Words, Absolute Magnitude
Life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end. –Virginia Woolf Succeed and Soar’s first, the 2022 “Words” series explored phrases that could help appreciate and heal human experiences. The 2025 theme is astronomy. This seven-minute video explains why we are the children of stars.. Click Here to ViewSee Also: The Human Luminous Energy Field, 1 minute Star Magnitude (Brightness) Explained, 11 Minutes Introduction to Astronomy, 16 Minutes Absolute Magnitude is the brightness of stars and galaxies when viewed from 10 parsecs, 3.26 light years or 19.2 trillion miles. Apparent Magnitude would be the brightness of celestial objects when seen from Earth. Luminous means to glow or shine by either emitting or reflecting light. Luminous can also mean intelligence or types of ideas. People can also be luminous. RoseLight.com said, “You integrate light by building consciousness, adding order and organization to your energy field. These energy shifts then translate into your physical, emotional, and mental bodies … by simply paying attention and responding to the feedback life is giving you through your challenges and your opportunities.” In “How to Become Luminous,” Dr. Christopher Buck wrote, “Luminosity is the phosphorescence of the spirit.” To achieve this state, Inspirited.Co reported, Becoming, “homo luminous … means loving ourselves despite, or perhaps because of, our imperfections and the complex layers of emotion we can feel. It means embracing everything it is to be human, the desires, the mistakes, the emotional outbursts, and loving THAT.” In “Be A Luminary,” BodyHelix.com said, Luminaries are everywhere. They are creative, adaptable, open-minded, highly intelligent, and extremely stable. Luminary conversations are usually about building up, practicing kindness, and hoping for the future. In addition, Luminaries tend to be imaginative and somewhat impulsive. They shed light and optimism on a dark and relentlessly challenging world. How can individuals achieve Absolute Magnitude? Body Helix recommended, Seek out luminaries. … Read about them. Highlight their contributions whenever you can. Thank someone this week for having made a positive, luminous impact on your life. When you begin to recognize and appreciate the path of the luminary, you are on your way to becoming a luminary. It’s a lovely place to live! A goal? Body Helix suggested these lyrics from John Lennon’s song, You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will be as one Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. COMMENT. Journals Record dreams, hopes, plans and achievements in beautiful, inspiring notebooks. Details: 6” x 8, spiral notebook 120 pages, ruled on both sides Art printed on front Cover is thick paper stock. Back cover is medium gray Inside front and back covers have pockets for storing extra paper and pens View All Notebooks
Thrive: Egg Substitutes
Your body hears everything your mind says. – Naomi Judd Succeed and Soar‘s Thrive! shares insights that can improve life’s quality. This post presents egg alternatives. Beyond scrambled, sunny side up and deviled, eggs also bind [hold ingredients together] and provide lift or lighten foods, like meringues and soufflés. With eggs become so expensive, cartons in grocery store, even farms are being robbed. For one egg, The Kitchen Whisperer lists these alternatives: 3 TABLEspoons of peanut butter 1 TABLEspoon of ground flax whisked with 3 TABLEspoons of water Half a ripe banana A quarter cup of applesauce NOTE: To distinguish from teaspoons, this spelling is used for TABLEspoon . Egg Yolk can be replaced by mixing 1 TABLEspoon of ground flax [or chia seeds] with 1 TABLEspoon of water. Or, heat 1 TABLEspoon of vegetable gelatin in 2 TABLEspoons of water. For leavening, The Kitchen Whisperer suggests blending 1-1/2 TABLEspoon vegetable oil with 1-1/2 TABLEspoon water and teaspoon of baking POWDER [not baking soda]. Egg whites can be replaced with silken tofu. Read more Tofu is curdled soy milk pressed into blocks. It contains all essential amino acids. Tofu is low in saturated fat and cholesterol [heart healthy] and contains isoflavone that could relieve menopause symptoms and lower some cancer risks. Tofu concerns include its ability to mimic estrogen and genetically modified soy versions. Substitutes for tofu can include raw cashews, raw almonds, hazelnuts, oats and pumpkin seeds soaked overnight in water then blended until soft. Also beans like chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans can be cooked, mashed and serve as binding agents [as well as for fritters and patties]. Research Resources: 6 Best Substitutes for Tofu Is Tofu a Healthy Alternative to Meat? What Can You Substitute for Eggs when Cooking or Baking? What is Tofu? Recipes: Tofu Scrambled Egg Recipes: 16 Tofu Recipes for Beginners, includes: Chipotle Tofu Tacos Slow-Cooker Tofu Lo Mein Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens COMMENT Succeed and Soar! Shop Succeed & Soar’s Puzzles As well as beautiful and inspiring prints, framed, canvas. Also fleece blankets, journals, greeting cards, clothing, totes, phone cases, towels and much more. Puzzle Details Two sizes: 18×24 500 pieces, 20×28 1,000 pieces] Premium 0.2” thick paper stock Semi gloss coating makes image pop Handsome puzzle box has picture on top View All Puzzles Thanks for shopping!
