No More Wasteful Spending

Image Credit: One zone Studio

At this moment, we have the opportunity to…

We often think about acquiring lots of things instead of fulfilling essential needs. We tend to focus on our wants, not giving much thought to the needs of others suffering by the wayside. We sometimes boast about self-reliance instead of a collaborative effort to improve the quality of life that others may benefit from. Yep, at times we can be a little selfish. Yet, sometimes being a little selfish in certain situations can work to your advantage and be your saving grace.

In this moment we have the opportunity to…

Don’t buy into the propaganda that in order to be somebody special or to be accepted, you must come from a specific zip code, township, financial background, or a particular tribe to make a difference in society, and to be an asset, not a liability. You are already somebody, a mover, a maker, and a shaker. No more wasteful spending to allow misinformation to persuade you to misrepresent who you are and what you can become.

At this moment, you have the opportunity to…

* Embrace joy
* Love more
* Intensify your humanitarianism
* Make a positive difference in someone’s life and in the world
* To create a safe haven for the least appreciated

Right now, at this moment, we have the opportunity to…

Be better than we were yesterday. Make a change that will “make” a change. We hear the use of wasteful spending in terms of governmental spending. Personally, no more wasteful spending on the frivolous. Spend your time wisely. Use your time productively.

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A Valuable Reference…Priceless!

Image Credit: Daniel Schludi

How many ways can I count being speechless? I never thought that was possible because I have been talking since I’ve been out of my mother’s womb. But, as I read Michele Lee Sefton’s post yesterday, “Don’t Hesitate” (poetry recitation) a poem she spotlighted and was written by poet Mary Oliver, I continued reading until I literally fell out of my chair once again. As I approached her ending section I read Michele’s gracious mention of my book “We Are Poetry, Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook.” Needless to say, I gasped so hard, because Lord knows I wasn’t expecting another honor, by my friend the dancing queen, especially in the same space as Mary Oliver.

I am so delighted to share my heartfelt appreciation for another heartwarming review from a great writer and teacher, Michele Lee Sefton. Bless you, Michele!

👏🏼

Three weeks ago, I shared the release of Kym Gordon Moore’s recently released book titled, We are Poetry. I have been enjoying reading her book and had the pleasure of writing a review:

Kym Gordon Moore’s book, We are Poetry, is more than a collection of engaging poems. Moore recognizes the potential of poetry to empower the individual and to connect people; she gives examples of how this has unfolded in her own life. Her passion for the art form invites and excites the reader to join her – to view poetry with a fresh perspective. Her book is layered with enriching discussion, experiences, information, insights, and of course, her poetry. Divided in “Lessons,” I appreciated the organizational structure of her book and her inclusion of an index. “We are Poetry” would be a valuable reference on my desk if I were still teaching in a high school classroom, not as another impersonal textbook, but as a rich conversation centered around poetry.

Click here to read a preview and to order her book. 

I also want to thank Michele and Dawn Pisturino for their heartfelt and compelling Amazon reviews and ratings. 🙏🏽 Bless you both!

I am of Value! Recited by Me

I am so emotional about this blog performance by my dear friend Tony Gardner, creator of the blog, Reflections: A Mindful Journey. Oh my goodness, I am extremely grateful, honored and so very humble to have him recite my poem, “I Am of Value!” Tony, I need to hire you as a voiceover my friend. My words were almost unrecognizable because you put a soulful spin to those words I could never have imagined them being. You slayed this performance my friend. I am so grateful for your kindness and friendship. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! 🥰🙏🏼🤗

Reflections: A Mindful Journey

@MoveMePoetry#MMPKickabout
Poetess: @KreativePen
Read from Book: We Are Poetry pic.twitter.com/yBt9yQKIzE

— thepoetic1 (@the_poetical1) November 25, 2022

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Gratitude is Loving, Generous, and Compassionate

Image Credit: Linnaea Mallette 

Be thankful.

Be loving.

Be generous.

Be compassionate.

Have a Heart.

This message is simple. This message is clear. No matter how you slice it, there is always room to be thankful, loving, empathetic, and kind to form a compassionate heart. Have a glorious day of thanksgiving everyone. 🙏🏽

The Review: Authorpreneur, Entrepreneur, Photographerpreneur, Artistpreneur ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Image Credit: geralt

WORK. PASSION. DEDICATION. Entrepreneurs from every niche possible know what it feels like to get a great review of their products or services wherever their target audience may be served. Of course, many also know the whiplash they may feel if they receive a negative review. No one wants those. But if you get one or two or three or more, don’t let it break your spirit. There are some people who are just out there with arrows and daggers aimed at puncturing your confidence, just waiting to watch you squirm and worry.

