Life Well Lived #6: Selecting Memory

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. – Helen Keller Every time folks new to Pittsburgh visit, I offer tours. They always include Mount Washington [see gorgeous picture] then the dancing fountains below. One night as Ron from Georgia watched the leaping sprays, he asked why I was smiling, for no apparent reason. My answer: I was remembering a fun visit with my grandson and his cousin. In Jim Rohn’s must-read The Art of Exceptional Living, this guide for making your life a masterpiece reminds to take tons of pictures, especially of uplifting experiences. They’re memory prompts, which are important because … Sometimes my brain produces parades of could’a, should’a done regrets. Ugh! After enough brow beatings, I’ve learned to ask for feel-good memories which is why creating Paths to Joy helps. Once such places are found, they’re easier to visit again. As stated by Becky Aligata in the “Autumn Treasures” post “Memories are like treasures locked deep within the storehouse of our souls; to keep our hearts warm.” Keep good ones. Beat The Heat! 15 Ways to Stay Cool in Hot Weather as well as how to handle emergencies like heat stroke, heat edema and more. This Week’s Special Offer This week’s Featured Art is offered at 25% off [plus any discounts offered by my Galleries]. Shop here. Thank you for visiting my galleries and for your purchases. They support Succeed and Soar.
Life Well Lived #5: The Power and Delights of Three

The best things in life come in threes. Friends, dreams, and memories. Mencius Because the number three was also the foundation of last week’s post [the three steps to paradise] and because a friend mentioned “three” is a special number, I investigated and found these beliefs: If you keep seeing the number 3, it means a guardian angel is telling you to expect good luck. Read more. Biblically, three is the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, which signifies growth. Read more. Three also indicates that the combination of mind, body and spirit are elevated. Read more. Astrologically, three is associated with the planet Jupiter [abundance, knowledge, wisdom] and Sagittarius, the sign associated with Jupiter. Read more. Last on this list [though there is much more], three indicates versatility and the pure joy of creativity. Three also represents past, present and future. Read more. I had no idea numbers could mean far more than what they add up to. So, enjoy friends, dreams, memories and all good things that come in threes. Live well, stay safe and enjoy this week’s featured video. Keep A Diary This pandemic period is an extraordinary time. Because it seems pivotal and is changing us, why not keep a photo-journal. Memories of how we shop, shelter in place, communicate, observe social distancing and our evolving views of life could be precious in years to come. Here are tools and resources: Importance of Keeping a Pandemic Diary How to Start & Keep a Pandemic Diary * This Week’s Special Offer: Lilies Each week, the featured art is offered at 25% off [plus any discounts offered by my Galleries]. Shop here. Thank you to everyone who visits the galleries and for your purchases. They support Succeed and Soar. NOTE The original image was shot with a Nikon Coolpix camera. The jpg was “developed” using Microsoft Digital Suite [kept on an old computer].
Autumn Treasures

“Memories are the treasures locked deep within the storehouse of our souls; to keep our hearts warm.” — Becky Aligata A Meditation Once upon a summer, I played tag and softball and ran races with Madeira Street’s other ten-year-olds. Lunch was chipped ham and sweet pickles on Miracle Whip-slathered bread chased with Tropical Punch or Pink Lemonade or Cherry Kool-Aid. We played Tic-tac-toe, hangman and checkers on porches and watched television cartoons until dinner. At sundown, the ice cream truck’s jingle promised sparkling shaved ice drenched with pineapple or watermelon, strawberry or grape syrups. Now sometimes as leaves fall at eventide, I think of playmates running under streetlights, calling through the twilight. “There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place, where colors are brighter, the air is softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” Elizabeth Lawrence The Wisdoms Collection Shop Enriching and Beautiful Posters Click Here