Special Short, 400 MPH
Fasten your seat belts, It’s going to be a bumpy night. — Bette Davis’ line from movie All About Eve. View 20 second clip Each month, Succeed and Soar shares a short videos chosen to lift the heart and spirit, awareness and humanity. This month’s special selection is for times when wondering if what seems impossible can happen. Here are some encouragements. Only from the heart can you touch the sky. – Rumi Sky is the limit they said… But I was searching for something without limit, as same as my dreams… limitless. — Unknown Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. — Pamela Vaull Starr Comments on the following CGI animation include, Amazing!!! Just amazing. Loved every second of it.. Yes!!! Definitely awards winning .. wow.. Some people take impossible as a challenge. Great stuff. Enjoy! Click Here to View. 400 MPH 4 Minutes Beyond the Sky’s Limits is adapted from Succeed and Soar’s 2024 series. The booklet shares encouraging wisdom and uplifting images about going beyond boundaries and making dreams come true. Open space for notes, sketches and journaling. Details: Inspirational [includes above sky quotes] Beautiful photography Easy-to-mail greeting card size 5×8, 36 pages $11.50 Preview sample See All Radiant Tree Books Thanks for your support!
Thrive: Corn Concerns
The greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. – Joyce Meyer Last Week Tonight with John Oliver [HBO] Excerpt: the methods that we’ve used to supercharge its [corn] growth have taken a toll on the environment. Take nitrogen fertilizer. It is needed to intensively farm one crop over and over again. Click Here to View NOTE: Commentary contains adult language Length: 24:53 Succeed and Soar‘s Thrive! shares insights that can improve life’s quality. This post concerns corn. Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink. These lines are from Samuel Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” This poem presents a thirsty sailor shipwrecked on the ocean. The same could be said of a crop that covers 90 million United States acres. While corn seems to be a food, should it be eaten? Corn kernels are seeds that can grow new plants. The outer coating protects the genetic information. That pericarp is a waxy cellulose that people cannot digest [it comes out in the poop]. Corn descends from teosinte, a wild grass. Six “Reasons to Never Eat Corn Again” include, Corn contains lectins like tomatoes, peppers and white potatoes, which the body cannot break down, causing inflammation and gut irritation. Pesticides, these poisons can accumulate in the blood and disrupt organ functions. “Surprising Facts About Corn Nutrition, Benefits and Side Effects” reports, “roughly 80 percent of the foods in the standard American diet contain some sort of GMO,” Genetically Modified Organisms that have been engineered in laboratories. About 88 percent of all United States corn is GMO, a concern because of connections to: Changes in the gut environment Greater risk for antibiotic resistance Increases in aging symptoms and more. Should eating corn prove too tempting, “Why Corn is Hard to Digest” recommends letting teeth break down the tough cellulose shell. Chew longer. The post also claims yellow, sweet corn provides good amounts of protein, dietary fiber, selenium, zinc, thiamin plus other vitamins and minerals. Corn is high in carotenoid compounds that can prevent age-related macular degeneration. Of popcorn, Food Revolution recommends, “avoid the oils and chemicals used in processing most commercially available popcorn. And instead of mounds of melted butter and salt, try popcorn with healthier toppings [like] nutritional yeast, lemon juice, herbal seasoning, hot sauce, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of sea salt, and/or other herbs and spices [like cinnamon].” COMMENT Succeed and Soar! Shop Succeed & Soar’s Art Beautiful and inspiring prints, framed, canvas. Also fleece blankets, journals, greeting cards, clothing, totes, phone cases, towels and much more. Duvet Cover details: Four sizes: Twin, Full, Queen, King Hand sewn Include hidden zipper for easy washing and assembly Wide variety of background colors Art can be resized and custom positioned Selected art printed on top, with soft white surface underneath Machine washable with cold water and mild detergent View All Duvet Covers Thanks for shopping!
