This weeks theme is END. I struggled a little to picture in my head what the end looked like which made writing poetry more of a challenge.
Limerick
I wondered around the bend
Looking for my friend
I sought him here I sought him there
Finally finding him in the end.
Haiku
The end is coming
Thank goodness! It was no easy task
Let’s celebrate now
Diving is a spectacular sport to watch and athletes need mental and physical strength to get their bodies to do what is required for each dive. Owing to our daughters involvement in the sport, diving has been part of our world for over 10 years and we have had some amazing experiences with the diving community.
We have attended competitions in all areas from the local club level to international competitions. Through our connection in junior diving we have meet Olympic divers from all over the world that are still competing today. It is exciting to see their dreams come true and understand the hard work they have put into them.
Diving took a different twist a few years ago for my daughter when she began having fun with show diving. Although I think my most inspirational moments in diving were when I attended World Masters Games in Sydney. Two women in particular stood our for me—one larger lady in her 50’s or 60’s who did an arm stand dive and an older lady who began her diving career in her twilight years. Both proved to me you are never to old to follow your dreams.
#A-Z Challenge
A throwaway shot, or purposefully unfocused? This week, find beauty in a blur.
One easy way to blur photos is when they are taken at a live musical. My selection for this challenge was taken at Hong Kong Disneyland’s—The Lion King. It was an amazing constantly moving show on a small stage so blurred photos were common. Through their blur I can still see the passion 3 years later.
Casa Loma is a beautiful, ornate full size castle built by Sir Henry Pellant and completed in 1914. Overlooking Toronto Canada—the castle is situated on 5 acres of land— taking 300 men, 3 years to build. It was the largest private residence in Canada and it is steeped in history. Unfortunately due to changes in their financial circumstances Sir Henry and his lovely wife Lady Mary were only able to live in their spectacular home for 10 years.
Beauty, grandeur and opulence are displayed in every room. No expense was spared on the creation of this historic building and it is a true testament to its owner and Edwardian times. Our visit was at Christmas and they were celebrating 100 years of Christmas at Casa Loma—including traditional carolers. It is the most impressive home I have ever seen.
Possibly our favourite part of exploring this amazing castle complete with its secret tunnels was having traditional hot chocolate and our first s’mores on the balcony. We were in heaven. The only thing that would have improved our day was if there was snow on the ground. You win some, you lose some.
#AtoZChallenge
Write an entire post without using three-letter words.
Everyone makes mistakes. These mistakes teach us lessons about ourselves that allow us to grow. Think of these lessons as gifts from life. Some people find keeping a list of lessons learnt helpful. They’re a visible reminder that helps keep us focused on moving forward to reach goals.
Edison failed 10,000 times before he invented a light globe. He doesn’t describe these attempts as failures however as 10,000 ways they don’t work.
By re-framing your words, it is possible to change your thinking. Life is full of lessons—we choose at what speed we acknowledge them. Remember they help us to develop personally as well as professionally.
Do not be afraid to take a risk. Take on challenges, learn by your mistakes adding to your repertoire of things known.
***
I found this challenge tricky. I noticed that it changed my voice considerably because my style is made up of small words—mainly with three letters. It certainly made me think which took me from my comfort zone—teaching me some lessons as I went.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/three-letter-words/
Although Australian I choose to drink wine not beer. It wasn’t until our recent trip to Canada that I began to learn about beer. At lunchtime on New Years Eve in Montreal my husband and I had lunch at The 3 Brewers Microbrewery and decided to try a beer float. Our beer float consisted of 6 beers all made on site:
I was excited. This was a new experience for me, the beers were beautifully presented and looked appertising—something I would have never consider possible before. And now for the test—what were my thoughts. I tried all beers in order as they looked to get stronger as they went.
White – I enjoyed this unusual beer. It was light with a gingery feel and had a pleasant after taste. I could definitely trial a larger glass later.
Blonde – I had tried blonde beers before so the taste wasn’t unusual. It was wheaty and fruity and whilst pleasant it wasn’t my favourite.
Amber – Described by the microbrewery ” as a specialty found nowhere else” I did enjoy this beer. It had a light, caramel flavour that went particularly well with my lunch—Beef and Mushroom Poutine.
Brown – This was my least favourite beer. I found it a strong, malty flavour that I felt took over. It was interesting to try.
Christmas Cheer – Made only for the month of December this beer was very enjoyable. It had a fun, light, festive taste. The flavours did remind me of Christmas. It was one of my favourites.
Portobello – This beer was dark and strong. Surprisingly, I didn’t find it bitter like other strong beers so I did enjoy it although only in small quantities.
It was a fun, practical learning experience and I am glad I took the risk. I will gaining more beer knowledge as the opportunity presents.
#AtoZChallenge
How do you communicate differently online than in person, if at all? How do you communicate emotion and intent in a purely written medium?
Communication is key. It is at the centre of everything we do. To me all forms of communication need to be consistent—written, verbal and body language. How I communicate is my brand. Working in mental health I nurture moving forward, making changes to encourage growth—both in myself and others.
Several years ago I did not realise how different my written and spoken word naturally were. I had just begun writing my book and given my first draft chapters to my collaborator. After reading them her response was—”the information is great but it needs to be in your voice that is what people connect with.” She was right. My written word was stiff and formal. It didn’t flow and wasn’t welcoming. This was a pivotal point in my writing career long before I started blogging. The way I communicate orally and in writing work when they are the same. My writing voice needed to change.
Now everything thing I write except formal work document as based on a conversational tone—my natural voice. I don’t use the shortened text message for of communication—I don’t like it. If I am writing a text message I write it exactly as I would ask it—clear and concise—so there is no misunderstanding. When using emotion and intent I describe the situation using the writing formula—show don’t tell.
If I am unsure how to phrase a sentence in my voice I memorise the sentence and re write it how I remember it. From my experience this puts it in the order I say it. This is particularly helpful when I am writing speeches. I rarely use long complicated sentences—they confuse me. I like easy to understand communication—in life and on-line.
My experience is by using this method even when I need to say difficult things they are taken well and the change I want is nurtured without the other person getting defensive. My aim is to respect all people I interact with—known or unknown—bringing inspiration and positivity into their world and hopefully brightening their day.
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/its-a-text-text-text-text-world/
Well I am a day late however I have decided to join the A – Z April Blogging Challenge. It involves writing a post a day for the month of April going through the letters of the alphabet. For most people this challenge started on April 1 with A and concludes on April 30th with Z. As Sunday is a free day I will catch up to everyone then.
I am Australian and proud of it. Australians are an eclectic mix with people from all corners of the globe now calling Australia home. Although affectionately called Down Under and along way from many countries—there are many reasons we are grateful to call Australia home. Some of which are described in my acrostic poem—Australians.
A – Amazing animals
U – Unique characters
S – Sydney Harbour Bridge and other famous icons
T – Temperate temperatures
R – Rugby League and Rugby Union—two of our favourite football codes
A – Art and culture
L – Lifestyle choices
I – Idyllic beaches
A – A friendly bunch of people
N – Nature
S – Surfing, swimming and sports
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/
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:
