Category: Daily Prompt

Halifax Explosion

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As it’s been a while since our last free-write… set a timer for ten minutes. Write without pause (and no edits!) until you’re out of time.

On 6th December, 1917, the Norwegian ship IMO collided with the French monitions ship Mont Blanc starting a fire on the Mont Blanc. At 9.05 am the 2,653,115 kg of explosives detonated, setting off a tsunami and killing 1900 people. It also injured or left thousands more homeless.  It was the most powerful, non-atomic, man-made blast in history. The damage covered a massive area and affected 80% of the population.

In acknowledgment of the 97th anniversary of the explosion last Saturday, the Halifax ran memorial ceremonies throughout the city. We attended the one on the harbour. At 9.05 a canyon sounded from the Citadel signalling all the boats on the harbour to begin ringing their bells and blowing their horns. It was inspiring. We were at the Acadia, the only ship still on the harbour that was on the harbour back in 1917.

I was humbled to be a part of remembering an important part of Halifax’s history.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/ready-set-done-7/

All Or Nothing

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“Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.” — Sylvia Plath

Which do you find more dangerous: wanting nothing, or wanting everything?

Is wanting everything or wanting nothing the better option. Will either make you a better person or successful?

Neither are helpful.

Wanting nothing and wanting everything are at each end of a continuum.

Nothing _______________________________________________________________Everything

Wanting nothing doesn’t allow you to take the first steps.

Wanting everything means you are taking steps in every direction and achieving very few things.

I believe the answer lies in the grey area. The area in between. The something. Wanting something and making a plan works. Aiming for something, a goal allows you to put steps in place be successful.

Nothing________________________Something ___________________________Everything

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/all-or-nothing/

Dream Day

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You’re given unlimited funds to plan one day full of any and all luxuries you normally can’t afford. Tell us about your extravagant day with as much detail as possible.

I have been given access to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But only for one day, so how will I spend it.  I would wake up in a house on a private beach and begin my day by an early morning swim. Then a walk on the beach to a champagne brunch attended by my extended family. We enjoy the following brunch menu.

Brunch Menu

Chicken

Ham and cheese croissants

Bacon

Eggs Benedict

Waffles, maple syrup and ice-cream

Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries

Organic Muesli

Organic Greek yoghurt

French champagne

At the completion of brunch, a stretch Hummer will pick us up for a day at the day spa. After dropping the others off, my husband and kids will go shopping for a new outfit.  But feeling so good after being pampered all day deserves to be shown off. I think a fancy six course dinner for two at a top restaurant with matching wines is in order. Special foods and wines to help celebrate my dream day.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/feeling-fancy/

Keep It Simple

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Today, write a post about the topic of your choice — using only one-syllable words.

Life was not meant to be easy. But why is it so hard to keep it simple. How do we start?  The answer may be to break it down. To stamp out the big words.

1. Write what you want to say. Use any number of syllables.

2. There will be many words with one syllable ignore them.

3. Circle the words that need to be cut down. Even three to two makes it simpler. Write a list of options and pick the best.

I wrote the first draft of my book in this style. The shorter the better. The easier it is to read. Stamp out big words. Keep it simple and see the power.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/one-at-a-time/

Lessons From My Blog

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What’s the most important (or interesting, or unexpected) thing about blogging you know today that you didn’t know a month ago?

Blogging is a never-ending journey. This is my 150th post. And I am excited there is always something new to learn or do.  So what are some of the things I have learnt recently?

1. Working out what my audience wants is tricky and seems to vary.

2. Connecting with others is the key.  I don’t expect others to stop by my site without me reaching out to them. This  is only half the journey and doesn’t work.

3. I make sure that my writing is clear and not open to interpretation. I use the KIS principle, keep it simple.

4. Writing daily makes it easier. I stopped for a few days and I lost momentum.  Now it takes me longer to write my posts until I get back into a system.

5. The more I blog, the more I want to blog. I love that you can sit at your computer anywhere in the world, share people’s lives and they can share mine.

6. The more I blog, the more I realise the power of the internet and the role of my voice online.

7. Finding viewers is hard but working my blog helps keep them. I appreciate everyone who stops by and visits my blog.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/recently-acquired/

Following Your Gut

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When’s the last time you followed your instinct despite not being sure it was the right thing to do? Did it end up being the right call?

I cannot tell you when I started relying on my gut. It is what I do. I am naturally intuitive and regularly just know things before they happen. My family has learnt to go with it, even though it often seems strange.

Over the years, I have chosen to hone this skill. I can’t tell you how I started but if you are interested,begin by learning to listen to your thoughts and instincts. Don’t judge. Some gut instincts will seem far-fetched at first. The more you trust yourself however, the more you can go with them.

I use my gut instinct in my counselling. It is surprising how often even the most outrageous statement is exactly on point and what the person needs to hear. Although I may not have known all the facts when, by following my gut, I have been able to respond in the right way.