WORDS: Time Slip
The only reason for time is that everything doesn’t happen at once. — Albert Einstein Succeed and Soar’s first “Words” series, explored eight phrases that could help appreciate human experiences, understand the world and aim for more peace of mind. Three years later, new concepts will be explored each month, beginning with Time Slip. A good example is the 1993 movie Groundhog Day [trailer] where Bill Murray’s character keeps repeating the same February 2. Time Slip means thoughts traveling to the past or future. Going backwards can recall happy moments. Also, disappointments. Whether joyful or sad, mental time slips can contain helpful insights. As for remorse, sorrows and anguish, here are prescriptions: Psychology Today’s Best Way to Handle Regret, which can include focusing on minor disappointments that can be fixed. The Cleveland Clinic’s How to Deal with Regrets, that can begin with self forgiveness Well & Good’s 10 Tips for Dealing with Any Kind of Regret, like apologizing to others who may have been involved. Mentally visiting the future involves creating experiences that have not occurred. These imaginings allow planning options and ‘what-if’ alternatives. But what if physical time travel happens? How Time Slips: What is it and How Does It Happen? Among other incidents, its list includes the August 1901 report of Charlotte Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain who said they encountered Marie Antoinette on the day, in 1792, the queen learned revolutionaries had stormed the Tuileries Palace. The Mystery of Time Slips: Real Cases and Theories includes one man’s encounter with “African American children running around, overseen by their mother, who was dressed in dated clothing: a turban head wrap and a long dress. When the author tried to find that cabin again a few days later, he could not.” Time Vortexes like the Bermuda Triangle, the Devil’s Sea near Japan and Bold Street in Liverpool, England can also cause these phenomena. Science has proven Albert Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity.” In one experiment, NASA found a clock on the ground and flown in an airplane kept different time. Here are some thoughts on Time Slips, Time travel is such a magic concept. – Matt Smith I want to go back in time. Not to change anything, but to feel something again. – Mercer The bottom line is that time travel is allowed by the laws of physics. – Brian Greene If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future? – Stephen Hawking Here are some Time Slip videos: This 7-minute video explores time travel. Click Here to View What if You Could Travel Through Time? 4 Minutes Time Slips Caught on Camera 3 Minutes Proof Evidence of Time Travel 3 Minutes COMMENT. In the meantime, Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. The Best Journey presents wisdom for a well-lived life. The book contains vibrant photographs taken at Latrobe, Pennsylvania’s Amtrak station. The book is also a journal with space for personal notes. This beautiful, 5×8″, 32-page book vividly illustrates precious wisdoms for life well lived. Also available for immediate, PDF download. A lovely gift. Preview Book & Purchase View All Radiant Tree Books Thanks for shopping! When Border Czar Tom Homan said that removing more immigrants would be quicker when the government gave his department additional $billions, keep in mind that Congress isn’t growing money on trees. This funding situation was discussed in Succeed and Soar’s post, “View from Forbes and Braddock.” Whether for law enforcement, better public education or health care, legislative choices are, Siphon funds from existing programs Raise taxes Increase debt [which could be paid by either of the first two options and/or future generations]. Some actions are easier said than done.
Authors Speak, Suzy Robison
A book is a gift you can open again and again. Garrison Keillor Authors Speak This Succeed and Soar series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Susy Robison Susy, what phrase inspires your writing and life? It’s not where your dreams take you, its where you take your dreams. Maya Angelou For ten years I was the Director of Volunteers for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund. During that time, I learned that: The typical homeless person in the United States is a child and that 2.5 million American children were homeless at some point in 2013. National Center on Family Homelessness Susy, share how these words helped your writing, your life. About eight years before I retired in 2019, I imagined that my retirement project would be to write a young adult historical novel set in India in 1952 that teens might like to read. I was five-years-old when my family moved to India. My memory of the day we arrived was when our car was surrounded by begging children my age crying out for money. At a retreat when I was thirty, the teacher spoke about compassion and asked us to meditate on finding a compassionate heart. I searched back through my life and discovered that my compassion for others was first germinated at that moment with the children in Bombay. Its where we take our dreams Maya Angelou In addition to the experiences of a girl who moves to India with her father when she is fifteen-years-old Halley and the Mystery of the Lost Girls is about the beauty and dangers of the real world as reflected off the sights, tastes, smells and sounds that children and teens experience when they move to a new school, a new town, or a new country. Sample Text: Chapter One: From paragraph 3: Halley held onto the ends of her streamers and watched each one uncurl spiraling down toward her aunt, blending into a weaving of hundreds of thin paper strips that interlocked in the middle. Like a glorious, multicolored, abstract tapestry it linked them to the shore. She tossed her last one and waved just as the ship began to move. Review Your book is beautiful — the weaving in of animals and Indian culture so seemingly effortless — and just enough. Your use of color and imagery is wonderful. The mother’s death imbuing the experience is deeply felt. Her connection with friends and the tinge of first love all believable. The way you get us to relax as we near the end and then Bam! Incredible adventure and great character to follow and all the emphasis on nature and animals makes the book a joy to read despite the very grim matter of child trafficking. Professor Jane McCafferty, Carnegie Mellon University Halley and the Mystery of the Lost Girls can be ordered through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Independent bookstores. About Susy Robison Susy Robison received a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley but didn’t begin writing fiction until 2019 after years of directing volunteer programs in Pittsburgh. Her first novel was published in 2024. She and her husband love to hang out with their adult son and daughter every Sunday evening. Keep in mind, Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. – Jim Rohn Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. COMMENT. Beautiful and inspiring Succeed & Soar art can be purchased as posters, framed, metal and canvas. Art also available as puzzles, totes, blankets, mugs, greeting cards, notebooks, phone cases, pillows, towels, clothing and more. Shop All Art HERE. Collections change. Visit often. Thanks for your support!
