Author: inspiringmax

Loving Advice

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My loving neighbours, married for 62 years had  died within a week of each other. I was approaching the house to give the family my condolences, when I found an old tattered letter at the front gate. No-one was watching. I took a peek.  Tears swelled in my eyes. The letter was written in response to a question asked of the loving couple the week by the local newspaper. It read.

Dear Friend,

Here are  the  secrets of our happy marriage. We hope they also work for you. Give them a go—you might surprise yourself.

1. Respect each other and yourself

2. Communicate

3. Compromise

4. Know your limits and what is important

5. Work as a team and rely on each other

6. Spend quality time together

7. Share the tasks and the glory

8. Laugh a lot

Love Mary and John

Day 5

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_assignment/writing-101-day-five/

Inspiration, Knowledge and Travels

inspiringmax

Often, our blogs have taglines. But what if humans did, too? What would your tagline be?

I believe humans do have taglines. Everything we say and do is our tagline—what people know us by. We can edit our blog posts to ensure they match our theme. However in our life blog posts the editing process requires more effort and pain is often attached to the changes. Life with our blogs trialing new things and sometimes making big changes brings greater rewards. This can be the same in life. Like in the old adage—no pain, no gain.

For me the similarities between myself and my blog continue. I would choose a similar tagline. My blogs tagline is inspiration through my thoughts, experiences and travels. My life’s tagline would be inspiration, knowledge and travels. 

I am a positive person working in mental health. Everything I do is about encouraging myself and others to look on the bright side—developing a spark of hope into a fire that warms you and lights your path and become the best possible version of oneself. 

My main areas to focus on include:

  • Inspiration—stories, quotes, songs, words, books, movies
  • Knowledge—eating disorder recovery, mental health, parenting, public speaking, life skills
  • Travels—Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand

 

2011-07-30 17.13.54

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/tagline/

Weekly Photo Challenge:Ephemeral

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This week’s theme: ephemeral. Show us your interpretation!

Last Sunday my husband and I took photos of the sunset from Cape Byron—Australia’s most easterly point. It truly was a ephemeral experience. The top photos show the sunsetting over Australia while the bottom two totally different photos are the hues over the Pacific Ocean. It was quite remarkable.

Over Australia

 

Over The Pacific Ocean

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

Wonder Woman

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If you were involved in a movie, would you rather be the director, the producer, or the lead performer? (Note: you can’t be the writer!).

I love acting. Bringing characters to life and making them believable. Acting allows you to totally immerse yourself in the character and find things about yourself you didn’t know existed.

It has been many decades since I last acted but who knows I may return to it in my retirement when I have more time on my hands.

My greatest acting moment was playing Wonder Woman to a crowded theatre. At the time I didn’t look to bad either—unfortunately I don’t think I have any photos to remember it by.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/the-show-must-go-on/

My CODES

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Have you got a code you live by? What are the principles or set of values you actively apply in your life?

I live my life according to my personal values. They are at the centre of everything I do and are the basis of my motto—be the best version of yourself possible but do no harm to yourself or others. My personal values can be described as my CODES and include:

C

Calmness, Carefulness, Challenge, Commitment, Community, Confidence, Connection, Courage, Courtesy, Continuity, Compromise, Comfort and Change.

O

Open-mindedness. Optimism, Order, Originality and Outdoors.

D

Dependability, Desire, Determination, Dignity, Dreaming, Direction and Diligence.

E

Empathy, Encouragement, Endurance, Enthusiasm, Ethics, Excellence, Experience, Expertise, Expressiveness, Ease, Efficiency, Envision and Exploration.

S

Safety, Self-control, Security, Self-reliability, Self-respect, Sensitivity, Sharing, Silence, Simplicity, Spirituality, Stability, Support and Spontaneity.

 

Whenever I am thinking whether a decision is right for me—I consult my CODES. If it fits into any of my above values, I will consider the option further. If it doesn’t fit—the answerer is a definite NO!

My CODES simplify my life.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/i-walk-the-line/

10,000 Views

inspiringmax

Tell us about a time things came this close to working out… but didn’t. What happened next? Would you like the chance to try again, or are you happy with how things eventually worked out?

Inspiring Max was born on Mother’s day—12th May 2014. I knew nothing about blogging but thought I would give it a go anyway. As a self-hosted blog, I soon realised I had a lot to learn about how I was different to other WordPress.com sites. It was a very slow process. I was frustrated. In July, after  completing Blogging 101 I had—34 views, 13 visitors and only 1 follower. So I stopped blogging and prioritised other things.

In late August I was off work sick for a week. I had nothing to do so I popped back to my site. To my surprise I had a few followers, several more views and an Inspiring Blogger Award. I was humbled and excited. Suddenly I got it. Blogging is a long-term journey—a commitment not only to yourself, but also every one who reads you blog. We all grow together and allow each other to reach our own individual goals. By the end of December 2014, my goal was 100 followers. I ended the year with 110 followers and now I have 335. It may have been a slow start but Inspiring Max is on the move.

