Moon River on the Harp!
This haunting melody always has me thinking of Sentimental times. It was 'our Song' and my DH (Dear Husband) and I danced to this as our opening song...recorded not on Harp like this beautiful rendition by Harpist Tomoko Sato. The positive force of music cannot be denied! It renders me speechless at times. We all participate in music in some way, either making it or listening to it! When I need a boost...I turn on a little tune or play one. Life is much more with music in it! Even the birds sing!
Here are a couple of other links to her harp music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8FWcoWInWs&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO99EZ4RXZE&feature=related
Hope this lifted your spirits...Smiles!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Positive Entry 2010 - 12 Improving Attention
HOW MEDITATION IMPROVES ATTENTION!
Or in my case Attention Span! I am constantly jumping around between topics and ideas. About the only time I settle down in my brain (other than sleeping) is when I'm watching TV or reading a book and somehow I can tune things out then so I can focus only on that task. The following Article makes the case for using meditation for improving your attention. Wouldn't it be good to have the ability to concentrate on what you are doing and not be distracted? Maybe you already have this talent. I think that maybe many athletes and muscisians have developed it. Maybe it helps them to keep from choking...making mistakes. It's not only practice that makes perfect but concentration as well. When we get self conscious we loose focus, our attention is diverted from what we are doing. If meditation can help with that I'm all for it. Here is a link to the article on the Psychology Blog.. http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/05/how-meditation-improves-attention.php which has more information on this very interesting and perhaps mind enhancing topic!
Or in my case Attention Span! I am constantly jumping around between topics and ideas. About the only time I settle down in my brain (other than sleeping) is when I'm watching TV or reading a book and somehow I can tune things out then so I can focus only on that task. The following Article makes the case for using meditation for improving your attention. Wouldn't it be good to have the ability to concentrate on what you are doing and not be distracted? Maybe you already have this talent. I think that maybe many athletes and muscisians have developed it. Maybe it helps them to keep from choking...making mistakes. It's not only practice that makes perfect but concentration as well. When we get self conscious we loose focus, our attention is diverted from what we are doing. If meditation can help with that I'm all for it. Here is a link to the article on the Psychology Blog.. http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/05/how-meditation-improves-attention.php which has more information on this very interesting and perhaps mind enhancing topic!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Positive Entry 2010 - 11 - Decisions
Decide to Decide!
Have you ever gone out to dinner and were asked what you would like to order, only to hemm and hawww and ask the other person to go first...or even say something like I'll have what you are having? Was the main reason because you just couldn't decide? Guess what, you can do something about that....
This indecisiveness at dinner can be symptomatic of a bigger decision problem. Check out this article from Anthony Fernando on making decisions: http://www.anthonyfernando.com/2010/04/21/decide-to-be-decisive/
He points out the problem with the little indecisive behaviors. He says making decisions is a skill that has to be practiced. Why didn't I think of that? It takes practice. My DH (Dear Husband) is constantly getting irritated when I can't decide right away or hesitate with the little decisions. So the next time the opportunity comes up I am going to be decisive! I am going to not worry about it so much. I mean agonizing about the little things makes it that much harder on the bigger decisions. Anthony is write...I need to practice.
Anthony also has some very inspirational videos on his site. One Youtube video of his is a Never Giving Up Poem and it is not only uplifting it's very nice. I'll use it for not giving up on practicing...it's not easy practicing to be decisive!!!!!!
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Have you ever gone out to dinner and were asked what you would like to order, only to hemm and hawww and ask the other person to go first...or even say something like I'll have what you are having? Was the main reason because you just couldn't decide? Guess what, you can do something about that....
This indecisiveness at dinner can be symptomatic of a bigger decision problem. Check out this article from Anthony Fernando on making decisions: http://www.anthonyfernando.com/2010/04/21/decide-to-be-decisive/
He points out the problem with the little indecisive behaviors. He says making decisions is a skill that has to be practiced. Why didn't I think of that? It takes practice. My DH (Dear Husband) is constantly getting irritated when I can't decide right away or hesitate with the little decisions. So the next time the opportunity comes up I am going to be decisive! I am going to not worry about it so much. I mean agonizing about the little things makes it that much harder on the bigger decisions. Anthony is write...I need to practice.
Anthony also has some very inspirational videos on his site. One Youtube video of his is a Never Giving Up Poem and it is not only uplifting it's very nice. I'll use it for not giving up on practicing...it's not easy practicing to be decisive!!!!!!
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Positive Entry 2010 -10 Optimism vs. Pessimism -
OPTIMISM VS PESSIMISM
This subject is constantly coming up in my mind. I'm a proponent of optimism but not so much that you become delusional. I do believe that thoughts can lead to actions - good thoughts to good actions and bad thoughts to bad actions. I wanted to learn more about what others thought and began surfing the internet and ran across some interesting articles on the subject.
One article was written by a Nick Shultz - you can read it in it's entirety at this link:
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/optimism-vs-pessimism-102077.html
In his closing, Nick talks about the importance of taking productive action along with having an optimistic attitude. He mentions a women he knew that had a pessimistic approach by expecting the worst to happen so that she would be surprised when something good happened. All too true in my experience, is that in the meantime while 'waiting' for the surprise, she was miserable. I'm with Nick - be optimistic, enjoy life, take the productive action to make it so!
Thanks, Nick! Smiles to you.
What about the Operation Nice posts by Melissa? One of my favorite bloggers.
There is the post which highlights the optimism of an 11 year old, named Jessica, who raised money by founding a charity at such a young age. The Charity was called 'Richards Rwanda' and was established by her to educate Rwandan young girls and successfully raised $75,000. Here is the link: http://www.operationnice.com/2010/02/nice-news-making-difference-at-14.htmlto that site. It has a CNN video interview on the site with her at 14 years of age.