Special Video, Achieving Goals
I think people who have faults are a lot more interesting than people who are perfect. Spike Lee Each month, Succeed and Soar shares a short video chosen to lift the heart and spirit, awareness and humanity. Dream, Have Courage and Self-Belief! is a marvelous way to launch the year. The following quotes mirror this little video’s energy. [More are in this post’s featured book.] If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. Emile ZolaWe must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbell The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. Coco Chanel See Succeed and Soar’s June 4, 2022 post with more Chanel wisdom. Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting art to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thing and inspire. Comment Click Here to View. 5 Minutes Life Well Lived offers floral photographs, wise words and invitations to see life as a garden of possibilities. This 60-page book offers lots of space for personal notes, sketches and meditations. Here are opportunities to both enjoy life’s seasons and find enrichment. A great gift. * 5×8 $14.50 Preview and Purchase. * 8×10 $19.00 Preview and Purchase. Thanks for shopping! While a How-To Illustrated Wisdom video is developed for Life Well Lived, here’s a helpful companion, Self Care through Visual Journaling: 5 Easy Steps.
Healing Teas
Nature will never follow people but people will have to follow the laws of nature. – Dioscorides Healing Teas Click Here to View Length: 4 Minutes, 48 Seconds Also see these videos Tea Remedies That Will Change Your Life, 59 seconds Top 10 Teas for a Healthy Lifestyle, 08:43 The beautiful and delicious hibiscus tea launched Succeed and Soar’s health and wellness series. Here’s the inaugural, August 22, 2022 post. A second post about the beneficial bilberry tea followed on January 14, 2023. Since those beginnings, the benefits of chocolate, watermelon, lettuce and much more have been presented each month at “Thrive.” This post reminds of many other teas that can help. Among ten healthy, herbal teas recommended by healthline are: Passionflower tea, because research has “found that passionflower tea may improve sleep and anxiety.” Peppermint tea, because it supports digestive health as well as offering antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral properties Sage tea, because “studies have found that sage improves cognitive function, memory, and heart health.” See the other seven. NaturalOn provides these clarifications, First, “ … one mistake many people make when steeping their tea is to leave the pot or the cup uncovered. This allows vital essential oils to escape through the steam.” Second, “… herbal tea isn’t made from tea at all. Tea comes from the leaves of a specific plant. Herbal “teas” are infusions of seeds, roots, bark, flowers, or leaves, extracted through boiling or very hot water.” Their list of fifteen beneficial beverages includes, Cardamon, because this evergreen plant’s seeds and dried flowers,, “can help with stomach pain, gas, and indigestion, along with nausea. This is a terrific tea that can help remove phlegm and fight respiratory illnesses” Elderflower, because it, “reduces mucus in the sinuses and lungs and also treats coughs, bronchitis, and asthma. Elderflowers have many immune-boosting compounds that are also great for treating winter colds, fevers, and the flu.” Lavender, because it, “is perfect for treating anxiety, coughs, colds, stress, feelings of anxiety and even insomnia.” Read more. Food Matters’ list of “10 Healing teas We Love” includes, Dandelion and chicory root, because they, “act as a blood purifier that helps both kidneys and the liver to remove impurities.” Soursop, “It purifies the blood, aids detoxification, promotes clear skin, is high in vitamin C, contains rich amounts of antioxidants to fight free radical damage, is great for the liver, and improves digestive health.” Valerian made the list because it, “helps treat chronic insomnia and sleeplessness, soothes and sedates the nervous system, helps calm hysteria and restlessness.” Discover seven more. Here are two, helpful charts, Health Benefits of Herbal Teas: 15 Herbal Teas for Every Ailment: COMMENT Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. Shop Succeed & Soar’s Mugs Details: Ceramic Dishwasher and Microwave safe Two sizes: 11 oz and 15 oz View All Mugs Thanks for shopping!
