People are like popcorn

Tags

bill nye, contest, encouragement, people, popcorn, refreshment, science, starch

My brother and I used to have contests to see who could eat 25 pieces of popcorn fastest without using their hands. We’d count out 25 pieces of popcorn, put them on the kitchen table, hands on our lap and count down to the start. “3-2-1, go!”

Have you ever wondered by popcorn sticks to your tongue? Popcorn is a dehydrated starch, ready and waiting to absorb moisture…hello tongue. That’s a VERY elementary version of something Bill Nye, The Science Guy, would teach with entertainment and ease. Drab science lessons from Amy, up next!

People are like popcorn. Almost always dehydrated and waiting for refreshment.

Permission

Tags

acceptance, decisions, growth, justification, permission, self-awareness

Permission is a funny thing. We often think it’s something others give or that we seek. Reflecting on the last few years, some of my most profound moments of growth came when I gave myself permission.

• Permission not to take on extra responsibility, problems or concerns that weren’t mine.
• Permission to embrace my personality, strengths and weaknesses.
• Permission to fail while pursuing better.
• Permission to be real.
• Permission to say “no” when hanging out wasn’t going to be fun for me.
• Permission to read, play the piano and sing.
• Permission to dance without abandon in my kitchen by myself or at a wedding.
• Permission to invest financially in important things.
• Permission to have adventures that didn’t have a known ending.

Permission isn’t the same as justification. Know yourself well enough to know when you’re pulling the wrong card out.

Perhaps

Tags

abilities, creative, decisions, dreams, possibility, strength, wings

“Perhaps” is one of my favorite words. Maybe or possibly.

Yes, “perhaps” leaves room for creativity and dreams. It is a word which suggests open doors, wings and strength. I think I’ll use this word a bit more often.

 

A little more often

Tags

brave, coward, dissatisfied, honesty, integrity, job, obligations, subscribe

Have you ever been in the midst of something you’re excellent at and thought, “why am I doing this? I don’t even like it.”

If this thought occurred at our job, it’s downright scary and gallons of fuel for a mid-life crisis. If it pertains to a hobby, we feel indebted to the money and time we’ve already spent. If it’s a family tradition, we feel disloyal. Most of the time we think it easier to deal with our feelings of dissatisfaction than to change our environment.

From personal experience, cowards deal with life this way. It’s difficult not to live in a state of obligation because it swarms around us every day. I’ve had a few brave moments in my life that have set me free and changed my course. My only regret is that I’m not brave more often.

Here’s to being brave more often; choosing tasks and environments that make us come alive!

Sidenote: I’d love to have you along for other thoughts about life that I share. Feel free to join the thought process by subscribing to the blog!

Twirling Skirt

Tags

ballerina, daughter, dress, girl, little, magic, niece, princess, skirt, twirl

She was twirling in her dress, floating between a ballerina performing before a crowd and a princess dancing at the ball.

I had a perfect view from my piano bench. It wasn’t long before I realized I was the accompaniment for this little love’s performance. Front row seats to such a genuine performance are rare so I relished the moments and didn’t dare stop playing.

There is magic in a little girl’s “twirly skirt.” I had twirly skirts and I’m sure many of you did too. They made us feel beautiful and empowered to be anything we dreamed.

Somewhere along the way we grew up and thought twirling was childish, but after this show with a front row seat I’m quite sure the grownups are amiss. Ladies, time to put our twirly skirts back on… which may be a real skirt or it may be the thing that brings the magic and belief back into your life.

Best of twirling to you,

Amy

Why do you want to go on vacation?

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beach, book, flip flops, movies, reason, vacation

Why do you need to go on vacation? Why do you want to go on vacation?

I asked myself these questions the other day and didn’t let myself off the hook with, “because I want to,” or “I just need to get away.” Those aren’t the real answers, just the ones we’re programmed to say.

I encourage you to determine the real reason you seek vacation, not the reason you offer.

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For me vacation means fewer decisions. Not only do I look forward to fewer decisions, I look forward to the happy and easy options that any potential decisions will include.

Beach now or in an hour? This great book or that one? Hiking this mountain or another one just as beautiful? Strawberries, kiwis or both for breakfast? Flip flops or sandals? Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone Creamery? Those kind of decisions!

 

 

pep and peppy talks

Tags

change, different, pep, talk

“Everything will be alright” is NOT the same as “Everything will stay the same.” -We give pep talks to ourselves as we’re working through tough circumstances. (and for some of us the talks are nowhere near pep or peppy)

Everything may be alright in two days, a week or a month, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the same as we have always known it. “Alright” two days from now may be a completely different road than we’ve ever been down before.

Above and beyond

Tags

customer, note, positive, rate, rating, service

We emailed back and forth several times. Chris was looking to purchase something I was selling online but wasn’t sure if the specs of the item would be suitable. At the end of several emails back and forth she decided on a similar item from another seller.

I received THE NICEST EMAIL to close out our business transaction.

I apologize for putting you to any extra effort. On a positive note, when I read your email I saw that you had a webpage and went and downloaded your book on organization. I’m reading it now, and it’s great! Thanks for writing it and for offering it for people to read. I’m enjoying it and already have learned how to think of things differently (Guilty of the variety of shampoos and such!) 

Anyway, thanks again for everything, and I wish you the best! If I could give you a rating, even though we didn’t do any business, I’d give you an A+++++!!!
Chris

Wow, Right?! Authentic and so encouraging I don’t even care I didn’t sell anything to her! 

How many times have I given away the opportunity to write a “Chris-email?” How many times have you?

Defined by “no”

Tags

busy, committees, defined, overbooked, stressed

Music would be a constant drone if it weren’t for the vacancies of sound created by changing rhythms. Paintings would be ink blobs except for the empty space created by artists which help us to clearly define the characters and objects. This space is defined as “negative space” in the art world…the space around and between the subject of an image.

Common thought:  we are defined by what we say “yes” to. (Yes to the committee, instrument, job, clique, line of fashion etc)

We should give a good bit of weight to the idea that we’re defined by what we say “no” to rather than “yes.”

Have a think on it and feel free to share any thoughts.

She was staring at me.

Tags

car, curiousity, stare

She was staring at me. I mean, blatantly staring at me.

I felt myself getting a little uncomfortable and internally questioned why I felt awkward. I was in my car and she was in hers. We were just sitting in traffic. We weren’t about to embark on a conversation between strangers. She wasn’t yelling profanities. She wasn’t making an weird facial gestures, she was just staring. 

Important fact #1: she was 2 years old. (Which is another reason I was grateful she wasn’t yelling profanities)

Important fact #2: I still felt uncomfortable having a human being stare at me.

I’m more okay with staring than ever before because I learned through the eyes of this little tyke that sudden staring is the body’s natural reaction to curiosity. It’s not something planned or expected, it surprises the starer as much as the one being stared at. We don’t want to take our eyes off the thing we’re trying to figure out…and why should we? Because we’re insecure?