Melissa has posted many times about positive effort and the productivity of optimism especially in times when tragedy strikes. She did a series of what she called Nice Campaings. A particular post about the tragic accident of a young girl and the resulting response by a friend to send out a 'Hey You'all' was very touching . In this little gesture the vitality and personality of the young girl lives on. Here is the link to that post: http://www.operationnice.com/2010/04/nice-campaign-hey-yall-day.html it's a worthwhile read.
Thanks, Melissa! Smiles to you!
I can't write about optimism without mentioning the Positivity Blog. Henrik Edberg. On his post: Take the Positivity Challenge: http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/02/09/take-the-positivity-challenge/ He goes into the rationale of why people aren't more positive. Some thought provoking and common sense answers to that are posted as well as some tips on how to be more positive.
Smiles to you Henrik!
It seems to me that life is just better if we look at the bright side and keep moving forward instead of sliding back into the past, revisiting the could of's, would of's and should of's that might have been.
A quick recap:
This subject is constantly coming up in my mind. I'm a proponent of optimism but not so much that you become delusional. I do believe that thoughts can lead to actions - good thoughts to good actions and bad thoughts to bad actions. I wanted to learn more about what others thought and began surfing the internet and ran across some interesting articles on the subject.
One article was written by a Nick Shultz - you can read it in it's entirety at this link:
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/optimism-vs-pessimism-102077.html
In his closing, Nick talks about the importance of taking productive action along with having an optimistic attitude. He mentions a women he knew that had a pessimistic approach by expecting the worst to happen so that she would be surprised when something good happened. All too true in my experience, is that in the meantime while 'waiting' for the surprise, she was miserable. I'm with Nick - be optimistic, enjoy life, take the productive action to make it so!
Thanks, Nick! Smiles to you.
What about the Operation Nice posts by Melissa? One of my favorite bloggers.
There is the post which highlights the optimism of an 11 year old, named Jessica, who raised money by founding a charity at such a young age. The Charity was called 'Richards Rwanda' and was established by her to educate Rwandan young girls and successfully raised $75,000. Here is the link: http://www.operationnice.com/2010/02/nice-news-making-difference-at-14.htmlto that site. It has a CNN video interview on the site with her at 14 years of age.
Melissa has posted many times about positive effort and the productivity of optimism especially in times when tragedy strikes. She did a series of what she called Nice Campaings. A particular post about the tragic accident of a young girl and the resulting response by a friend to send out a 'Hey You'all' was very touching . In this little gesture the vitality and personality of the young girl lives on. Here is the link to that post: http://www.operationnice.com/2010/04/nice-campaign-hey-yall-day.html it's a worthwhile read.
Thanks, Melissa! Smiles to you!
I can't write about optimism without mentioning the Positivity Blog. Henrik Edberg. On his post: Take the Positivity Challenge: http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/02/09/take-the-positivity-challenge/ He goes into the rationale of why people aren't more positive. Some thought provoking and common sense answers to that are posted as well as some tips on how to be more positive.
Smiles to you Henrik!
It seems to me that life is just better if we look at the bright side and keep moving forward instead of sliding back into the past, revisiting the could of's, would of's and should of's that might have been.
A quick recap:
- Be productive as well as have a positive attitude
- Look to the future good that you can do
- Don't look back, the past is past and it wasn't meant to be dwelt upon
I'll end with, Smiles to you, the readers!
Maria
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Positive Entry - 2010 - 8 - Earth Day
EARTH DAY ENTRY - The unraveling
You might not have noticed this one but on the Google home page it is today's featured link. It is more of an awareness video...no strings attached (ha, ha).
There is Hope - Happy Earth Day!
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You might not have noticed this one but on the Google home page it is today's featured link. It is more of an awareness video...no strings attached (ha, ha).
There is Hope - Happy Earth Day!
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Friday, April 9, 2010
Positive Entry 2010 - 6 - Fly to find yourself
FLY
This is a Youtube video called 'Fly' I found when I was surfing the web after a relative sent me a wonderful song about Oregon...:)
This is inspirational in that the message is about finding yourself and being the best you! I love that message!
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This is a Youtube video called 'Fly' I found when I was surfing the web after a relative sent me a wonderful song about Oregon...:)
This is inspirational in that the message is about finding yourself and being the best you! I love that message!
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Thursday, April 1, 2010
Positive Entry 2010 - 7 - My Garden
Before and After!
A garden can change so much just with plants growing but when a person decided to get things cleaned up the effects can be pretty dramatic. We decided to make our garden easier to take care of and to add cleaner lines. I tend to love the English cottage look and the tropical look too, but I'm finding I cannot maintain it that well. See the before photos of the front of our yard by the house. There was a quaint beauty here but it was quickly getting out of control. The palm greens were getting too large and although I love them as a reminder of tropical times...they had to go....with some soul searching and a lot of convincing from my husband we decided to add a sidewalk and some borders to create a more welcoming and clean look...what do you think?
A garden can change so much just with plants growing but when a person decided to get things cleaned up the effects can be pretty dramatic. We decided to make our garden easier to take care of and to add cleaner lines. I tend to love the English cottage look and the tropical look too, but I'm finding I cannot maintain it that well. See the before photos of the front of our yard by the house. There was a quaint beauty here but it was quickly getting out of control. The palm greens were getting too large and although I love them as a reminder of tropical times...they had to go....with some soul searching and a lot of convincing from my husband we decided to add a sidewalk and some borders to create a more welcoming and clean look...what do you think?
Before
After 
Before
After 
Yay!!!!!!!
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