New Year Wisdoms and Inspirations
For years, I’ve collected inspiring quotes. As this new year begins, here are words of wisdom offered to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. Click here for a free, printable, PDF booklet of these inspirations. Take big steps. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps. –David Lloyd GeorgeGetting to know and like people and getting people to know and like you are the two top cards in the game of success. –UnknownCherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. –Napoleon HillObstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. –Henry Ford What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love . . . Give it the best there is in you . . . Seize your opportunities. And be a member of the team. –Benjamin F. Fairless Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. –Abraham Lincoln Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. COMMENT.
Story Talk, 2024 Favorites
The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries. – Descartes In Stephen King’s book On Writing, the best-selling author wrote, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or the tools) to write.” Here are books that enlightened me in 2024. Black Magic Brené Brown, The New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead, called Black Magic, “daring, urgent and transformative.” Here, Chad Sanders’ interviews of Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions offer strategies for Black achievement in the white, corporate world. The Boys from Biloxi From A Time to Kill to The Street Lawyer, John Grisham is part of my literary diet. In The Boys from Biloxi, children become friends playing baseball. As men, they meet again. One a death row convict. The other, an Attorney General who can prevent the execution. The Review Geek calls this page-turner a “sprawling epic.” Build the Life You Want Arthur C. Brooks’ books include Gifts of Time and Money, The Road to Freedom and From Strength to Strength. In Build the Life You Want, this collaboration with Oprah Winfrey offers “Pillars of Happiness,” which are strong connections with friends and family, meaningful work and a spiritual practice. The book also explores “The Role of Unhappiness” and more. Oath and Honor Liz Cheney’s Oath and Honor, A Memoir and a Warning, provides no-nonsense documentation of what she experienced after the United States’ 2020 presidential election. Fifty years from now, her accounts—especially concerns about the undermining of the U.S. Constitution—could describe this country’s fate, as described in lyrics from the musical Hamilton’s, “You’ll Be Back,” Oceans rise, Empires fall The Trespasser My first Tana French novel showed how a character can be developed—bit by bit—throughout an entire book. Until The Trespasser, I thought comprehensive character descriptions had to be delivered early. Here, trust in this author is rewarded by surprising revelations about why Aislinn Murray died and who killed her. The Warmth of Other Suns Isabel Wilkerson’s awesome documentary presents resonant stories of human will. “The drama, poignancy, and romance of” of four people who migrated from the Jim Crow south is heartening and must be remembered. View a short [100-second] video synopsis. Will Among the noteworthy experiences described in Will Smith’s inspirational and encouraging memoir, Jazzy Jeff opening opportunities for Smith when DeeJay skills were so important to HipHop’s birth Smith’s intent to kill his tough-love father by pushing the aged and frail man’s wheelchair down steps His moments of cowardice The Christian-inspired grandmother who called him, ‘Lover boy.’ More Honorable Mentions: Astor, by Anderson Cooper [how a family goes from rags to riches and falls] Crook Manifesto, by Colson Whitehead [a marvelous re-calling of 1970s Harlem] Golden Buddha, by Clive Cussler [an engaging adventure story] My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy, by Clint Hill [a secret service agent’s warm remembrances] Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman [marvelous reminders] Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart, by Alice Walker [exquisite and evocative poetry] A huge thanks to Succeed and Soar’s 2024, the first “Authors Speak” contributors. They enriched by sharing their writing processes. Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa Barbara Jean Miller Sally Weiner Grotta Hilary Hauck Edda Fields Black Yona Harvey Jess Simms Polly McCann Comment Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting art to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thing and inspire. Shop Succeed & Soar Art on Throw Pillows As well as tote bags, tee shirts, journals, puzzles, phone cases, ornaments, face masks, towels, blankets, cups, posters, shower curtains and more These pillows add a stylish statement to any room. Details: Fabric: 100% spun polyester poplin Reversible, same image printed on both sides A concealed zipper Choice of over 70 background colors Removable insert can be requested Pillow sizes: 14×14, 16×16, 18×18, 20×20, 26×26 and 20×14 Prices from $20 to $50 Purchase this throw pillow See All Throw Pillows View All Collections HERE. Thanks for your support!