A Little Engine, A Little Late

I have paid little attention to this blog although I do think about it a lot.  It seems that the best ideas I have are when I am driving, running errands, staring out of the window or taking a shower.  I hardly ever recall the brilliant and eloquently worded ponderings that I want to share with the world in the form of a post.

I recently got a smart phone. This makes taking photos of great deals and posting them an easier task, but I don't want deals and steals to be the only thing I communicate. It's not really me. I fell like I would not be able to compete with the many inspired folks who can dedicate more time to couponing and deal hunting.  Instead, I'm going to continue to put forth quotes that I find inspiring and share the things I find and the things I think from my heart and my mind.

Much love ~ Susan

Quote of the week, #7

Take a leap in a productive direction.  See where you land! ~ Susan

Quote of the Week, #6

With Halloween coming up, there are a lot of folks dressing up. Most of these are small children wearing costumers of the characters or things that they adore. The go out as ninjas, pirates, dragons, princesses, heroes, heroines; people or things with great power and presence. As if playing make-believe wasn't enough fun, they get to ask for treats - usually heaps of candy and small trinkets.

If only changing ourselves was as easy as changing our clothing, putting on a mask or face paint, and going out into the world to get rewarded for our changes. Most of us want to "dress-up" - be something that time, responsibility, the stuff of everyday living - gets in the way of.

A point that I try to remember is that whatever the goal I have in mind, it will only get done if I do it.  Wishing for magical powers or another form of instant change is futile. The very meaning of the word change is becoming different.  It is a cycle that takes time and one that we have to move through intentionally in order to get our world the way we want it.  Time moves and cycles without us.  Take control and make your own magic happen.

Have a safe Halloween.
~ Susan

Quote of the Week #5

Gif from - http://www.runningwithspoons.com/2013/02/05/the-truth-hurts/

So, this is some hard advice to follow. In my opinion, being honest and being nice are two different things.

Firstly, being nice involves kindness and sympathy for the person you are speaking with or going to talk about.  Putting others down never uplifts you, even if you feel like it at the time. I've had occasion where I thought that the best comeback in the world would make me feel so much better.  I could just put that exacerbating know-it-all or that smug, cloying skinny-minnie in their place. What I get when I feel this way is no less than a internal wobbling of my conscience. Folks are always at their best. We have no way to judge who they are because they have had their own experiences and their own reaction to things.

This is not to say that being a doormat is the way to go.  Keep yourself in a good spot by steering clear of haters. Float above the filth and smog of those who decide to belch out hate. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. And maybe, get the hell out of that conversation if you can manage it too.

Second, honesty is still the way to approach things.  Do not be nice just because. Don't tell someone they have a lovely singing voice if you are considering whether or not you can hide your set of earplugs under your hair.  Tell them that you what you enjoy about them instead and then move on.

Being nice really is the way to go most of the time. Make that your first option in situations. Trust me, it feels better than that perfect zinger. :)

Quote of the Week, 4

It has been awhile since I on got on here and did much of anything. The past month has been very busy. My parents left on a trip and my mother-in-law came down to take care of the kids while we were at work.  It meant having to take care of organizing a room for her so that she could be comfortable for her stay.

My husband and I were very grateful to have her here. She is a delight to be around and is very helpful.  it was important for me to have her room be a pleasant spot.  She came down here and is devoting a full month of here time to watch her grandchildren. Our house is usually messy(toddler and a baby plus both parents working full-time), so this required a lot of cleaning.

This quote, which hangs in my cubicle at work, reminds me that the visual of an item has nothing to do with how it is registered. My mother-in-law probably doesn't look at my house and see the little messes here and there. She in fact tells me quite frequently how amazed she is at how I take care of the kids.  I know she is being sincere.

What you see, what you make out of what is in front of you, is what is important. Where one person may see a messy home, another sees a loving home.  Where I see all my weaknesses, someone else might see my strengths. Do not forget the things that you see.  

Stop 'looking', start 'seeing'. 

Quote of the Week #3

I do not know as much as I would like to about Eleanor Roosevelt.  I have a strong belief in doing what is right regardless of what others may say or what others may do to you.  This is how good and decent people have fought against corruption and will hopefully continue to fight.

Quote of the Week #2

There is no one that can be who you are. A lot of us unconsciously spend a great deal of time mimicking others that we admire or would like to emulate.  Clothing and hair-cuts are one thing, but when it come to personality, your best bet is to be who you are. Do not be deterred by your individuality. Do not change your sense of self to meet someone else's needs or wishes. 

Judy Garland had it right. "Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

Quote of the Week

"A good marriage is each for each other and two against the world." - Robert Brault

Before my husband and I wed, we decided that we would also be on the same side; us against the world.  Regardless of frustrations, set-backs, opinions, we remember that we are in it together.

This has done us a world of good.  If you look out for the other person and they do the same for you, things work a whole lot better.