Journal Jottings

I have chuckled more than once at one of Oscar Wilde's quips about travelling on long train trips.  Apparently he once said he always took his journals along so that he'd have something sensational to read.

Well, I haven't been on any train trips lately, and I don't know how 'sensational' my jottings would be, still it's fun to randomly pull one of my old journals from the cupboard. Not only does it house the record of The Life And Times of Brenda Leyland, but alongside my own musings, I tend to jot quotes or interesting thoughts from favourite magazines, books, or movies. Whether they provide inspiration, encouragement, laughter or creative imaginings, these sayings tend to settle in and become an integral part of my soul's fabric.

This morning, a pretty creamsicle-hued journal from 2007 beckoned me.  I opened it to see what voices might re-whisper words I need for today. This is what captures my attention:

On Keeping A Diary. "...keeping a diary...is a gesture of faith in the importance of your own voice, your own opinion. This is worth considering, worth recording, worth cherishing." ~ from Perri Klass, September '94 Victoria Magazine


On Solitude. "Solitude is a beautiful word. It sounds like sunlight through trees, or a walk on the beach, or a soprano voice that soars... I'd run out of sleep before the night lost its darkness.... This is the sort of time that begs for a marathon baking project, a cake with lots of layers demanding the kind of persnickety perseverance that pays off in sugar roses and "ooohs" from the children.....We gather beauty for gray days..." ~ from Catherine Calvert, A Day of Solitude, September '97 Victoria Magazine 


The Test for a Well-Decorated Room. According to Charlotte Moss, the test for a well-decorated room is simple: Does it invite you to settle in with a book and a cup of tea, even if no one is home? So, how does she choose colors for a room? Charlotte assesses how they would look on a rainy day when she's curled up with a book. And, what makes a comfy sofa? A solid back but never a solid seat -- you need to be able to sink into a pillow to read.


On Planning Ahead. "To the ancient Hebrews, each new day began in the evening. Each evening was devoted to rest, to family, to fellowship -- as well as to study and meditation in God's Word. Try devoting some of your time in the evening to quiet reflection and some inner planning. In other words, prepare yourself in the evening for the coming day." ~ from Emilie Barnes, Keep It Simple, p. 228

Have a wonderful weekend!

Brenda

Elephant, Wait For Me!

Have you ever been in a quandary about some situation and you've said, Oh, I don't know what to do, I'm of two minds on this? You know the place where your rational mind says this is the best thing to do, but your heart says, Yes, but I don't really want to, it doesn't feel right.

I recently read the new book Switch, How to Change When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. They deal with this double-minded tendency in a way that really makes sense. They use the imagery of an elephant and his rider, the elephant being your emotional side and the rider your rational side. We all know that the rider and the elephant both need to have the same destination in mind; otherwise the rider will want to head off in one direction and the elephant somewhere else.

Although they don't talk about it, this book really illustrates what James says in the New Testament about a double-minded person being unstable in all her ways, and not to think she will get anything (or anywhere) if she can't become of one mind about it.

If you have an area where you wish you could just make a decision that both your rider and elephant are happy with, but don't know how, you might find this book helpful in clarifying some inner issues.

Here's to learning new ways to live life more beautifully...

Brenda

xox

Accountability Sure Helps

My friend and I have been using Facebook to encourage each other to get our writing projects 'out of our heads and onto paper'.

At a certain time each day, we log in to discuss our goal for that session, set the timer, and begin. When time's up, we message each other 'Done' and email what we've worked on.

Lean in close... because I don't want to say this out loud, but we both attended the same writing conference last July, and being gals who are swift of heart and foot... ahem... we finally put action to the goals we set out that weekend. And we're not telling the conference presenters that it took us that long to get started either! Of course, you wouldn't recognize what we're talking about, would you?

There's something to the advice that successful people often share -- if you want to get something done, be accountable to someone. It's so motivating when you know someone is waiting at the other end of the session to hear that your e-mail has been sent and 'go look for what I've just written'!

With the gift of 'real' time online communication -- even though we live a couple hours apart from each other -- thanks to Betty for initiating our daily rendezvous, we've actually completed a few writing goals these past couple of weeks. Can you see the big grin?

Hope you're encouraged to dust off a goal or two and find someone to share the journey as you work on it. Even if you both live hundreds of miles apart, online connection makes it so easy now.

Wishing you a beautiful day whatever you're up to!

Brenda

xox

More Opportunity Musings

Do you recall that quote of John Lennon's: Life happens when you're busy making plans.

I notice opportunities work that way too. In fact, they often show up at highly irregular times... hardly when it's convenient. They come when there is suffering to be alleviated, when our heads are aching, when life is twirling in fast forward, when the grocery line is at a standstill. They arrive -- blam -- in the middle of it all, totally oblivious to what we consider ill-timed arrivals.

I've noticed that opportunities (however small) usually bring us to a cross-roads, that place where we must make a choice. Shall we stay or go? Shall we turn here? Shall we do this? I wonder how often I've let circumstances stand in the way of what I said I wanted because it didn't look exactly the way I thought it should.

I have been learning that sometimes in order to reach my destination of that 'perfect' whatever, I need to go through the open door that's available right now. And because we trust that God promises to direct our steps, even if I can't possibly see the 'why' of doing this, I know He knows the steps to get to the next door.

I guess in all this musing, the message I'm getting for myself is to have the boldness and courage to just do something--anything--rather than waiting for everything to line up perfectly. An opportunity is just that... an opportunity. I can take it or leave it.

I love what Star Wars Jedi Master, Yoda, tells Luke Skywalker when he says he'll give it a try. "No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try".

Sometimes it's that simple. Do or do not. Step up and make the choice. One way or the other it clears the mind of confusion and lifts the fog from our path.

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Brenda

O Canada

Happy Birthday, Canada!

"And He shall have dominion from sea to shining sea"

On the Lighter Side...

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,
the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing,
and the lawn mower is broken."
~ James Dent