out of his pocket….


…and drops me into the parking meter outside of the bank.


*Sigh*

The Morning of a Day in the Life of a Bathroom Mirror

I read a suggestion recently on Dan Goodwin's A Big Creative Yes blog to write object diaries to help get the creative writing muscles flexing, so this is my first attempt at that. The object is a bathroom mirror, who greets each family member as they enter each morning to get ready for their day. They don't hear it, of course, but it was fun to write. Hope you enjoy it!

Well, good morning! You’re looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!

Well, okay, we'll just call it bushy-eyed, then.

How did you sleep?

Ha-ha! You’ve got pillow lines!

*Ahem* Sorry.

 Wash your face. There you go. Feeling more alert? Good.

Ah! Getting ready to shower!

No, you can’t get away from me. You all wanted a big mirror, remember? Get over it and get in the shower. I won’t peek.

Now you’re all squeaky clean! Well, almost. You missed a spot right between your…yep, yep! You got it!

Off you go!



(5 minutes later, another family member enters)



Good morning, Teenybop! My, you’re looking pale and tragic today.

No, you’re not fat! OMG! I can barely see you!

Well, he’s an idiot for dumping you!

No, you’re not ugly, you’re beauti…

What are you do…NO! Don’t pop your…..EEW!

Well, I hope you’re planning to get the glass cleaner this time! I hate hanging around here all day with this crud stuck to my face!

Where are you going? Hello? Hellooooo?



(3 minutes later, the youngest family member enters)



Oh, good! It’s the little one!

Hello, Little One! Who shall we be today?

A superhero? How fun!

That towel cape looks terrific on you!

Check out those muscles and that proud, puffed out chest!

And who could resist that 1000-watt smile?

You can do anything!

You will smite all enemies with an arch of your eyebrow!

Everyone will give you candy all day!

Your mom and dad will buy you a puppy and take care of it for you!

Nothing can stop you!

The Universe is yours!

What’s that your mom is yelling?

Time to go to the doctor?

Well, it won’t be so bad. You’ll put him out of business, you’re so healthy! You…hello? Where’d you go?


Hmm…I didn’t know he had invisibility powers.