I have just returrned from five days at the beach.  One morning as I was watching the ocean I realized that if I didn't really pay attention I would miss a beautiful sunrise. Because I became fully present in the moment, I was able to watch the sun coming up over the water in all of its glory.  I had my camera with me ready to take pictures but because I was looking but not seeing, I almost missed a beautiful series of shots.  Even though I am very aware of the importance of time and paying attention , I still too often miss those special moments.  My goal for this week is to slow down even more so as to not miss one special moment.  What would you like to accomplish this week?

I have been so lucky this week to spend time at the beach with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law.  The weather has been perfect, the company great and we shared time doing one of the things we all love to do - taking pictures.  We saw so many wonderful things that we could enjoy first hand and then captured on film forever.  I used to worry about how to take pictures.  I don't do that anymore.  I just snap away and have fun.  Without realizing it, I always capture something I love.  The key for me is to have fun and enjoy the moment.  What are you grateful to have experienced this week?

I am becoming very fond of quotes.  They make me think about things I don't necessarily spend lots of time thinking about.  This week I found this Chinese Proverb. "Teachers open the door but you must walk through it by yourself."  I love to learn so I want to take time this Friday morning to thank all of the teachers that I have met who have opened so many doors for me.  Since I have started my creative journey five years ago, I have met so many wonderful people who have shared their knowledge and love of what they are doing.  Because they were willing to share so much of themselves, I now have a better understanding of and love for yoga, writing, painting and photography.  My world is very different now.  I think differently and see things through much different lenses than I once did.  This time of life has been such a time of growth and learning for me and the one thing I know for sure is that I want to continue to grow and learn about the world of creative living.  So thank you everyone who has opened and continues to open the doors for me.  I am so glad that you did and that I decided to join you and walk through. What are you grateful for this week?

It is amazing how fast the week goes.  It is Wednesday and time to answer Jamie Ridler's question "What do you wish to make time for?"  It is important to me that I spend my time wisely.  And for me that means living a balanced life.  I want to make time for family and friends.  I want to make sure there is time to exercise and cook healthy foods at home.  I want to make sure there is time for fun and creative activities.  I want to be sure that each day is filled with doing not only the things that have to be done but the things that I want to do.  That means I have to know myself very well and know what makes me happiest.  There are only 24 hours in each day and I don't want to spend them doing things that are not important to me.  The days and weeks and hours go by very quickly. I want to make time for each and every special moment and I want to be sure not only to experience it but to really notice and enjoy it.

            The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.
                                                                                                                           Jean-Jaques Rousseau
I love this quote.  It reminds me that all things are possible.  What I am finding is that this is so true.  When I imagine something,  visualize it often, and of course take that first step to make it happen wonderful things occur.  Maybe they don't happen immediately, maybe they don't happen exactly as I expected or wanted them to but changes do occur and new adventures do begin.  So this week I am imagining myself as a world famous photographer.  I have a feeling that I will have lots of fun reaching this goal.  Join me in imagining all types of new adventures.  
                                      When you share your dreams with the world, magic happens!
                                                                                                            Ginny Lennox

It is Friday and time to reflect upon all of the things in my life that I am so grateful for.  I love being able to experience the changing seasons.  Fall and spring are definitely my favorites.  With each new season comes new beginnings and new experiences. Fall brings such wonderful and different colors to my world.  I live where it is very very hot in the summer and when the temperature turns cool everyone seems so much more energetic!  I love to bring out my sweaters, open the windows, or even turn up the heat. Coffee tastes better and I even like cooking (at least for a little while). Last Saturday when we were out riding everywhere we looked we saw families celebrating the day.  There were football games, fall festivals, soccer games and so much more.  It is a time of year that brings families together in a relaxed and special way.   So, today I am celebrating fall and all that this very special season means to me.

Today Jamie of Jamie Ridler's Studios asks, "How do you wish to be loved?" That's a simple question that deserves a simple answer so before I think too much so I can say it just right, my answer is, I wish to be loved just as I am today.  Not how I used to be or could be in the future but I wish to be loved just as I am today.  How do you wish to be loved?

                                  The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who's going to stop me.
                                                                                                                                       Ayn Rand
When I saw this quote I thought it was perfectly aligned to what I was reading in chapter seven of The Artist's Way.  In this chapter on connection, the subject of perfectionism was touched upon.  Cameron believes that as we struggle to be perfect we actually stop ourselves from moving forward.  We keep trying to make things better and better and by doing this we become stuck.  I had never thought of  the pursuit of perfection in this way but it does make sense.  So I am going to be careful to not let my desire for my writings, or my paintings, or my pictures to be so perfect that I stop myself from becoming the creative person I want to be. I am going to enjoy my work and share it with the world, imperfections and all.  By doing this, I won't allow myself to become stuck but rather to grow, to learn, to move forward, and most of all to enjoy the act of creating beautiful and sometimes not so beautiful things.  Won't you join me in what I consider to be a really wonderful way to look at and live my life?  Being perfectly imperfect sounds exactly right to me.  What could be better than that?

Each Friday I write about the things that I experience that I am grateful for.  I have been doing this for about six months and it is a practice that I don't think I will ever stop.  When you take the time to appreciate the world around you and the beauty that it holds if you look for it, life is so much simpler and easier.  Everyone has times in their lives that are hard and for some life is much harder than for others.  I realize that and appreciate how lucky I am.  But I really believe that there is something to be grateful for, for all of us each day. It could be the sunrise or sunset, it could be a smile on a stranger's face or a kind word from a friend. It could be a great cup of coffee, a jog in the park or a walk through the city streets. It could be so many simple things.  I have come to realize that once you do notice the simple but special moments, they begin to multiply while the worrisome things begin to diminish.  This week I am grateful for all of the things I mentioned above and so much more.  I would love to begin a movement where we all take the time to notice and share with the world the things that we are grateful for.  So won't you join me in this movement and share what you are grateful for this week?