Author: inspiringmax

Obsolete Communication

inspiringmax

Of all the technologies that have gone extinct in your lifetime, which one do you miss the most?

For me, technologies have been a great addition to my life however I think they have been at a cost. It’s the art of communication that I miss. The planned time to communication what is going on in my life with family and friends in personal or by personal letter.

I love sitting down regularly talking one to one with others, getting to know them or keeping in touch on a personal level. The problem is everyone is so busy these days that this doesn’t happen regularly anymore.

I used to love the anticipation of waiting for an expected letter in the mail, the joy of reading about their lives and thinking about what to put in my letter in return mail. The motivating factor for me was remembering the quicker I wrote back, the quicker my next letter would come. Email doesn’t have the same excitement for me as although I still receive them, these emails get lost in my sea of daily emails and I fail to reply quickly.

Christmas cards are another nearing obsolete way to communicate I enjoy.  Last Christmas we were away so  my excitement of receiving regular mail that weren’t bills and hearing about family and friends lives didn’t happen. Neither did our Christmas letter telling them and reminding ourselves what happened in our world during the last 12 months. I find this a great memory jogger and as all the family is involved in its creation, we know it is an accurate record for our future.

While technologies continue to advance us in so many ways let’s make regular plans to make dates with the special people in our world—even a 5 minute “how was your day catch up” can make a difference and may open the doors to longer more personal conversations.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/going-obsolete/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Muse

inspiringmax

What subject keeps you coming back? This week, show us your muse.

Australia is my muse. I love my country and love to share its beauty and uniqueness with the world. Unfortunately  many people only get to visit us virtually due to the distance.

 

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/muse/

Golden Hour

inspiringmax

6:00AM: the best hour of the day, or too close to your 3:00AM bedtime?

Greetings world

Open your eyes

Look before it is too late

Dream and make plans

Everything is possible

Notice the beauty

Hope

Oppurtunity

Understanding abound

Relax, take a breath and start again.

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/the-golden-hour/

Share Your World – 2015 Week 23

inspiringmax

For your blog do you basically use Mac or Windows applications.  What type of device laptop, desktop,tablet, phone or pad?

Most of the time I write my blog from my main Windows 8 computer which has a big screen and is easy to read. When I travel I write on my lap top also Windows 8 but it is much smaller and more difficult to read. When I was in Canada for 6 weeks I got very used to it and it wasn’t till I go home that I realised how much easier my desk top is to use.

If you were to treat yourself to the “finer things” what would you treat yourself to?

If I were to treat myself to the finer things in life I would choose a weekend away of luxury at a day spa in the country with a girl friend. French champagne, strawberries and seafood would of course be on the menu. I would also like some 1:1 time with a good book and an open fire is to be included.

Can you change a car tire?

I can change a tire and have done so on a busy highway although these days I would most likely call the NRMA road side assist to do it for me. My reasoning for this is that if I have to pay them $500 plus dollars a year to be a member they can earn their money. I am also getting older so I am not happy to be roughing it in the dirt anymore.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Last weekend I was happy to get some serious editing done on my book and to print out the first part in book form using Pressbooks. I am one proud nearly published author motivated to move on to the published stage. This week I am looking forward to catching up with family—having some laughs and a few drinks.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/06/08/share-your-world-2015-week-23-and-a-poll/

 

Listen

inspiringmax

Tell us about a conversation you couldn’t help but overhear and wish you hadn’t.

Working in mental health nursing from the age of 18, I learnt quickly how to focus on a room full of conversations. My active listening skills allow me to pick up on things I need to know, allowing me to intercept and redirect conversations if necessary. Despite the many and varied conversation I have listened to in  over 30 years I have never overheard something I wish I hadn’t.  I have however heard many conversations that my active listening skills have changed the outcome for.

My listening skills use more information than just the words the other person is speaking. I add

Look at other person

Include body language

Stop talking

Trust

Empathy

Notice the environment

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/hear-no-evil/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Off Season

inspiringmax

I love Australia’s beaches in winter. The smell of the salt air, the crash of the waves and the feel of sand under my feet. It all adds up to total relaxation for me. These beaches—Nelson and Blenheim on the South Coast of New South Wales are joined by Jervis Bay National Park. As a result I had a memorable, mindful bush and beach walk—my favourite ways to connect with nature all in one afternoon

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/off-season/

 

Help Me Please

inspiringmax

Is it easy for you to ask for help when you need it, or do you prefer to rely only on yourself? Why?

I am an independent, goal setting person who understands the power of being able to ask for help when I need it. This doesn’t mean I am weak. It means I am strong enough to say I need help and that I know how to get it. I understand the power of delegation—asking someone to do something for me. In most cases my asking for help may teach the other person a skill along the way. I find as a leader that my team recognise that importance of asking for help when they see me doing it naturally.

When I wanted to learn to blog I asked everyone I knew that blogged how to go about it. Piecing together all the information I  set up my blog. It took a lot of asking to finally get it running well however I am proud of my achievement. Something I would never have been able to do without help.

For me asking for help is about connecting with my needs. If I am too exhausted from a busy day at work and someone asks me whats for dinner I will say “whatever you get.” This triggers a chain of events from which dinner is sorted.

