I love this quirky turn of phrase. It makes a new meaning of the power of positive thinking. In most circumstances its how you view a situation that tells you how you respond to it. If you tell yourself something is impossible, it will be. However, if you ask yourself how is this possible you will find a way. If necessary, break it down to it’s simplest form and then piece it back together.
I believe every choice has a resulting consequence. Hard work builds confidence and a solid reputation. Equally poor choices ruin them.
Having skills and abilities however can be transient. You might be on top of your game for a while, then suddenly someone will replace you. This won’t matter if by using your skills and abilities you have also made good choices and built a solid foundation. You will find a way to reinvent yourself and who you truly are will shine through from a different perspective.
In my life the difficult times are definitively the ones that built my strength and resilience. They have come in many ways, but it is their lessons that I have found the most valuable. On a few occasion I had no map for what was ahead of me, I just kept taking baby steps. Then over time, I realised that struggles was over and the difficulties had overcome were now a new layer of protection on my life’s journey.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoy picking my salad vegetables every morning and night. Our vegetable gardens are growing well. My fresh baby spinach, rocket, parsley, various styles of lettuce and self growing tomatoes taste amazing. Who knew my husband and I have green thumbs.
If we were having coffee I would ask you how you eat your gingerbread men. Head or legs first? I am a leg person. This special man created for me by one of my young clients is awesome. She said she made him herself and he smells divine. I wanted to name him but didn’t because then I couldn’t eat him. Taste verdict. Perfect.
If we were having coffee I would ask you if you have any idea why my hair is turning yellow in places. It has been totally grey for about 3 years now and today I noticed the changes. I hope its temporary as I’m not a fan. I love having grey hair. It’s on trend and that you can’t purchase in a bottle
If we were having coffee I would tell you how much fun I had running around the ward last Monday with a French chicken on my head. Why you ask? The company I work for has set a 12 days of Christmas challenge. The aim to get staff and patients into the Christmas spirit. Last Monday was the 3rd day and we needed to either dress or decorate with chickens, eggs or French. Every ward or area did it differently. Our 3 staff wore chicken hats with the wings painted red, white and blue. They made everyone smile and laugh. Tomorrow is cow day. Who knew work could be so much fun!
If we were having coffee I would tell you how much fun we had celebrating my husband’s 60th birthday. He never wanted a big party so COVID restrictions weren’t a problem to him. We had 2 smaller parties. One for each side of the family. A joint one with my sister’s husband who was turning 50, and a surprise one with his brother and family. It was the Beatles themed. We all wore a Beatles T-shirts, most of which came from hubby’s supply.
Both were great nights filled with fun, laughter and memories.
If we were having coffee I would tell you how frustrated I was last week when my blog didn’t work. The problem was my Jetpack plug-in. By disabling it, my blog worked. But it was useless. I couldn’t connect with anyone or receive any feedback. It was weird, like giving a speech to an empty stadium. I didn’t like it. So I stopped blogging until it was fixed. Lucky, as the posts I wrote during this time remain in limbo. Not recognised in the official count.
If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?
When I started blogging I was petrified of being seen. I had lived my life in a bubble. I used this quote to help motivate me to post on Mother’s Day 2014 and I’m so glad I did. Now to get into a regular habit of showing up and take my writing to the next level. Is there somewhere you need courage to show up at the moment?
Many years ago I did a Dale Carnegie course. I loved it. and it certainly helped develop my people skills. For me, it was fascinating to learn and truly understand the power of asking people their story. Even a small question can led to a totally different story line.
People won’t tell you if you don’t ask, especially if you’re too busy talking about yourself. Everyone’s story is unique and helps us to understand what makes them tick.
Today I am excited to announce that I have written 600 posts. When I started Inspiring Max I never dreamed this was possible. My first post was Mother’s Day 2014. When I reached 100 posts on my Mother’s birthday 30th October, 2014, I had 3,000 views. I was so happy. My 400th post occurred on 16th February, 2016 a few months before I took a break from blogging. Now 6 1/2 years after my first post, I have approximately 32,000 views. My goal for next year is to continue to grow inspiring Max, gaining momentum with every post.
To celebrate my six hundredth post I have created an acrostic poem:
Seeking new ideas
Interacting and inspiring is my goal
Xcited to be on this amazing journey
Honing my skills with
Unique and positive posts
Navigating my way
Determined to make a difference
Respecting and responding to others
Enjoying the journey
Driven by inspiration
Trusting my instincts
Happy others find my hard work helpful
Passion, persistence and positivity
Open the way for my original
Simple success
Thankful for Inspiring Max’s amazing community
Over the last week I had a forced lesson on how important my blogging community is. Due to technical details, I was unable to connect with anyone on my blog. And can I tell you it felt terrible. It was like giving a speech in a large empty stadium. A lot of effort went into the preparation, but as there was no feedback, I had no idea whether my audience liked it or not.
One of the things that I have learnt in life is to be your own person. To act and react according to our individual beliefs, values and sense of fun. Following our dreams and interacting in our unique way brings a smile to others and can change their world.
Yoko Ono was a leader in setting your own rules and she and John Lennon certainly changed the world.
Sometimes life is a balancing act. Do I keep doing what I’m doing because it is working or take a risk to go to the next level. This quote reminds us that sometimes you have to take that leap of faith. Give up the good or comfortable life to achieve the great with its extra rewards.
When I was much younger I sailed with my father. He had sailed for Australia so knew a lot about how to manage the winds. I remember it fascinated me the difference a slight adjustment would make to give you an edge. My other memory of this time was that we never sailed in a westerly as they were too changeable and could easily do damage to the boat.