Reminders.
- If you are just joining us here and wondering what that big, bold Five for Ten sign is up there, well, be daring and click on it!
- It is not too late to jump in. Hell, I’m late for everything. We’ll love you just the same if you commit today and join in the connections.
- If you have the time to click over to any of the other readers leaving us the most fabulous comments, please do. It is not a requirement of the game, but how about making another blogger’s day just a little bit happier?
- Oh, I almost forgot. I got the button code up for Five for Ten. See it right over there in the sidebar? If you so choose, paste it into your own blog and pass the message along. :)
Gratitude Note.
Jen and I are overwhelmed by the comments here so far. Day one was amazing! We literally spent the entire day at our computers. In between diaper changes, trips to the library, and tuning the kids into Handy Manny and Diego, we replied to each and every one of you with much joy and gratitude. We browsed your sites and smiled at your pictures. We emailed and IM’d all day long, exchanging links and discussing new ideas that we’d gotten through all of you. So thank you. Thank you so very much for being here. I know it’s getting a little old to say this, but I really thought I was being a bit over ambitious to start this thing. With about 30 people on board so far, I am overjoyed. Now on to Day Two. Mind you, I have no idea what I am going to write, but here goes…
The POST.
I have this next to my desk at work:
Breathe
Focus
Smile
Let go and Let be.
And this posted to my monitor:
new/
controversial
And then there is the famous Eleanor Roosevelt quote on the first page of my random notes pad. I’m almost positive I jotted this down after seeing it in a tweet. Here it is all fancified. Look what’s tucked in the corner, what I had added days later.
A Question for You.
I don’t so very often ask specific questions here. And I very rarely ask for specific answers. But today I am asking for your motivations. Your mantras. Your quotes. The words – few or many – that propel you forward when you need a boost. The words you have pinned up on a wall, tucked in a wallet, tattooed on your body perhaps.
There are many kinds of speeches I give to myself when I am running. Phrases like “You are Strong” will repeat over and over in my mind on autoplay. Phrases like “This is You” and “Get it Done” and now, “Shorten your stride.” Running 10 or 15 miles is a struggle, but once I am out there I just go. There is no second-guessing. There is no stopping along the way. There is nothing temporary about my endeavor. It is fixed, finite, and fantastic at the finish.
Oh! if writing were always the same. And some days it is. But I’ve been so overwhelmed by the responses to Day One I seem to have lost a bit of direction. No worry, it’s temporary, after you send me some inspiration, that is.
So I am giving you an assignment. Or maybe just asking you a favor? Send me your words. Your little bits of motivation. Maybe you will write an entire post on them at some point, and bring me even deeper into your worlds. But for now, I just need your comment love. And oh how much I love it!
**Lindsey just sent in the first batch of inspirational words…and I loved them so MUCH that I think everyone I can reach ought to see them. So, I have decided to tweet them all. If you are on Twitter, please leave your Twitter name at the bottom of your comment so we can give you credit. Oh, and if you want to follow us:
Jen on Twitter
Sarah on Twitter
One last thing, I swear! I will use a hashtag for all of these tweets so YOU can follow them TOO:
#FIVEforTEN
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I have a little print on my desk that says “Peace Be Still” with a woodblock print of waves. I look at it every single day. I also love “To miss the joy is to miss all” which was my senior yearbook quote (and my mother’s and grandmother’s). There are more. I love “there are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
What a great, great question.
Twitter: lemead
Three little words. Or five. Or seven. Or ten. They can lead us into a world of thought.
Peace Be Still: I think that they are one and the same. Without stillness there is no real peace. With peace you are still. And yet, it is a reminder to seek one to get the other. That without one you don’t really GET the other. Hmm.
To miss the joy…: Yes. Simply. But why so hard for us to remember? Why so damn easy to get stuck in a mood or in a rut and miss just about everything in front of us.
Years for questions/years for answers: I have heard this, and I love this. However, I wonder if it is perhaps best used in retrospect – once the year has passed and we look back happily or with questions still pending, or…
Twitter: Momalom
My motivation for life is to be able to love. I work as a nurse so I put a lot of my own raw emotion into my work. I also feel like a person needs love above all to accomplish their dreams. This may sound wishy-washy and idealistic but at the end of the day all we all want (and need!) is to be loved. With love comes encouragement, support, growth: LIFE.
