Authors Speak: Myriad
It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish. ~ S. I. Hayakawa The Succeed and Soar Authors Speak series invites writers to answer questions about their artforms and special inspirations. Welcome Joshua David Bellin Josh, what phrase inspires your writing and life? I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles. Shannon Hale Josh, share how these words helped your writing, your life. Oftentimes, it’s the overly high expectations we put on ourselves as writers that prevent us from getting started. What Hale reminds us is that our first efforts are only the beginning of a process of shaping and refining. We have to start somewhere, and if we’re not willing to accept the messy beginnings, we’ll never reach the end. Myriad Sample Text: Thursday, August 31, 2017 I hear the sound of fireworks, crack crack crack. Except it’s not the Fourth of July. I know because Daddy took me and Jeremy to the parade in Lancaster the month before we moved to our new house in Pittsburgh. Is this the way they do it in this place? Is this how they celebrate the start of school? My teacher moves quickly to the classroom door, pulls the black blind and turns the lock. She opens the side drawer of her big wooden desk, scrabbles through it as if she’s trying to find something, then closes it and edges the desk in front of the door. When she shuts off the lights, there are shrieks of surprise. She spins toward us, her face twisted in fear. Review Miriam Randle works for LifeTime, a private law enforcement agency that uses short-term time travel to prevent crimes from happening. Though a seasoned time traveller, she is continually haunted by the death of her twin brother, whose murder remains unsolved years later. … FanFiaddict Myriad is a relentless time-twisting thriller filled with surprises, invention, and a killer ending. It’s the wildest of wild rides, and lovers of time travel are going to want to strap themselves in for this one. … About Joshua David Bellin Pittsburgh native Joshua David Bellin has worked as a teacher, umpire, miniaturist, and groundskeeper. He is the author of numerous works of science fiction, including the time-travel thriller Myriad, the Survival Colony novels, and the Ecosystem Cycle. Web Site 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!
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.
Path to Joy: 10th of 12 – This Moment
Write it on your heart that each day is the best day in the year. – Ralph Waldo Emerson The Tenth Path to Joy is “This Moment” which is, as Francis Bacon said, “sparkling like a star in our hand.” While researching the concept of ‘time,’ I found a video on how time travel works. Although revisiting the past or imagining the future can be easier than making the most of the moment, here are reasons to stick with what’s actually happening, right now: The present moment is the only one we control Each moment is a gift [because we don’t know how many we have] Staying out of the past and future improves mental, physical and emotional health. Read more. Although piling up time travel frequent flyer miles can be tempting, here’s help for staying present: How to Stay in The Present Moment 4 Tips to Stay in The Present Moment Feel Happy and Stress Free, 7 Steps How Being Present in The Moment Can Increase Well-being: Seek joy and stay safe! A Path to Joy Art Meditation: #10 This Moment Find your eternity in each moment Henry David Thoreau What I like best: The circles contain the numbers one through twelve, as though they are clock faces. Yet they make me think of jellyfish floating forward, effortlessly. Why I like the image: I like how the ‘jellyfish’ suggest that each second can be experienced in many ways, as time drifts, bounces and rolls forward. What the picture teaches: Every second offers many opportunities. The insights gained: These words of wisdom make me smile: The future is always beginning now. Mark Strand The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the instruments and expression of God. Emmet Fox My last defense / Is the present tense. Gwendolyn Brooks The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it’s all we’ll need. Ann Richards Note: These ‘Paths to Joy’ are adapted from The Treasure Chest, an old book I found years ago. Page 117 contained “The Twelve Rules of Happiness.” Of special delight is using paints markers and ink to illustrate meditations inspired by this wisdom. The technique is adapted from the book Visual Journaling, Going Deeper Than Words, by Barbara Ganim and Susan Fox. The Illustrated Wisdom: For information and to purchase the Paths to Joy art, visit Sandra’s Galleries.