Tag: Acrostic Poem

Reflection

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Spring has sprung. And just before it my 59th birthday. Both of these have recently helped drive my latest time of reflection. My final motivator is the news that to get out of lockdown we need to live with Covid -19. As Australia up until these last few months has been able to contain the virus this reality creates anxiety in most of us. The reality is however that I can only reflect on things in my life I can change and Covid isn’t one of them.

I’m a firm believer in the following quote:

My favourite way to break down powerful words is through the use of acrostic poems. So for me, reflection means:

Review where I am currently at

Explore where I want to be

Freely and honestly check my initial review

Look at what needs to be different

Enact a plan

Choose daily, weekly and monthly goals

Test and track my goals

Include in daily, weekly or monthly routines

Observe regularly what works and what doesn’t

Negotiate any changes that may be needed and enjoy the new me blossoming

For me the main areas of reflection involve:

  • My health
  • Blogging/Writing
  • Career/Retirement Planning

After reflecting on my health I realised daily tracking needs to be around my water intake, movement and sleep. I started doing this a few weeks ago and I have already noticed a huge increase in my energy levels.

Returning to blogging last month made me realise that over the years Inspiring Max has developed its own momentum. I was surprised that even when I haven’t been blogging, it is continuing to be read. This has inspired me to spend more time blogging. Not just writing posts but also engaging with the blogging community. Over the last few weeks I have been able to maintain 3 posts a week, which on refection is sustainable. Me getting better at planning posts will be the key.

Reflecting on this last area is in some ways out of my control. I am a mental health nurse who trained 40 years ago. I have obtained many skills over my career but have no general nursing experience. As we open up I have no idea what will be expected from me as I go about my work day. I have decided to follow my gut and see where the journey takes me. It is also tricky to plan for travel at the moment but it is certainly something I am hopeful to start in 2022.

What areas of your life are you currently reflecting on?

Opening Up

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In New South Wales, Australia, today is the day we have all been waiting for. We can start going to cafes or restaurants to eat in, have 5 people visit our homes and enjoy the loosening of restrictions in many other everyday activities and events.

This process throughout the world is known as opening up. As I begin to get excited about the options of our increasing freedoms, I considered what the phrase ‘opening up’ means. After all, nothing in life can happen if we don’t do something different or let someone in.

Here are my thoughts arranged in an acrostic poem.

OPENING UP

Ordering thoughts

Planning to make changes

Endeavouring to cover all options

Negotiating any obstacles

Intuitively doing what needs to be done

Not letting fear stop us

Going ahead with the plan knowing it is as good as it can be

Understanding the risks

Positive thinking about the outcomes

Impression

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My impression of a person, place or thing depends on how they present themselves in the moment. I agree first impressions count, but to me they aren’t the be all and end all. They are often tainted by other issues more pressing at the time. This means I am always ready to change my view should different circumstances prevail.

After consideration, I realise my impression is unconsciously judged and can be explained by the following acrostic poem:

Integrity

Motivation

Positivity

Respectful

Empathy

Sincerity

Self-respect

Individuality

Open-mindedness

Nurturance

When these values can be seen in a person, place or thing, I leave the experience feeling good and wanting more. The more of these values missing, the poorer my experience. Do you know what drives your impressions?

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/impression/

Treasure

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Treasure is something of value. It can come in all shapes and sizes, be shiny and sparkle or be ugly and covered in dirt. Everyone’s treasure and things they value are different. For me, my most valued treasure is my personal values.

T rust

R esponsibility

E mpathy

A cceptance

S elf Respect

U understanding

R eflection

E ncouragement

They are how I  live my life, raise my family and connect with people. Without any of them my life would be unbalanced. Individually, my values are only part of the picture, but together they form a very strong bond that can get me through any obstacle life throws my way.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/treasure/

Admire

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It’s very easy to criticize yourself and others. But it’s not helpful. Instead learn to admire and be grateful for the things you and others do well. By focusing on the positive, we set goals, move forward and become the best possible version of ourselves. So let’s take the ADMIRE challenge.

Acknowledge what you and others do well

Discover the ways you can continue to grow

Master the oppurtunities

Insight is important

Recognise, respect and take responsibility for your abilities

Encourage yourself and develop confidence as you communicate with others

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/admire/

Understanding

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Understanding another person’s thoughts, feelings or behaviours is part of getting to know them. It is easy to judge based on our own assumptions of what is appropriate, but life is not that simple. It can be hard sometimes to look at a situation through another’s eyes. However, from my experience, the real growth comes as you can learn about your response to the initial trigger. Without this knowledge, you will find yourself in the same situation again and again.

To help me gain understanding I regularly review situations outside of the moment. The stronger my reaction, the more important I find it is to dig deep and be honest to develop the best outcomes for every one. In the following acrostic poem I share my thoughts and experiences reviewing difficult conversations and situations.

Unveiling the uncertainty

Negativity or neglect

Discovering the depth of the drive

Educating myself to encourage and empower

Realising any resentfulness I respond with reassurance and respect 

Secure, sensitive and supportive

Treading lightly, building trust and tolerance

Aware and authentic of my feelings

No longer nervous, nasty or numb

Delighted the situation is different now

Invigorated through involvement

Nurturing and

Getting to know myself as well as you better

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/understanding/

Celebrating 400

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Today, only 21 months after my first post — Happy Mother’s Day, on Mother’s Day 2014, I celebrate my 400th post. This is a milestone I never dreamed possible, so to celebrate please enjoy my acrostic poem — another skill I’ve learnt on my Inspiring Max journey.

Following my dream

Out of my comfort zone

Under the guidance of those who had gone before

Rewarded by new friends in over a hundred countries

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

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A Tale of Two Cities

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If you could split your time evenly between two places, and two places only, which would these be?

For a period I would love to be able to spend 6 moths in Australia and 6 months in Canada. There is so much natural beauty, flora and fauna and history in both places, devoting time to exploring it would be amazing. The question I would struggle to answer is where to begin? Maybe I could use the following acrostic poems as a guide.

 

Adelaide

Uluru

Sydney

The Great Barrier Reef

Rottnest Island

ACT

Launceston

Illawarra

Albury – Wodonga

 

 

Charlottetown

Alberta

Newfoundland & Labrador

Algonquin Park

Drummondville

Arctic Bay

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/a-tale-of-two-cities/