Now, I write because I have a love affair with words. One of my most beloved books is my Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. I actually read the dictionary as an 8 year old girl; for FUN. Haha.
I like how my words are capable of making people laugh and smile or nod their heads in empathy.
Word.
“My motivation for life is to be able to love.”
Yes. And all that that means. Who we have to be ourselves in order to love. Who we should have in our lives in order to love. What we need to learn, and accept, and accomplish so that love can take precedence over hate and fear and unknowns.
Yes. Love is capable of so much. And we are capable of love. And mmm, sigh, it just makes me feel good to contemplate it all!
Twitter: Momalom
I love this one.
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford (found in various forms, wording slightly changed each time)
Oooh! I hadn’t heard this before. This is perfect for parents, no? I don’t think I will share it with my oldest son who is toeing the line on “I’m right!” all the time. However, when he is a bit older I think it will serve him a world of good.
There are many ways to look at it, yes indeed.
Twitter: Momalom
Oh, but phrases? (My brakes are screeching past the *point* of your post!)
“That’s the way the cookie crumbles” is my personal mantra. I take it as “What will be will be.” and “Don’t sweat the small stuff” all melted into the same candle. I just do my personal best day in and day out and that being said I can’t afford to sweat the small stuff because I’m too busy worrying about putting forth my 100%!
(Rambling. Sorry.)
No rambling. No “sorry.”
Cookie crumbles…yes, it certainly does sometimes. And it’s best just to keep on going. Some stuff you can’t avoid. Like falling down when you are learning to walk — I remember telling our oldest son time and time again, “Get back on that horse…”
Twitter: Momalom
Well, duh. You know who I’m going to quote, right? Here goes:
“Hard writing makes easy reading.”
“It is something–it can be everything–to have found a fellow bird with whom you can sit among the rafters while the drinking and boasting and reciting and fighting go on below.”
That’s my man Wally,* folks. If I ever need inspiration, I open one of his books (which surround me) and I find it. Whammo. Every single time.
*Wallace E. Stegner, for the newly oriented
Twitter: MomalomJen
Thanks for a Wally reminder, sis.
I know you’ve told me many over the years, but this one I will certainly remember as we continue our daily attempts at new bloggy material. :)
Twitter: Momalom
Taped on my computer: “There is no wasted writing.” Ellen Snortland (This led my Sweetie to comment, “But there is writing while you’re wasted.” Not helpful.)
On my desk: The “You Shut Up!” box. It has a clasp. That’s where I dispose of the voice of the self hating sabboteur, the doubt, the shame that tries to hold me from my goals.
On my credenza: A collage I made while I was preparing for my second black belt. It’s got these words from Birthing from Within–supposedly this is what you need to birth a baby, but I think it’s what you need to birth anything, including a writing life or one’s own self: Faith, Love, Doubt, Determination.
Faith, Love, Doubt, Determination.
I’m stealing this one. I love it. I must have read it when I absorbed that book six years ago. But I needed this refresher. Thanks!
Twitter: MomalomJen
“No wasted writing.” YES! Yes yes and yes.
Thank you. Hard to remember that when you are struggling to write coherent sentences.
And also, what Jen said. (We do have a serious case of same-brain syndrome, didn’t you know?)
Twitter: Momalom
I have found that this never fails to get me to put one foot in front of the other, even when I’m so afraid of failure: “It’s not my business what other people think of me.”
Because, for me, my biggest fear is that other people will think I’m stupid, fat, boring, unworthy, uncool, etc.
Reminding myself that it’s never my business what others think is a great way to put it all aside and do the next thing that will make my life better — no matter how scary that next thing is.
Twitter: millermix
“Reminding myself that it’s never my business what others think is a great way to put it all aside and do the next thing that will make my life better — no matter how scary that next thing is.”
Okay, I could have just referred to the Last Paragraph up there, but I found it quite necessary to quote so that others may read it again. To do the next thing that will make your life better? No matter how scary it is? No matter what judgment it might bring? To listen to that inner voice and know that you are stepping exactly where you ought to step? Beauty will abound.
