copyright Mary Jo Campbell, 2012

Copyright Mary Jo Campbell, 2012

Here’s a list I came up with:

Writing

Calling an old friend

Asking a new friend to coffee

Randomly pull things from your fridge to make a soup

Start a blog

Start a diet

Share a journal

Volunteer!

Try a new restaurant

Write a poem

Compliment that stranger

Write about that thing

Steal a kiss

Hit SEND/Publish/Post/Call/Reply

Host a theme party

Sign up for something

Say YES!

Tell the truth

Register for Zumba

Watch a foreign movie

Speak up among friends

Speak up among co-workers

Invest in yourself

See & follow the signs

What am I doing w/o thinking? PUBLISH NOW!

(How about you??)

First up…a letter to things

Dear turquoise peace pants,

Firstly, I love your teenage color and cost (ala Target). The soft interior lining has me almost delirious with coziness. Almost. Because, I bought a size too big, you sag around my pouch and booty (hey, that can be a song!) instead of snuggly holding me in. I feel all loose and floppy. Then, the leggings seem to taper (hello, 80’s, much?!) if not a straight leg.

I expected a yoga pant fit. I mean, you’re throwing up a peace sign, man.

But, again, your softness and color make me smile. So, I’ll keep you.

Lazily yours,

Mar

(what my family calls me)

Any suggestions for some great fiction or books on creativity/inspiration/art/writing for cheap?

I loved words. I love to sing them and speak them and even now, I must admit, I have fallen into the joy of writing them. — Anne Rice

Thanks to my library, I picked up and finished Eat Mangoes Naked in 1.5 days. And here are some thoughts I jotted while reading:

• Letters to things, emotions, problems, etc. i.e. “Dear Change”
• Pockets filled with puffs of pleasure
• Instead of a “good time,” have “a time” (release expectations, fall into the experience)
• Face Value: take comments and replies from others (and myself!) @ face value (If you say “nothing’s wrong” I will not persist, read into hidden meanings, etc.)
• Receive without guilt or pause/Give without keeping score
• Let go of the need to “be right”
• Go somewhere DIFFERENT to find pleasure
• Be someone’s SIGN (random left notes)
• Tell my soul’s stories
• Be OPEN
• Cuddle babies
• Pay attention to Angels
• SMASH judgment
• Prompts: random memories; There was no reason___; Did you ever___; How did you__; All of the signs___
• Try more things without thinking so much about them first
• “Send out” pleasures
• Remember past pleasures

I have a few posts written and ready to publish soon, based on many of these thoughts.

Until then, I leave you with a quote / question:

“Tell me what it is you plan to do with your one* wild and precious life.” ~ Mary Oliver

*huh, I originally typed “won wild and precious life.” Do you feel like you’ve won your life or were just dealt your life?

image: wholenewweb.com

Every Year, I name my year, give it a theme – so as to better visualize, focus and keep moving forward.

This year…

• I will nurture my children with hugs, kisses, love & undivided attention –

• I will look at them when they speak to me and I will encourage their curiosity, honesty, creativity, silliness & emotional well-being.

• I will nurture my husband with sweet, encouraging words, quality time/attention and support in his goals and ours as a couple and family

• I will nurture my body with nutritious meals, clean eating/drinking habits, daily exercise and strength training, dress my body in clothes/accessories that make y spirit happy and inspired!

• I will nurture my mind with outdoor walks, scheduled meditation/journaling/quiet reflective time.

• I will nurture my creativity by releasing old beliefs/doubts/negativity through ACOA reading and therapy

• I will nurture my dreams by dreaming, recording, journaling, believing in myself – beautiful, nurturing self-talk and centering.

• I will nurture my relationships with my family (parents/siblings) by first making myself strong through therapy and self-work so I can express my opinions clearly and calmly without feeling threatened or guilty.

• I will nurture my writing by setting clear, realistic, simple goals and by Writing.Every.Single.Day.

So, what’s your word?

~~~~

Interested to hear HOW I’m going to accomplish all this mushy nurturing? Well, keep coming back. Or better, subscribe!

Giveaway: Winner’s Choice (either an eBook copy of Dark Chocolate for the Journaler’s Soul, a spiral-bound copy of Mari’s Most Musefull Journaling Tips, or a Dark Chocolate T-Shirt)

RULES: You must leave a comment or question after today’s post before midnight tonight! I will use Random.,org to select the winner, and the winner will then select their prize!

Option #1: ebook

“Write about what you know.” If you’re into writing, you’ve heard this a zillion times, and you believe it makes sense. After all, if you’ve always been rich, protected, and pampered, you’re probably not a good candidate to write about growing up in the ghetto. If you’re a cowboy, you probably don’t know much about high society manners. Sure, you can understand why it’s important to write about what you know.

So what exactly is that? What do you know well enough to write about it? Seems like such a simple question, but when you seriously examine it things get complicated, quickly.

For some (even me, many days) it’s challenging to come up with anything at all that you truly know. Other days, you may mistake raw experience for knowing, thinking that since you endured something, you then know it.

You might know what it is to lose a job, for instance, or to become a mother, but what do you know about those things that you would write about?  There’s knowing that is simple cognizance, and then there’s knowing that is worth sharing.

Here’s a key point: You Do Know Something Worth Sharing. Don’t ever believe you don’t. You may, however, find the search for that Something to be interminable. Hang in there. You will find it. Your whole life may be about the search. That’s okay; there are few more noble endeavors.

Want a shortcut to finding out more about your unique knowing? There actually is a way to speed up the progress of your expanding awareness. It’s called journaling.

Option #2 spiral book Museful TIps

When you keep a journal, you take the pause that refreshes, you slow down enough to contemplate, you give yourself a chance to put the pieces together and create something new. The result? Appreciation, inspiration, and a much better idea of “what you know.”

Establish and wholeheartedly commit to a practice of writing regularly. Journal for self-discovery, which means

• Hand write in your notebook. A keyboard doesn’t yield the same direct self-perception that hand writing does.
• Do a lot of stream-of-consciousness writing.
• Be extra stern with your inner critic: this is one place that tyrant doesn’t belong.
• Be faithful to the process and to yourself; be willing to grow; be willing to be surprised.
• Ask your journal questions: Where am I going? Who am I? What do I want? What do I know? What don’t I know?

If all the introspection makes you dizzy, use a journaling prompt now and then and enjoy the revelations that kind of writing affords. Following an impartial lead can often lead to personal treasures, just as direct soul searching does. Keep your practice fresh and on its toes by mixing these two approaches.

Option #3 T-shirt

#

Mari L. McCarthy, journaling therapy specialist and author, owns Create Write Now, a website dedicated to all things journaling. The site includes hundreds of journaling prompts, personal journaling stories, interviews, a blog, and many other resources. Mari has published nine books to date. For more on ways that journaling brings self-knowledge, see Who Are You? How to Use Journaling Therapy to Know and Grow Your Life.

CreateWriteNow.com
Twitter.com/CreateWriteNow
Facebook.com/JournalWritingTherapy

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