Somewhere around September I learnt not to focus on the followers but the views. If people were regularly viewing more than one page of my work I was happy. This usually meant they would come back again. The more I connect with my blogging community—the more they connect with me. I view 3 new blogs a day that I interact with. As a result, I am excited to have been viewed by people in 105 countries—many of whom I didn’t know existed. I love the coloured in world map of where Inspiring Max has been.

My advice to bloggers is make sure you have great content and keep going. When you are discouraged visit new blogs. Connect with your community at every opportunity and overtime—your community will connect with you. Blogging is a rewarding experience that has allowed me to grow in ways I would have never imagined possible before. Thank you for sharing my journey. I look forward to our future together. To celebrate I offer you a virtual glass champagne instead of a cigar.

champagne-250-FOR-TRIDION_tcm18-132345

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/but-no-cigar/

Eclectic Corner: Splash Of Colour

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This fortnight Eclectic Corner focus on photography, quotes and haiku poetry showcasing the theme of—a splash of colour. The grey skies of winter in Canada gave many opportunists to recognise a splash of colour against a mostly grey photo.

 

The Beatles are my husbands favourite band and while I am not a huge fan I do love this quote. I love colour—it brightens even the dullest day. If things aren’t going right for you add some colour to your day and watch it lift your mood.

Listen-to-the-colour-of-your-dreams.-TAOLife

Photo Credit: TAOLife

 

I have only recently learnt about poetry and have found it a great way to express my thoughts simply. The impact of colour is no different.

Feeling blue or grey

Let’s paint your world with colour

It will lift your day

http://eclecticoddsnsods.com/2015/03/24/eclectic-corner-8-splash-of-colour-photography-quotes-poetry/

Play

inspiringmax

Draft a post with three parts, each unrelated to the other, but create a common thread between them by including the same item — an object, a symbol, a place — in each part.

“Mum can we go yet, I want to play?”

“Who or what do you want to play with, Sandy?”

“I want to play with Mary.”

“Mary is visiting her family in Queensland so that is not possible.”

“Yes it is mum she has her mum’s I-pad.”

“Sorry Sandy, remember yesterday I said during the day you play outside while the weather is good.”

“Okay mum I forgot.”

 

Practical and fun

Life’s building blocks

Alternate way of learning

Your friend

 

Last night I went to see the new play in town. Great story and the characters were so real. Initially I didn’t want to go but I went as a favour to my friend. She was worried nobody would go. Wrong. It was a sell out crowd and the critics loved it. Simply titled—PLAY—it is the story behind the importance of playing in our adult life as well as our childhood. So when you get the chance don’t forget to play.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/weaving-the-threads/

Poetry 101 Rehab: Thaw

inspiringmax

This week’s poetry challenge theme is THAW. In Australia this word doesn’t have the same power it holds in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Using anaphora

I like the snow

I like the ice

To work yesterday I couldn’t go

And shoveling is such a chore

So today I like the thaw

 

Haiku

Come in and thaw out

Love will defeat the cold

Together we’ll grow old

IMG_1126

 

http://maraeastern.com/2015/03/22/poetry-101-rehab-thaw/

Quebec’s Holy Door

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On our recent trip to Canada I passed through Quebec’s Holy Door at the Bascillica of Notre-Dame de Quebec. The Holy Door was granted  to the people of Quebec by the Pope to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the first Catholic parish in Northern America (Canada and USA)—at one time the largest Catholic parish in the world.  The Holy Door opened on the 8th December 2013 and closed on the 28th December 2014.

It is one of only seven Holy Doors  and the first Holy Door opened outside of Europe—four in the Vatican, one in France and one in Spain. The door itself is made of bronze and weighs about half a tonne. The external side of the door has Christ on the front and the internal door has Mary sculptured into it. Upon entering should you choose you place your hand in the hands of Christ and pause mindfully for a moment.

The Holy Door must be entered from the outside in and leads into the small chapel at the side of the Bascillica. After its closure on the 28th December 2104 the Holy Door was sealed to be opened again in 2025 when the next Holy Year was expected. However on 17th March 2015, Pope Francis announced that a Holy Year of Mercy will begin on 8th December 2015 that will close on the 20th November 2016. During this Jubilee all seven Holy Doors around the world will be opened.

The brochure stated “this door is open to all persons of good will. For Catholics it is a pilgrimage, a sign, a passage, a kind of spiritual preparation.”

Despite not being Catholic I found passing through Quebec’s Holy Door quite a spiritual experience. Although it was not the purpose of my trip to Quebec City—it was one of my highlights. The fact that I entered on Boxing Day—the day after Christmas Day made it more special for me. If you are traveling in an area next year that has a Holy Door consider adding it to your travel plans. Once closed the Holy Doors will all be sealed again until the next Jubilee Year possibly 2025 as originally expected.