  1. The other person recognises that I am tired and not getting dinner.
  2. They decide if they have the energy and if so start preparing.
  3. We collectively decide how hungry we are and whether cheese on toast will fill the hole or if we want to order takeaway or go out to eat.

Either way for me the simple task of asking for help with dinner usually recharges me enough to pick up where I left off.

If I don’t understand something I ask rather than wasting time attempting to figure it out myself and getting nowhere. Let others help lessens your load, gets the job done quicker and brings you closer together. Asking for help also assists with setting boundaries with people as you decide who is the best person to help you with the task at hand rather than accepting someone not suitable because they offered.

Gift

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/i-am-a-rock/

Time Out

inspiringmax

We all have things we need to do to keep an even keel — blogging, exercising, reading, cooking. What’s yours?

My mental health is important to me, so when things become too much I take time out. Depending on the situation I may take 5 minutes or a whole day. Sometimes the situation will need me to take 5 minutes in the middle to recollect my thoughts and a day as soon as possible when it is  over. During this time I do whatever I feel like to top up my tank and prepare for the next wave.

My time out options – for short and long time periods can be found in the following acrostic poem.

Treat myself

Isolate—block out the world

Meditate

Exit the situation

Outdoors—connect with nature

Useful—be creative in some way

Talk—online or in person

012 - birthday girl getting wet feet

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/on-the-edge/

STARLIGHT Blogger Award

inspiringmax
This Award is created to highlight and promote Inspiring Bloggers.

This Award is created to highlight and promote Inspiring Bloggers.

I would like to thank Anne at  https://annermurray.wordpress.com/ for being a part of my blogging community and nominating me for the “STARLIGHT Blogger Award”.  I was honoured and encouraged to receive this Award from another inspiring blogger. The STARLIGHT Blogger Award is a new Award to honor those individuals who are considered “The light emanating from the stars“—the bloggers that bring daily light into your soul with their creativity—the blogs you love to read, listen and visit! The Award was created by Carolina as token of love and appreciation and encouragement so please spread the love and pass it to other deserved bloggers!

Nominations Rules:
Nominate your 6 favorite bloggers! In your nominees I would like for you to think at the light emanating from the stars the ones that truly touch your soul with their work, the ones that are the light for you a true STARLIGHT Blogger.

Rules for the STARLIGHT Blogger Award:
Thank the giver and link their Blog to your post.
Answer the 3 questions given to you.
Please Pass the award on to 6 or more other Bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated by you.
Include the logo of the award in a post or on your Blog please never alter the logo and never change the rules.

Please don’t delete this note: the design for the STARLIGHT Bloggers Award has been created from YesterdayAfter is a Copyright image you cannot alter or change it in any way just pass it to others that deserve this award.
Copyright 2015 © YesterdayAfter.com – Design by Carolina Russo

My Nominees for the STARLIGHT Blogger Award:

http://eclecticoddsnsods.co.uk/ Eclectic Odds N Sods

http://optimisticmisfit.com/ B’s Words

https://sendsunshine.wordpress.com/ Send Sunshine

http://lisadorenfest.com/ Lisa Dorenfest

http://maraeastern.com/  Mara Eastern

https://flowersandbreezes.wordpress.com/

My questions answered:

1. What hinders your creativity (if you could say one thing)?

My life is busy so the biggest hindrance to my creativity is time. Time to calm my head. I like to take any topic and put a positive Inspiring Max spin on it. Sometimes if my original idea doesn’t feel right I won’t go with it just for the sake of blogging. I continue to consider my options until it works, which may mean the opportunity is lost. No problem the way I see it “you win some and you lose some.” At other times in this consideration stage I have totally changed my idea and released creativity that really works.

2. Why do you create? (Please be specific)

My creative outlet is writing and my goal is to inspire people to look on the positive side of life even when things are not going according to plan.”To inspire you—developing a spark of hope into a fire that warms you and lights your path.” I do this in a personal, positive, practical way by ensuring each post is encouraging and interesting.

3. What advice could you give to new bloggers for creativity or inspiration?

Write what you know. Be honest, try new things and find your voice. There are no rules and there is an audience for everyone. It is important to remember that blogging is a community and you will get out of it what you put in. Visit other blogs—like and comment on their posts. This is something I do regularly especially if I am running short on time. Even in 5 minutes I can visit many blogs—reading and responding to them which helps keep traffic moving on my blog when I have not written a new blog post. Enjoy the journey and make new friends with the amazing people you will meet on the way.

Please note:
No one should feel obligated to accept this Award or to link back. I just wanted to share with other’s in the community how inspiring and amazing you and your Blogs are.  I’ve enjoyed visiting them on a regular basis. If you do decide to accept this award and pass it on that’s greatly appreciated!

New Questions For Those Who Accept:

1. What is your favourite creation?

2. Where do you see your creativity taking you in 3 years?

3. What advice could you give to new bloggers for creativity or inspiration?

If you decided to accept the STARLIGHT Blogger Award, please put a link to the post in my comments. Also please nominate at least 6 bloggers for this amazing award. Thank you and have a great time! Inspiring Max https://www.inspiringmax.com/