Wednesday Writing

Welcome back everyone! This has been an amazing week and there has been so much creativity that resulted from last week's prompt. You guys are awesome! So, make sure to check out last week's prompt and the great posts that resulted:



Beach of Peace  over at Lando-Loo, Where Are You?

Back to the Beach  over at The Why, The how, and the What If

Rough Tides, at Chasing Revery (my co-host!)

A New Beginning (done by me!)



And today we have another prompt ready to go for everyone! But first, a quick shout out to my awesome co-hosters - Chasing Revery and A Writer's Muses. Make sure you check out their blogs!



As usual, here are the rules:



1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

5) We were going to tell you to not take this too seriously, but reconsidered it because we know full well that asking writers to write something means that they will take it seriously. So, take it seriously, but don't fret/panic/pass out/hyperventalate/lose sleep/run in fear over it.



Also, we have a fancy schmancy new blog hop button for you to grab. So if you have been having fun with the blog hop, grab a button:










Click and copy this code 
 

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Here's this week's picture (taken from this link)






And here's this week's five words from this link:



decoy



sign



pin



pillow



dinosaur



Oh this should be fun, I just know it. So, when you have your story completed, post your link below:

A to Z Challenge the letter R= Respect and Responsibility

I have a few letters left in this challenge and though I will finish the last few letters for my own peace of mind and prepare better for next year.

Number three on the Dalai Lama’s “Instructions for Life” (which I am sure appear in other religions as well) are the three R’s:

Respect for self. Respect for others. Responsibility for your actions.

As part of my mindfulness practice, I am trying to stop and correct my thoughts when I think or say anything that is not respectful. Yes, I am a person who just blurts things out at times. I also have a habit of saying things that are negative about myself  that do not show respect.  Who needs enemies when we can damage ourselves with all of the negative self talk?

 The Dalai Lama has said that the only way to work out a problem is through dialogue. For dialogue to be successful however, we have to respect the other person’s point of view. We may not agree with it, but we should be respectful of their view as we would wish them to respect us. He also urges us to have a sense of compassion in resolving issues:

“There is no other alternative, only to talk, that’s the wisdom side, then respect others interest, genuine sense of concern – concern of others well-being that’s the basis." - Dalai Lama   Source: LYBIO.net 

A to Z Challenge Q for QUEST

I am still straggling in this challenge but I do want to finish it! I have chosen the word QUEST for today’s post.  

I realize the picture above is of Johnny Quest, a cartoon character from my childhood. I also hated that he did not have a sister, but then again a sister may have stolen the show. I was always in awe of his adventures.( The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series also fascinated me.) I came across this blog posting “How the World’s Most Ambitious Animated Series Came to Television” .

The whole point behind this Johnny Quest reference though is about following quests or adventures as I call them,  of our very own. I follow a wonderful blog by Pat Bean about her travels in an RV with her dog. I so want to be able to do that when I “grow up”. 

A friend stopped by my office to tell me about an outdoor boot camp fitness class she had joined. She was nervous about going alone as the only person she would know there would be the instructor. I challenged her to look at it as more of a quest and not as some sort of social event. She went, enjoyed it and did the work out.  I believe most girls grow up in an environment where they do things as a group.  I do recall a few times where I did not attend some function purely because no one I knew would be attending.  I started going to Zumba with a friend because she did not want to go alone. (I am the faithful, stand-by, ready to go type of friend that jumps at the chance to try something new!)

Over the years, I have become accustomed to doing things on my own. If an opportunity to do something I want to do presents itself and others do not want to participate, I will forge ahead and try to enjoy the experience. I think my quest this weekend will be to start cleaning the pool area for summer. Believe me that will be an adventure I will end up doing alone. Funny thing though, once the pool is cleaned and sparkly, I will then have plenty of people around. J

A to Z Challenge: N and O and May Events

I am running very far behind in this challenge, but I do want to complete it before the next awesome Challenge : A Story A Day. I will have a page there just to post my daily stories throughout the month of May. 

Don’t forget to submit your story here for the Writer Wednesday prompt. Also, you will not want to miss the fun coming in May. I will have several surprises for my blog followers, thank you for hanging in here with me. I will be hosting some book tours, guest authors and  a couple of giveaways are planned for May! 

Today’s letters are N and O and relate to the words: Nobly and Optimistic

I think this quote pretty much sums up the action of being noble. I thought about this quote for a few minutes to let the meaning really sink in. My interpretation is to give to those that have redeeming qualities but may be poor and to give as well to the poor who do not seem to care about improving their situation. My parents have been a good example of this quote. They were occasionally taken advantage of,  but I now see how helping others has also enriched their lives.

"Give nobly to indigent merit, and do not refuse your charity even to those who have not merit but their misery."

-Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, 4th Earl

Optimistic is a good word for me to focus on at the moment. Elizabeth Scott has an article here that states Optimism can be taught and learned.   She states that: ”Optimism is measured by your explanatory style, or how you define events.” There are some very good tips there and the first thing that really caught my attention is to stop and take notice for a moment when something good happens. I have really been trying this lately and at the same time showing gratitude for these things. I have two quotes here from Winston Churchill that I found over at Feed Your Optimism: 

"If you are going through hell, keep going." and "The pessimist see the difficulty in every opportunity; and the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." 

