Inspiration in Unusual Places

If we were to look closely, we may discover inspiration in strange places.

Inspiration moves us to do the things we do, helping to add fuel to our emotions and awaken our senses. When we are inspired we feel EXCITEMENT and LIFE.

Oftentimes we are inspired by the simplest of things: the sunshine, a smile, the smell of fall leaves. We find inspiration in the people we meet, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, and the books we read.

Inspiration, and where we receive it, is not always as noticeable as the nose on our face. Sometimes inspiration can be found in some unusual places.

For example . . .

I run a non-stop recording in my head when I am tackling overwhelming projects (keeping up with a blog, starting a book, potty training a child):

Be prepared …

Stay focused …

Keep going.

One time, in between projects, I was dwelling on the things that inspire me ~ things that get me moving ~ and I discovered an interesting link between the recording:

Be prepared …

Stay focused …

Keep going.  

I realized it had to do with a book I read years ago.

I love to read so it was no surprise that I found inspiration in a book. What was surprising was the book that inspired me.

It’s a book I would recommend to a select few people, only those I feel would get the most from it.

It wasn't so much the information in the book, although the purpose of the book helped immensely when I needed it, it was more about the principles in the book that stuck with me through all these years.

The book I am referring to:

Toilet Training in Less Than a Day, by Nathan Azin and Richard M. Foxx

Yep. That’s the book that inspired me to:

Be prepared … Stay focused … Keep going.

I sense some skepticism.

Toilet Training in Less Than a Day not only showed me how to potty train my child in 3 ½ hours, but this interesting marvel of a book taught me many valuable lessons.

If you know of anyone who has a child at the potty training age, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is a quick read (took me about half a day to read it), the techniques are quite simple, and IT WORKS.

Otherwise, I would like to share my connection between the book and how it inspired me.

Be prepared.

The book:     Instructed me to my dress my son comfortably and provide him with a hearty breakfast, snacks, and plenty to drink. I was to make sure there would be NO interruptions: no television, no games, and no toys.

                        I was required to have all the necessary equipment readily available: training potty, doll that can go potty, patience and determination.

Inspiration: I tackle projects (not just writing, but all projects) with the same attitude. Before tackling any project I make certain I have what I need, both material and mental; things like my computer, my wits and a lot of determination.

                   I also schedule work time when I know I will not be distracted.

Stay focused.

The book:     The main topic is “potty training.” That’s it. Potty train this and potty train that. No other topic of discussion. Potty. Potty. Potty.

Inspiration: I refer to this a lot. My mind has a tendency to wonder. Ideas pop in and out so fast I lose track of them and get myself lost in my own thoughts. I have learned to stay focused in the moment. Stay focused on what is in front of me. If I catch my mind trailing, I refocus on the task at hand until it’s complete or I am satisfied with the results.

Keep going.

The book:     I will admit after about 10 minutes into the potty training I had a desire to give up. My son was not at all interested in using the potty. I had a hard time keeping him focused on our main topic of conversations: Potty Training. But, as the book encouraged, I kept going. I remained focused on the job at hand and kept at it until the desired result had been reached.

Inspiration: This may be what I reflect on most; the idea to KEEP GOING. It is easy to stop when things get a little tricky or aren't going in the right direction. KEEP GOING. It’s easy to quit, but much more rewarding to KEEP GOING.

It’s in the things that inspire us that give us strength to move on, move ahead and strive to be our best.

Inspiration can be found anywhere, even in the strangest of places.

What strange places have you found inspiration?

Today is Leap Day . . .

Don't be afraid to follow the rainbow!

As such, it has inspired me to do some research to learn more about this 29^th day of February, and maybe find a decent quote to share about the topic.

I have found something that precisely expresses my thoughts about this day. I will simply provide a link and hope that you find as much inspiration from the quote as I have.

It comes from Vera Nazarian’s book, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration.

Happy Reading!

Work Those Opportunities!

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

            -Thomas Edison

This is an amazing time for freelance writers. Opportunities abound! That’s the good news. The bad news (if you are a glass-half-empty kind of person) is that when an opportunity is seized one must do work before the rewards of the opportunity can be obtained.

Say for instance an opportunity has presented itself in the form of creating a newsletter for a local company. That is wonderful but there is much work involved before the final product is complete. Research, meetings, interviews, writing, formatting . . . the work list goes on. Don’t be afraid of the overalls (the work involved). Simply adjust the straps, lace up the boots and get dirty.

Don’t miss the opportunity because it looks like work. Instead, work the opportunity until it looks like an achievement.

Photo provided by Jodi Hughey. Copyright 2011.