Well, don’t worry about those jokers or their diabolical distractions. Stay focused on your game. When we have done our very best and addressed any problems that could escalate into something more problematic, then we move on and don’t sweat the small stuff that folks may be stirring up. We will always face pros and cons, ups and downs, yays and nays, but we still have opportunities to make some good noise over the negative. Yet the negative is not always bad. We may be alerted to a problem or issue that we can tweak, needs addressing, and improvement in order to make our product or service better and more successful. Besides, YOU are your brand.

The thing we want to happen is if and when we are knocked off of our horse, we get up, brush ourselves off and get back on our horse and keep riding. Look, none of us are fans of personal or professional attacks. But it happens. We aren’t perfect, although we try to be. Just don’t let it put you in a paralyzing chokehold. Don’t be intimidated.

Also, note that there are various platforms besides YELP where you can post your reviews or direct your patrons to post theirs. For instance, I have written reviews and posted them on Amazon for books or other products I purchased. Various retailers have an online link where you can post your reviews and ratings. Click here to learn about getting Google reviews for your business. I used this when I hired a business to do work around my house. For books, I have also posted a review on Barnes & Noble, Goodreads.com, and Google Books if those books are listed there. The reviews you write or what someone writes for you can be slightly altered to post on these various platforms, and gives you exposure to a different audience. 

No matter how big or small, long or short, the view of a review can make a big impact on how others view your product or service.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Behind the Lens of Phil Perkins 📸

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the nomadic feel you get when observing the various angles, textures, and vistas you experience through the photographs captured behind the lens of Phil Perkins, makes you feel like you are in the photo gazing at beautiful landscapes while on a hiking trip. Phil delivers breathtaking snapshots that draw you into his photographs. Flowing waters, chimney top views, water rushing through moss-covered rocks, and mountainous waterways lure you into the spirit of the great outdoors. How mesmerizing.

Phil is definitely a hiking enthusiast with his camera in tow. It is evident that he finds unique and ideal photo opportunities that turn into remarkable accent pieces for your decorating pleasure. Phil is inspired by Mother Nature and all of her assets, and honey, it shows. 

View Phil’s online art gallery of framed, tapestry, posters, canvas, metal, and acrylic creations, along with his digital art and surreal fantasy landscapes. His ‘poetry in response’ is a real compliment to the poets he is connected to and poems that inspire him to create his personal poetic pieces. How ideally fantastical. Click here to visit Phil’s online studio and see how he expresses his personality and creativity through the art his lens captures. Bravo Phil! Continue to snap away!

Photo Credits: Phil Perkins (Perkins Designs)

On the Bookshelf of the Library, I am Found

Image Credit: Union County Public Library | Monroe, North Carolina (third row)

Oh my gosh! I am tickled pink with poetry! When I received an email from Amee Odom, MLIS, MA, Senior Librarian for Reference & Information Services with the Union County Public Library, my heart skipped many beats before I began to read. A media kit for my book was submitted to our local library. Upon receipt, Amee informed me that my materials and book were passed along to the Cataloging team for processing. Well, I am pleased, honored, and grateful to announce that my book, “We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook,” is among the good reads in the Union County Public Library. It is available for anyone living in the county to check out and read.

When I received my good news, I saw a sidebar article on a forum that stated “While many in the U.S. seek to limit kids’ access to books tackling sexuality, some young people elsewhere in the world are gaining access to such materials for the very first time — and relishing the freedom.” Advocacy groups, school board members, and lawmakers across the U.S. are banning books at a faster clip than has been seen in a generation or more. According to PEN America, an organization that seeks to protect free expression, book bans occurred in school districts in 32 states during the 2021-22 academic year.

I dare not think about what it would feel like to have your book banned from a library. Years ago, in elementary and high school, some books I read were quite risque and controversial as I think about some of those titles today. When things are forcibly prohibited, and a big deal is made out of it, it seems like curiosity grows, and children or people will find a way to explore and uncover why such prohibitions were forbidden in the first place. I think it is up to parents/guardians to teach their children the right things that are decent, respectful, and ethically enriched. It could be possible that children may not think about reading these books until a big deal was made about them. Yet, I agree that something dangerous, violent, and hateful should probably be left off of shelves, depending on the context and extent of the content.