I also want to leave links here for one of my favorite websites: The Phrontistery.  I can just see some of these words appearing in books like The Game of Thrones, a current favorite of mine. (I just finished book 2.) One of my favorites is: necrographer, which is a writer of obituaries. (I have a friend whose job it was to do that for the daily paper once.) 

Wednesday Writing Prompt and A-Z Challenge Letter = M

I have not posted in the A-Z challenge past the letter L except for the Letter W here. I also missed last weeks Wednesday Writing but here is a link to my previous attempt.

Today's Letter is M for Melancholy or Malady, Mayhem and also Madness. 

The Malady of Melancholy often leads to Madness and Mayhem in my life. In modern vernacular, it's just plain depression. I prefer to call it the malady of melancholy because it sounds so Jane Austen. I also read where Hamlet was known as the Melancholy Dane so I suppose this could make me the Melancholy Jane.

Depression can really suck the life out of you and it is very hard to explain to those around you who may have never had any experience with it. I have had years of therapy, which I love (check back for letter T), and have read so many self help books I should have some sort of honorary degree. I am sure of the root causes of this depressive episode but my challenge is to now attack each of those points individually and deal with them or just sleep in my crappy mismatched pjs for a few days.

And NOW - Welcome to our Creative Wednesday Writing Prompt!
It's a chance for you to get those creative juices going and share that creativity with fellow bloggers. And the co-bloggers joining me are - Carrie K Sorensen at Chasing Revery and Jane Bussey at A Writer's Muses!

So, here are the rules:

1) There will be one photo, and five words - both of those elements must be a feature in the brief story you create.

2) There is also a 500 word maximum.

3) You have until the next Wednesday to create your post.

4) When you have finished your post, come back here and link up below and let me (or whoever your blog host is) know in the comments that you have done so!

5) I was going to tell you to not take this too seriously, but reconsidered it because I know full well asking writers to write something means that they will take it seriously. So, take it seriously, but don't fret/panic/pass out/hyperventalate/lose sleep/run in fear over it.




The Photo












The Five Words (Taken from This Link)




Steering Wheel



Corner



CD



Video



Diving Board



So, get those creative juices flowing and once you have your story together, post your link below!

A to Z Challenge the letter W = WARRIOR

I know I am about a week behind here, but I had to skip ahead to the letter W in honor of the Warrior Dash I participated in this weekend. This 5K run/obstacle course was one of the most empowering and physically demanding challenges I have tried recently. Though it was a competition, I decided to do this at my own pace. I slogged through mud, stopped to speak to volunteers at the water stations and obstacles, and thoroughly took my time to enjoy the scenery. I tried running and even jogging, but they were not enjoyable in the sense that I felt as if I were missing things in my surroundings, so I ended up with an almost leisurely walking pace.

I am sure there were competitors trying make the fastest time or beat their own time. I enjoyed observing others as the crawled up the climbing wall, some as quickly and sure footed as a cat. The obstacle that fascinated me was the rope crawl. The purpose was to crawl up a rope and then cross a large net of rope about 6 or 8 feet above the ground and then down the other side. I was intrigued by how it was built and wished I could build one in my back yard.

I suppose I am one of the only participants that did not care how long it took me to finish this course. The fact that I accomplished it and enjoyed myself while doing so, it what truly mattered to me. I was reminded by the Buddhist teachings of being aware of the moment. I enjoyed the foliage, the view of the river, and even all of the mud. I was not thinking of the end of the race, but where I was at that very moment. I suppose I will never be a Warrior Dash winner (I do plan on participating in more), but I am truly okay with that. I am sure the winners and those that completed this in very little time, feel as if they have accomplished something in their own way as well but, I wonder if they had the chance to marvel at the glorious scenery, thank a water station worker, cheer on someone going slower than themselves, and just be grateful for being able to be there.

Today, I do feel like a Warrior and a Winner.

A to Z Challenge the letter L = Limitations

“Another reason we don’t see opportunities is that we limit ourselves by the way we think. We must be willing to think outside our limitations.” Dr. Robert Anthony, “Beyond Positive Thinking”

Once again, I am turning to my favorite book on positive thinking for today’s letter.  We each have goals we would like to reach and sometimes life can throw unexpected changes our way and block progress on achieving those goals.  This can result in frustration and maybe even giving up on ever seeing that goal realized. When frustration occurs so does opportunity! If this goal is something you absolutely believe in, there will be a way to achieve it. We often spend more time thinking about the things standing in the way.  This time could be better spent thinking about ways to make them happen.

In my life, finding the solution has proved more challenging and more worthwhile than sinking into the “why is this happening (or not) to me?” mindset.  Often the solution may require work or sacrifice on our part to achieve that goal. The learning process can also prove beneficial in the long run and the victory is so much sweeter and dearer when you actually have to work toward the goal.

This intriguing website has a list of 9 steps to help break through limitations.