Life Well Lived #7: Change
To change is to be vulnerable. And to be vulnerable is to be alive. –Alexis De Veaux A phrase that makes me smile [sometimes grimace] are Seneca’s words about how those who go willingly are guided by The Fates while those who resist are dragged. I smile thinking of times I’ve resisted changes of habits, work and associations and had to be dragged in new directions. Change can be difficult. It means stepping away from the familiar and into the unknown. It can also be vital. In researching good reasons for change, I found a list of ten reasons, including new opportunities for happiness and the fresh starts that add excitement to life. Read more. Another list offers twelve benefits, such as the increased resilience, versatility and confidence that build strength. Read more. Change. Hmmm. Now I’m thinking: What must be modified before The Fates drag me again? What door must close so that new ones open? How can I feel more alive? The answers are challenging. How about you? When has a change helped? Why not share a few words? Comment on this post [Leave A Reply below]. * Fireballs & Star Showers Social distancing and quarantining has definitely limited entertainment options. Next week, the heavens offer two marvelous and free shows. With a waning, quarter moon, they will be easy to see. Here’s how to find the celestial star shows. [Fortunately, as Earth spins, Pittsburgh will turn toward those constellations at night, rather than during daytime,] For summer’s best and brightest, see the Perseids Also view The Delta –Aquariids and alpha Capricornids Comment. Leave A Reply [below] if and where you see the star shows. Enjoy. * This Week’s Special Offer Each week, my 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 #3: Tough As Nails
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. -Emile Zola Might the one place on Earth with more human diversity than the United States – races, religions, ethnicities, etc. – be the planet itself? Because of all these differences, the U.S. has extraordinary potential. A personal goal for a Life Well Lived could be to ‘live out loud,’ vibrant and enthused as Zola said. Along the way, that individual energy could make the world great [in addition to America]. On Wednesday night, in the first episodes of the CBS TV show Tough As Nails, I saw two challenges which seem like metaphors for how wealth is achieved. One trial was of individuals seeking to win ahead of everyone else. The other test involved people working together to reach First Place as a team. Most heartwarming was how opponents encouraged other’s efforts best efforts. Thank you, Phil Keoghan [also the host], Louise Keoghan and Anthony Carbone for producing a program that reminds what makes human beings everywhere Great. Check out Tough As Nails. NOTE: The videos offered with each post are chosen for visual interest, inspiration, ideas and brevity. This week, enjoy an uplifting and lovely moment from the movie Akeelah and The Bee. Outdoor Movie Theaters A favorite summer memory from childhood was watching movies under the stars. Thank goodness, drive-in movies remain. During these social distancing times, here are ways to find them: 18 Best Drive-in Theaters 7 Drive-in’s [relatively] close to Pittsburgh Create your own theater under the stars An added, special feature: The first time I saw shooting stars was when they kept zoom-zoom-zooming over a drive-in movie screen. Each week, a featured item is offered at 25% off [plus any discounts offered by my Galleries]. This week, “Shasta Daisies” is on sale. 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” in Adobe Photoshop Elements 14. In addition to enriching the color saturation and vibrance, the image was processed through a filter that gives the Watercolor effect.
Life Well Lived #2: Independence
Too much of a good thing can be wonderful. —Mae West On a Wise Walk as part of the Cooper Siegel’s exercise program, I spotted Mae West’s [bio] words among many quotes printed throughout the Pittsburgh Mills Mall. Her thoughts about good things were always planned as the second ‘Life Well Lived’ post, which happens to coincide with Independence Day. In researching West, I learned that fashion icon Andre Leon Talley said she was the pioneering “sexual gangster” who blazed trails for Cher, Madonna, Rihanna and Beyonce. Among Mae West’s many, most quoted quips are: A hard man is good to find. Is that a gun in your pocket or are you happy to see me? I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it and three times to make sure. She began making movies in her forties. One year, her earnings came in second, a bit behind fabulously rich William Randolph Hearst. This wealth let West buy a building and remove the ban that denied entrance to a black friend. In the United States, July 4 celebrates this country’s Declaration of Independence from British rule. This day can also spark individual declarations of independence from inhibiting beliefs so that lives well lived can be built on more personally healthy and pleasing foundations. NOTE: The videos offered with each post are chosen for visual interest, inspiration, ideas and brevity. This week, enjoy Mae West. These financial resources are offered in my region. Check for similar support in your area. Small Business Assistance Pennsylvania grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 are available to qualifying enterprises that have suffered financially due to COVID-19. The first of several rounds opened June 30 and runs for ten days. Information & Application. Emergency Funding for Artists of Color. $500 grants are offered to artists living in Southwestern Pennsylvania’s nine counties. Funds can be used for rent, groceries, childcare, bills, etc. Apply here. Please share with those who could benefit. Each week, a featured item is offered at 25% off [plus any discounts offered by my Galleries]. This week, “Lacy Purple” is on sale. Also “Baby Grapes” from last week. 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” in Adobe Photoshop Elements 14. In addition to enriching the color saturation and vibrance, the image was processed through a filter that gives the Watercolor effect.
Life Well Lived #1: Baby Grapes
Attend to and nourish the garden of your becoming. -Jean Houston This post begins the new Succeed and Soar theme: Life Well Lived. Each week, you’ll receive a wisdom to consider. Because the first quote mentions garden, my floral photographs will illustrate this theme. I was going to take a summer break to focus on my own gardens and my novel. Last night, I decided to stay in touch and hope you’ll take a moment to meditate on the featured picture and quote. What fruits do you want to grow in your garden? Share your thought here. In the meantime, live well. Stay safe. The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and lightning bug. — Mark Twain One of my EMail joys is the The New York Times “Word A Day “. It’s called, “The most welcomed, most enduring piece of daily mass e-mail in cyberspace.” In this one-minute read, I gain a word’s: definition origin and usage Author Hart Crane said, “One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment.” Word A Day is a quick and delightful, daily shower. Learn more. This Week’s Special Offer Each week, a featured item is offered at 25% off [plus any discounts offered by my Galleries]. This week, my ethereal photograph “Baby Grapes” is selected. Shop here. Thank you for your purchases. They help support Succeed and Soar. NOTE The original image was shot with a Nikon Coolpix camera. The jpg was “developed” in Adobe Photoshop Elements 14. Along with enriching color and enhancing the lighting, a primary adjustment was use of the Accented Edges filter.