For now, I thank the team from the Union County Public Library for approving my book to be a part of their catalog among the “Local Authors” section. So do you think I am excited? You darn tootin’ I am! Whooooohooooooo!!! 🤩

 

Image Credit: Union County Public Library | Monroe, North Carolina (third row)

Thank You Never Gets Old, right Dawn Pisturino?

Image Credit: Prawny

My mother always reminded us to say thank you when we were little, IF we failed to do it first. That didn’t happen often, because there would be repercussions if we didn’t say thank you and she found out about it. Even for the smallest of things, like someone giving you a quarter to put in your piggy bank was worthy of gratitude, because it was one quarter more than you had. Plus, piggy banks were the thing when I was growing up. I still have mine from a baby. Oops, sorry, I digress.

So it is with great pleasure that I give a huge shoutout and show my appreciation to Dawn Pisturino for her generous book review on her site “Poetry Book Reviews: Kym Gordon Moore and Patricia Furstenberg.” Patricia and I were so surprised and delighted that Dawn took the time to actually read our works, and to take even more time to write such a generous review that she didn’t have to do. I try not to ever take such an act of kindness for granted. They are great blessings to my heart and spirit.

So without further adieu, I once again present the link, “Poetry Book Reviews: Kym Gordon Moore and Patricia Furstenberg” to Dawn’s post so that you can visit her site and see how she is unselfishly giving back to members of our WordPress community. Thank you again, Dawn.

The Unique Strokes Behind the Brush of Sandra Burns ART 🎨

Image Credit: Sandra Burns

As we sit and watch a life of creativity happening all around us, we write about those connections, sing about them, photograph them, or paint them through our unique interpretations. Today, if you don’t know her already, I want to introduce you to one of my friends, who happens to be an amazing artist. Her name is Sandra Burns, with Sandra Burns ART.

Sandra’s mantra is “Exploring the Healing Power of Nature in Art.” As you click through her online art gallery of original work, you will discover some fascinating displays of nature as seen through the eyes of the artist herself. From the magic of water to a number of caring animal paintings, mythical creatures, and other works of nature, Sandra tantalizes us with exclusive news from behind the scenes of the inspiration that propelled her to new heights of her fabulous paintings.

In Sandra’s words,

My artwork explores the boundaries of peace and healing. Through my art, I provide hope and optimism, a strength on which to move forward. The most important thing to give someone is to silence their demons – to provide a place of refuge and acceptance. As a nature artist, my work provides a pathway to good well-being.

Be sure to check out her giftware shop, where she features a selection of mugs, coasters, notebooks, greeting cards, and acrylic blocks that don her spectacular paintings. There, you can also sign up to become a member of Studio Insider you can join for FREE. As a member of Studio Insider, you will receive exclusive news about her artistic journey and be one of the first to see her latest pieces of artwork. Click here to learn more about Sandra and her FANtabulous creations.

You can also follow her on Instagram and Facebook. All image credits are from Sandra Burns.

My Inspired Life: A Poetic Journey by Michele Lee Sefton

I don’t know if I can call this a review or a boat ride that meanders through rushing waters of refreshing, untethered experiences. As I finished reading “My Inspired Life: A Poetic Journey” by author Michele Lee Sefton, the day was a cool, rainy day, and pausing as I sifted through her soothing words connected with my spirit on so many levels. Michele’s poetic epiphanies spill over into a fountain of cleansing resolve.

I was immediately introduced to Michele’s “intentional change journey” encouraging the transformational path of her readers. Starting with “A Story Set Free” to one of my favorites, “Making More Space for Hellos,” this is indeed a collection of relinquishing toxic people and escaping those things that try to steal our joy and tether our minds and spirits.

Her poems act as a releasing agent while words that once paralyzed her spirit, which all of us can relate to, are flushed like spoiled waste. Certain words come to mind when I read Michele’s poetry: melodious, captivating, growing, breathtaking, inspiring, releasing, compassionate, kindness, empathy, respect, and encouraging, just to name a few. Piggy-backing on the author’s parting words, this collection is an expanse of inspired spaces to pause, rest, take a deep breath, and become energized with a renewed spirit.

Continue to dance Michele, our free spirit!

Image Source: My Inspired Life