Listen and its amazing what you can hear.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/gut-feeling/

Control Your MInd

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“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere,” goes the famous song about New York City. Is there a place — a city, a school, a company — about which you think (or thought) the same? Tell us why, and if you ever tried to prove that claim.

Success begins in our minds. We decide our own fate. Whether we make it or not is up to us. It is our responsibility to control our thoughts. In response, our thoughts will control our outcomes.

Jack Canfield asks “do you take 100% responsibility for your life?” I believe if you want to make it, you need to take 100% control of your self-belief.

Decide what you want to do and control your self-doubt. You can’t make it in New York City or anywhere else with self-doubt driving you. Your mind controls your success, so control your mind. Five years ago, I began writing my book on eating disorder recovery. Initially, I was excited. I was doing what I always wanted to. Then suddenly, the more I wrote, the more I doubted others would be interested in what I had to say. My self-doubt had kicked in, but I didn’t let it stop me.

“What right do you have to be writer? Who wants to read what you have to say anyway?” said my self-doubt.

“Of course, I have something valuable to say. I have helped people with my advice for years” I replied.

This was a regular conversation/argument in my brain. However, over time the more I wrote, the easier it was to shut down my self-doubt. From here my self-confidence and self-belief grew. Allowing me to share my work with others, receive positive feedback and take my journey to the next level by self-publishing next year.

So, wherever or in whatever field you want to make it, remember the first step to making it, is to control your mind.

DREAM

BELIEVE

ACHIEVE

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/make-it-anywhere/

Countdown To Christmas

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‘Tis the season for suspense-building lists.

‘Tis the season to be jolly. This year however, it took a long time to come. After 12 months of planning, my husband and I are exploring Canada on our countdown to our first white Christmas.

As Australians, the usual question is “how hot will Christmas day be? or “will the bush fires stay away till at least boxing day?” This year the question is “will it snow on Christmas day and how cold will it be?” As we are having Christmas day in Old Quebec City one of the top places in the world to guarantee snow falling as well as being on the ground, we are hopeful.

Just a week ago we began our grand adventure and countdown to Christmas.

We are fascinated by life in Northern Hemisphere, eating afternoon tea in a house older than our country, adjusting to walking on snow and ice as well as trying and learning about new things.

Our six week Canadian adventure includes visiting:

1. St John’s Newfoundland

2. Halifax, Nova Scotia

3. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

4. Moncton, New Brunswick

5. Montreal, Quebec

6. Kingston, Ontario

7. Toronto, Ontario

8. Niagara Falls, Ontario

9. Old Quebec City, Quebec

10. Ottawa, Ontario

Whilst we will be missing our usual Christmas traditions, we are proud to be sharing new ones with others half a world away.

103 - Lake Quidi Vidi

View over Quidi Vidi Lake, Newfoundland

133 - Govt House at night + with snow

Christmas Tree Government House St John’s

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_writing_challenge/countdown/

Supplies Aussie Style

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We’ve all been asked what five objects we’d take with us to a desert island. Now it’s your best friend’s (or close relative’s) turn to be stranded: what five objects would you send him/her off with?

The phone rang. It was my mother. She was letting me know that one of our relatives was stranded on a desert island. Being practical, I had been voted the family representative to send supplies. After careful consideration, I sent the following 5 items to help our loved one get through.

1. Large bag of flour – this can be used to make a damper ( flour, salt and water) cooked in a camp fire into a bread. This insures my relative can eat daily.

2. Billy – a metal tin or cooking pot complete with wire handle used to boil water or cook over a campfire. This allows water to be boiled ensuring it is clean and safe to drink.

3. Box of waterproof matches – to make sure a fire can be lit in all conditions.

4. Multi-purpose tool – a portable tool including a hammer, screwdriver, pliers, saw, knife and other associated tools that may come in handy. This tool would allow my loved one to build a shelter for protection.

5. Vegemite – no Australian should be stranded on a desert island without Vegemite, our national spread. It is an Aussie staple and  full of vitamins. Uses for Vegemite include being spread on the damper or dissolved in water as an alternate hot drink.

I hope they get home safely soon.   I would love to know how helpful my items were.

423561_VEGEMITE_SPREAD

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/someone-elses-island/

Writing Streak

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What’s the longest stretch you’ve ever pulled off of posting daily to your blog? What did you learn about blogging through that achievement, and what made you break the streak?

Blogging is an art and a passion. Since returning to my blog in late August, I have posted on 96 of the last 98 days. This score anywhere else would give me a high distinction, my first ever. The two single days I missed were in early September and since then I have decided to commit to blogging daily.

As I am developing my online voice, I am learning inspiration comes in many ways. It is everywhere. Now I noticed things to blog about so much that on many occasions I have posted twice a day. The more I do this, the more I connect with my audience, which I love and helps me to understand  what interests them and develop stronger relationships.

Ironically, as I am on holidays in Canada seeking new inspiration to blog on, I may at times be unable to keep up my current blogging schedule. Not to worry, either way flexibility is the key. Blogging needs to add to my life not make it stressful. Thanks for visiting my world.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/winning-streak/