From small beginnings come great things . . .

From small beginnings come great things.
-American Proverb

One of my passions is reading and sharing quotes that inspire, motivate, encourage and bring a smile to any face. Another passion of mine is taking pictures that stir up warm fuzzy feelings and remind me of a time when stress was just a word in a dictionary.

I decided to begin a new series for this blog that relates writing with both of these passions. It’s a small step that will get me in the habit of writing more freely and posting more often.

From small beginnings come great things instills a sense of action; a need to begin. It is like a goal that has been planted in the mind but requires nurturing, or action, until it blossoms into something beautiful. One should never feel the burden of accomplishing a goal in one sitting no more than expecting a seed to grow to full maturity overnight. Instead the actions for meeting the goal should be completed in small doses and nurtured until it grows and becomes something great. Big things will come from these small beginnings!

Photo provided by Jodi Hughey. Copyright 2011.

Quote provided by Thinkexist.com

Follow Your Dreams . . . Don't Miss the Starting Gun

I am a fan of the band Pink Floyd. I have a few CD’s: The Dark Side of the Moon (1973); Wish You Were Here (1975); and Animals (1977). I realize this knowledge will not help you sleep at night, but there is a point I will get to - a lesson I hope you will learn. There is one song from the band that I have adopted as my theme song. The song is simply titled Time. It is from the album The Dark Side of the Moon. I will provide some of the lyrics below (in italics).

**sigh** I am humming the tune in my head and connecting the words with the story that is my life . . .

Ticking away the hours that make up a dull day

Fritter and waste the hours in an off-hand way…

Since I was a kid and could scribble on paper I knew I wanted to do something with writing. I would spend hours coming up with what I thought were great story ideas. Tick-tock-tick-tock At the age of 23 I had self-published a small book called Basics to Baby-sitting. Oh, I thought I was writing with the big boys! Tick-tock-tick-tock I even went to a self-publishing conference in Michigan – all by myself! I had a lot of ideas. Tick-tock-tick-tock

Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown

Waiting for someone or something to show you the way…

I grew up in a rural area, a small county, a tiny town. I was years ahead of my time, but didn’t know it. When I was 17 I participated in the Institute of Children’s Literature writing course. I received a certificate of completion from the Institute of Children’s Literature before I received my high school diploma! Shortly after that I received my first writing gig. I was ready for the world – I waited for someone or something to show me the way. That was where I made my mistake.

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain

You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today…

I was a young writer - naive. Oh, I was going to write, by golly! Only one problem, my ideas never went anywhere. The writing gig I got went nowhere. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the fellow who approached me to write in the first place was a fly-by-night freak. I suppose I was tarnished by this event. From that time I kept my creativity to myself. It remained in my head . . . trapped. I never talked about my story ideas or shared my writing. When I went to the conference in Michigan I never showed my book to anyone! I felt uneasy and insecure about my writing. I was afraid that people wouldn’t understand my meaning. Worse yet, I was afraid of what people thought. The longer time passed the more my writing ideas began to fade. I never once gave up on the idea of being a writer . . . I just never wrote. I was young and I knew I had time to tap the keyboard when I felt like it.

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run you missed the starting gun…

And then one day I realized I was one month closer to the big 4-0. The days of being 17 and 23 are long gone! You would think that after 23 years my writing portfolio would be filled with the reflection of my achievements in the literary world. It would be a folder loaded with my published writing. You would be surprised. I do have a portfolio with my writing accomplishments, but they are few. I spent a lot of my days considering the notion of being a writer. I applied myself to a certain degree. I see now that while I was waiting for someone or something to show me the way I never thought that the thing or person could be me! Years ago I was closer than ever to being a prosperous writer, but I hesitated. And that, my friend, is the lesson I would like for you to learn. Don’t sit around waiting for someone or something to show you the way. Don't wait for the starting gun.

In the world of writing for money I have learned only I can make it happen. Only I can do the writing and make money at it. I have also accepted that being an independent writer will be a lonely road to travel. Now, that is not to say that I won’t find friends along the way – oh no! In fact, I have made it a priority to find friends in the writing world. People I can talk with and brainstorm with and share ideas and concerns with. I will keep you updated in future posts about the friends I find!

What I mean by Pink Floyd's lyric Don’t Miss the Starting Gun is if you want to make money as a writer then you need to do it - NOW. Don’t sit around frittering your time away thinking about being a writer - imagining all of the great things you will write and how much money you can make. Tick-tock-tick-tock It is okay to ponder this, but do it effectively…now go write something! Tick-tock-tick-tock .