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Pursuing Your Passion – Finding the Work You Love

March 29, 2010 By Elaine Gray

This past weekend I was driving home from Austin, Texas after communing with other writers in a writing workshop and I thought about how lucky I was to be able to attend these activities.  Writing is a very solitary art and writers spend a lot of time alone researching and writing so it is good to be with others who are pursuing the same passion.

The path to writing was not an easy journey.   I have a successful “day job” which I like but there was a creative part of me that was unsatisfied.   We all have a creative side and when it is not nurtured a person can experience a “blueness of the soul” that cannot be satisfied and is often misunderstood.   Sometimes, we try to fill it with people, with things, etc. and it doesn’t help.

When it happened to me I thought back to a time when I was truly, truly happy and the image that came to me was a young girl sitting on the picnic table in her backyard writing in her notebook.  I wanted that feeling back so I picked up a notebook again and started attending writing classes.

Even though I am not earning any money (yet) writing and it does cost money to attend workshops, classes, and conferences, I am thoroughly energized when I am writing.  It doesn’t matter that I can only do it part-time because the emotional benefits are worth every dollar I have spent in the pursuit.  It is the one thing that I do solely for me.

I believe that it is important to find that one thing (not person) to do that you are passionate about.  We all have it and we did it as children but growing up and adapting to the adult world made us forget.  For me, I always knew it was writing.  However, there are some people who have yet to re-discover it.     

So, I challenge you to pursue the thing you really love to do.

Here is a site to help you in finding the work you love: http://zenhabits.net/2008/08/finding-the-work-you-love/

If this doesn’t help try a few sessions of quiet time where you reflect on your past and the times when you were the happiest.    You may be surprised at the revelation.

QUESTIONS:

Are you DOING the work you love?  If so, what is it?

If you are not doing the work you love, what is preventing you from pursuing it?

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Drunken Behavior – Sober Thoughts

March 21, 2010 By Elaine Gray

Drunken Behavior – Sober Thoughts

St. Patrick’s Day has just passed where the tradition is to wear green and imbibe a little extra in celebrating the holiday.    In discussing this with one of my faithful blog readers, she suggested I write about persons who drink just a little too much.  Of course, this brought to mind one of those old sayings of my grandmother and a bad date memory from my past. 

My grandmother always said “A drunken man’s behavior is a sober man’s thoughts.”  When you are young and you hear these sayings you wonder their meanings but in time you will probably have an experience that will make it all clear.

When I was in my early 20’s and still partying a lot, I met a guy who was sexy, had a fast car, and was a great dancer.   He was just what you looked for in your 20’s.   He was a pretty amicable guy but he had one bad habit that I conveniently overlooked at first.   He drank too much and to make bad matters worse he was always buying me drinks, too.

Being a person that likes to be in control, I soon noticed that I was drinking a little too much so I started refusing his offers of drinks.  I also noticed that he even started carrying a flask in his car and was never without a drink – – – – – even before noon —-and slowly my opinion of him became a little tarnished.   One night it all came to a head.

We had a date to go dancing and at the last minute he told me we were invited to a birthday party of one of his friends.   While we were there he started to drink more than usual and his behavior became a little bizarre.  It soon became apparent to me that I would have to drive.  I also noticed that maybe it was something more between he and his friend who was an older married woman.  Her husband was throwing this party and I suspect this was getting to her secret admirer, my date.

Needless to say, I was fuming but since I am not one to make a big scene I whispered to him I was ready to leave.  His answer was to shove his hand down the front of my dress and grab my breast.   I slapped him so hard that it felt like I broke my wrist.  It was swollen for 2 whole days.

Now, I had made a big scene but I did not care.  Everyone rushed over to us.   The hostess of the party asked me to forgive him because he had imbibed too much.  Her husband wrangled the keys from him so I could drive.  

Prior to that date, he had been making comments about my not drinking with him anymore.  I know he did that to me to humiliate me because I was no longer imbibing with him.  

I can still see myself stomping down those steps in my high-heel shoes to the car.   He hung his head and passed out in the passenger seat while I drove to my home.   I left him passed out parked in his car on the side of the street near my home.  

He called the next day to apologize.  I listened and told him to go to hell.    It was over.

Now, I do not tolerate drunkards.   A man who drinks to the point his speech is slurred and his mobility is impaired is definitely a turn off and a sign that something more is going on.

 Question:

Have you had a negative experience due to someone drinking too much?    Please share.

