Tao Thursdays

It has been quite awhile since I did Taoism Thursday, and in fact I only did it once.  But today I'm feeling quite introspective, so here is some wisdom from the Tao. (Tao Te Ching as Translated by John C. H. Wu)

#22
Bend and you will be whole.
Curl and you will be straight.
Keep empty and you will be filled.
Grow old and you will be renewed.

Have little and you will gain.
Have much and you will be confused.
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That is only part of that one, but to me it is the most important part.  This "proverb" means so many things to me: be humble, be open, be unexpecting.  On top of that, just be and all will be well.  Whether you are 'bent' or 'curled', 'empty', 'old', or 'with little' all will come to be.  I love this 'proverb' and it helps me in my everyday life.  "How would I apply this to writing?" you may ask.  Well I think that if you don't force the writing, your true talent comes to fruition in the form of a masterpiece!  Now of course not always are our writing ventures successful, but definitely when things are allowed to flow naturally true magic happens.  I hope this wisdom can help you all in your adventures through life!

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Toast of the Day:
Here's to surpassing expectations!

Journal Juju:
If your life was a box of Crackerjacks, what would the prize inside be?

Silly Saturday

Silly Saturday is all about everything silly, off the wall, crazy, and senseless.  I have some books from the series of "imponderables books" by David Feldman.  They are titles like "How Does Aspirin Find a Headache?" and "Why Do Clocks Turn Clockwise?".  I'll pick a question or two from these books and educate you all on something silly! 

Silly Question of the Day:
Do Snakes Sneeze?

     Norman J. Scott, Jr., zoologist and past president of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles told Imponderables, "As far as I know snakes don't sneeze with their mouths shut, but they do clear fluid from their throat with an explosive blast of air from the lungs."

     Snakes don't sneeze very often, though.  In fact a few herpetologists we contacted denied that snakes sneeze at all.  Bu John E. Simmons, of the Americcan Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Information Committee, insisited otherwise:

     "Snakes sneeze for the same reason as other vertebrates - to clear their respiratory passages.  Snakes rarely sneeze, however,and people who keep them in captivity know that sneezing in snakes is usually a sign of respiratory illness resulting in fluid in the air passage."

                                                            
Submitted by Sue Scott of Baltimore, MD. 

Thanks also to June Puchy Lyndhursst, Ohio.
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There you go!  Now you know that snakes most likely do sneeze, and if they are sneezing, they could be sick.  Silly, eh?  Hope you enjoyed this Silly Saturday.

Journal Juju:

Make a lundry list of everything you are glad you did in the past few days.  Then celebrate your awesome accomplishments - even if they are just errands!!

Toast of the Day:

Here's to the promise of Spring!!  (Today is the first day!!)

Just Wednesday

Just going to start off with a few good writing quotes:

"I love writing.  I love the swirl and swing of words as they tange with human emotions." -James Michener

"Everybody who writes is interested in living inside themselves in order to tell what is inside themselves.  That is why writers have to have two countries, the one where they belong and the one which they live really."
-Gertrude Stein

The Middle Part:

Today was a tiring day, so I don't have much energy to impart.  Just keep on pushing through! It's already Wednesday!






Journal Juju:
Write about "envy" - what associations does the word bring up for you?  Write about what people might envy you for and what you envy in others.  Then remember to appreciate all the amazing things you accomplish every day!

Envy for me is a dangerous game.  It leads to me doubting my capabilities, which is just downright self-destructive.  Lately I find myself envying all you writers who write, or who have mulitple books written, or have books published!  I know that it's a long, hard road, so I keep on pushing, hoping that one day I'll have someone who might envy my accomplishments enough to use them as inspiration!

Toast of the Day:
Here's to the feeling of receiving a genuine compliment!!

Back to Work Monday

"If you always take time to stop and smell the roses, sooner or later, you'll inhale a bee." - Anonymous

This quote reminds me to keep working amongst all the fun of life.  Slack off too much and it'll eventually catch up with you.  It's been a few days since I've put pen to paper, so to speak, or more correct fingers to the keyboard, and I have to start again!  It's Monday!  Time to get back to the grind of working.  Just in moderation, cause I'm still gonna take time to smell some roses along the way!

In addition, my Awe-Manac tells me it's Rude Awakenings Day.  So my Journal Juju for the day is this:

Any rude awakenings lately?  List any from the past and elaborate on at least one.  Use your daily soul vitamin (provided in the book) for inspiration.

Daily soul vitamin: "Never take counsel of your fears."  -Andrew Jackson

Journal Juju:
I've had quite a few rude awakenings lately.  One in particular being the fact that I am merely a speck of sand amongst a worldwide beach of people.  Not putting myself down, I just realized that if I want to make a difference and do more than just exist I must actually try at life.  But taking inspiration from Mr. Jackson up there, I can't be afraid of trying!  So off I go, trying to make a difference with my smallness!  :) 
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One more thing before I go, I'm starting Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice today!  So excited to be reading a super classic!  Wish me luck!

One last last thing I'd like to implement from the Awe-Manac:
Toast of the Day:
Here's to finding a twenty dollar bill in your pocket! 

Happy Birthday Albert Einstein!

Yep! Today is Albert Einstein's birthday. Well it would've been his 131st birthday if he was still alive!  Here's a quote from the old man:

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." -Albert Einstein

I bought a book today called the Awe-Manac by Jill Badonsky.  It has a "daily dose of wonder" on every page for every day of the year.  Things like inspiring quotes, "journal juju" to get the writing juices flowing, "awe-servances" for things like famous birthdays and such, and many other little things for the soul.  I plan on using this book for inspiration for some of my blogs, as everyone could use this book! :)

One more quote for the road:

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." -Albert Einstein

Journal Juju for the day:
Break the rules and invent a new emotion. E=?

What emotions did you come up with?  Feel free to share.  I came up with frustappy.  Frustrated/happy.  It's a hell of a thing to be at once.  Tears usually accompany it.