Category: Uncategorized

“To learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to act is really not to know.” ~ Stephen R. Covey

Three years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I can tell you there is nothing quite like the sheer terror of tottering on the edge of a deep yawning abyss and peering down with wide stricken eyes.

I remembered clawing helplessly at the remnants of my life’s best laid plans. I remembered for the first time in my life, growing old seemed such a blissful prospect. I remembered being jolted wide awake.

In such moments of rare clarity, one of the first things that flashed across my mind was the shocking awareness and dismay of my own failings. I have tried to own up and learn from those mistakes. These are some of those lessons learnt from the school of hard knocks, long dark tunnels and other unlikely places of wisdom.

1. Our greatest failures are not…

John E. Smith @ strategiclearner is a frequent inspiration stop for me.  Here’s another one of John’s great shares.  Henry Rollins speaks to college students in this clip however I believe his remarks are inspirational to all of us.  He shares an important message that needs to be heard, shared and passed along. It’s worth 5 minutes of your time.  You’ll find the transcript below.

Transcript of Henry Rollins’ remarks:

Young person, you’ll find in your life that sometimes your great ambitions will be momentarily stymied, thwarted, marginalized by those who were perhaps luckier, come from money, where more doors opened, where college was a given–it was not a student loan; it was something that Dad paid for–to where an ease and confidence in life was almost a birthright, where for you it was a very hard climb.

You cannot let these people make you feel that you have in…

Road Trip – Stop 5:  Meet Virginia, again

In life, like any good road trip, sometimes you have to be open to surprises along the way and be willing to take side trips to find the hidden gems; be ready to go whichever way the wind blows. Since my bold visit with Gwen last week in southern Virginia, I decided to take it easy and take it slow, and my GBS [Global Blogging System] did a little re-routing for me so that I’d be sure and have the chance to stop and visit Mimi and her Karma Truck. I swear I saw it pass me by at least once or twice along this journey, to let me know good things were just up ahead.

Since my last stop, I’ve logged an easy breezy 170 miles…an easy day by all accounts { even my butt thanks me! } and I…

“Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, ‘Did you bring joy?’ The second was, ‘Did you find joy?” ~ Leo Buscaglia

“Just because the road ahead is long, is no reason to slow down. Just because there is much work to be done, is no reason to get discouraged. It is a reason to get started, to grow, to find new ways, to reach within yourself and discover strength, commitment, determination, discipline. The road ahead is long and difficult, and filled with opportunity at every turn. Start what needs starting. Finish what needs finishing. Get on the road. Stay on the road. Get on with the work. Right now you’re at the beginning of the journey. What a great place to be! Just imagine all the things you’ll learn, all the people you’ll meet, all the experiences you’ll have. Be thankful that the road is long and challenging, because that is where you’ll find the best that life has to offer.”

~ Ralph Marston

Source: conflictingheart via Flickr /…

Before I post, I wanted to acknowledge inspiration is reciprocal. Each day, with anticipation, I check my email and follow blogs I subscribe to.

I have gained a considerable amount from blogging, but is humbling. When I began, I had few visitors, no likes, and no comments. Gradually, this changed and blogging became rewarding in and of itself as I learned its nuanced context. It is still humbling in two ways. First, when I check creative blogs posted about passions people hold dear, it impresses me with the process and product. Second, I keep it real . Statistically, the blog I follow with the largest following has about 15, 000 followers. This is about 0.000002% of the world’s population and my 300 followers is about 0.00000004%. Against the odds we form a small, appreciative community and share parts of our lives. Thank you.

Thank you Kay Lynté at Thinking is…

Lucas, a Brazilian man, moves to Australia and is grateful for the country and its people for open their arms to him.  On his 30th birthday, he decides to thank 30 complete strangers in Sydney by handing them each a gift.  “Man’s first responsibility is to be happy…The second is to make everyone else happy.”  Video is paired with beautiful music (This is the place where I feel at home…).

30 gifts to 30 strangers in Sydney from Lucas Jatoba on Vimeo.

Related Feel-Good Video Posts:

• Perfect Darkness
• Did you enjoy your story?
• Water & Rocks…(South Island, NZ)
• Walk in Nature
• Soak in San Francisco
• Tap. Tap. Tap. On the heart…
• Of Souls & Water…
• Africa in Black & White
• Beauty in Motion
• We are all connected…