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Filed Under: Dating

A Message for Valentine’s Day – The Power of Love

February 15, 2010 By Elaine Gray

A Message for Valentine’s Day – The Power of LOVE

No other emotion has inspired the human psyche more than LOVE.  The pursuit of it has resulted in great poetry, great music, and great stories.   We have learned about sacrificial love, unrequited love, unrelenting love,  unconditional love, unfulfilled love, and forbidden love.   We have rejoiced with destined lovers and suffered with star-crossed lovers.   Through it all, we have marveled at the power of L-O-V-E.

Some of us have waited for this feeling to enter our heart so that we can live the life we want with the person that inspires that special feeling.     But, I must tell you that love is not a dormant feeling that will leap in your heart when you see the face of that certain person.  Love is action.   Love is a decision to open your life and your trust to another person despite human failings and weaknesses.    Love comes from within not from without.

To me, the most beautiful words of love are as follows:

Love suffers long and is kind

Love does not envy

Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up

Love does not behave rudely

Love does not seek its own

Love is not provoked

Love thinks no evil

Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things

Love never fails

Happy Valentine’s Day to all !!   Enjoy your chocolates and wine !  

Aspire to put some action in your love!

QUESTION(S):

Do you have any favorite words about LOVE?   Please share.

Do you believe in the power of LOVE ?

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Filed Under: Love

To Thine Ownself Be True

February 1, 2010 By Elaine Gray

To Thine Ownself Be True

When I was a young adult I attended many of those hell and brimstone sermons at the church my family (and extended family) attended.   Normally, I would allow my attention to drift during the course of the preacher’s dramatic performance but something the he said that day really stuck with me.   I have often referred back to it during the course of my life passage.  The minister stated to us “When the world seems all wrong and you are the only one that is right, look in the mirror…… because there IS your problem”.   

WOW!   This was something I could actually take home and apply to my life.  Thus began my ritual of periodic self-evaluation.   

When negativity enters my life, as it does for all beings, I stand in the mirror and ask myself the question “How, When, What, Why did I contribute?”   And, when I (finally) reach the core of those questions there is usually some action or non-action that occurred.

I must admit looking within is a very tough thing to do.  It is so easy to blame others and whine about our helplessness.   But in that midnight hour, when you are all alone and sleepless from a painful situation, it is hard to lie to yourself.    Face it.    Move forward.

 This trip “within” every once in a while is a necessary thing for personal growth.   You must be prepared for not liking the behavior of the person in the mirror.    However, you must hold on to the belief that awareness is the first step in changing behavior and can lead to a path of making amends………with yourself and with others.

Questions:

  1. Do you feel self-evaluation is necessary for personal growth?
  2. Do you have a ritual of periodic self-evaluation?

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Filed Under: Self-Evaluation

Heeding NIKE’S Advice

January 19, 2010 By Elaine Gray

We all are familiar with that famous advertising slogan from Nike  —- JUST DO IT.  This phrase is so simple yet so powerful in that it aptly applies to any goal you wish to accomplish.

For the recent past, I have been stuck in the gathering of information and resources and not DOING very much.    Now, in 2010, I am heeding NIKE’S advice and moving on to the action phase with anticipation of reviewing my accomplishments by the end of the year.

Since we are still in the New Year’s resolution phase, I want to share with all of you information I have gathered along the way that may be helpful to some in various areas.

Weight Management

If you need some guidance on developing an individual eating plan check out  – Institute of Eating Management and Relapse Prevention Center – at www.eatingmanagement.com

If you don’t have a lot of time to cook and want to buy healthy, fresh, meals with no artificial preservatives check out – Smart Meals, Inc. – at www.smartmeals.com

 Getting Physical

I have a Bally’s Fitness and YMCA membership but with my trying to carve out time to write, I don’t have a lot of time to go consistently.  Therefore, I workout at home.   I have a small home gym (treadmill, elliptical and lifecycle) and I augment that with DVDs for other types of workout.  Here is some valuable info for those who workout at home;

Strength Training – Body Bar – www.bodybar.com

Cardio – Leslie Sansone Walking Program – www.walkathome.com

Cardio/Strength Training/Flexibility Workouts – www.collagevideo.com

If you want to try walking the Houston Marathon next January 2011, visit www.usafit.com for a six month training program.

 If you have a hobby or other activity that you are passionate about and want to share with other like-minded people, visit a Meetup group in your area.   To find one go to  www.meetup.com

 QUESTIONS:

How will you apply NIKE’S advice this year?

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Filed Under: Health and Fitness

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