Twitter: Momalom
Never assume.
Big picture.
Write it.
Can’t not.
Please bear with me (am not terse),
Suffering from the rhyming curse!
Trust me, it could be much worse,
Though I answer you in verse.
Above are some of many phrases
That I’ve lived through all my phases
Even post-divorcing dazes
And recessionary crazes.
When I lose my humor though
(And it happens when I’m low)
There’s a poem where I go -
From it, strength will always grow.
Here: http://dailyplateofcrazy.wordpress.com/other-stuff/emerging-by-pablo-neruda/
Twitter: BigLittleWolf
I’m stuck on CAN’T NOT (though I adore the Pablo poem as well).
But CAN’T NOT? I remember saying this in my younger days. You know, the ones where you are scribbling in a notebook at the dinner table with your parents and they are eyeing you all strange-like and you are just feeling like I CAN’T NOT, Mom, so get over it!
Also, DON’T ASSUME, has been on my mind recently along with DO THE RIGHT THING.
Really, I was contemplating where I would put a tattoo of DO THE RIGHT THING if I were to get one. I need the reminder. Because I hate the feeling of not doing the right thing, the sometimes hard thing, after the time has passed for me to do it. Kind of goes along with the Roosevelt quote I guess.
Twitter: Momalom
There are things I’ve always loved. Always. Writing. French. Art. I spent decades pursuing those things only in the wee hours, or in a peripheral fashion or a “business context” doing what I thought I was supposed to do (and also, providing for my family, financially). I was able to incorporate the French into my world in an active way; much less so, the kind of writing I wanted to do. I was still doing it – but on the sneak, and never under my own name, or “owning it.”
6 or 7 years back when everything was exploding all at the same time anyway, I realized that I might as well fill what I could (of myself) with what I loved. Words. Pictures. I can’t not.
For me – the things that you “can’t not do” are those that are most precious. I am a writer. It is who I am, not what I do. I am a dissector of issues, a questioner, an advocate of creativity. Can’t not.
I am a lover of men (and shoes!) – despite the crash-and-burn my live has been for awhile… that had to do with one bad man, not all men. I love men. Can’t not.
And of course, parenting. Anywhere, anytime, any child. Can’t not.
I think we when we face our “can’t nots” and hold them close, we start to breathe more evenly. We’re still afraid, a little lost at times, but closer to our own moorings, and even swimming more freely.
Twitter: BigLittleWolf
Wow! BigLittleWolf, you spoke to my heart!
I’m at a crossroad in my life, (like you were 6 or 7 years back), and you just gave me a new direction to explore. I’ve been lost lately……lots of changes that are out of my control, and I’m trying to figure it all out. I’m a long time single mom of three, and those three are almost grown. Not much “mothering” needed anymore, and letting go is so hard sometimes. I’m trying to figure out who I am now………since my “mother role” is about to expire. Your words, CAN’T NOT, is a place to start. I’m trying to make that shift from lack……..to the world of potentials. Figuring out my CAN’T NOTS, is a good place to start. So thanks so much!! Blessings, Lynne
ooops – forgot one – Never judge!
(Sorry, brain is full of sludge.)
@BigLittleWolf
(Big before little, to avoid twitter spittle)
Twitter: BigLittleWolf
I struggle so hard with this one, but I find myself constantly saying it. Good one!
Twitter: millermix
From the Quakers: “Proceed as the way opens.”
Or, from Yoda, everyone’s favorite diminutive, green Jedi Master: ““Do or do not… there is no try.”
Twitter: Motherese
Proceed as the way opens…
Hmm, I had to repeat it to myself to contemplate it more. Wait, let me say it in my mind a few times. (Long Pause – my mind is cluttered.)
Okay, do I wait until they way opens and then proceed? Do I need to become more aware that the way has opened and alert to where I am going and what I must to do get there? I like this. There are often many doors open that we do not see because we are busy trying to break the locks on doors that are shut. Ooh yes, I like this.
And Yoda? Um, yeah. All boys in my house…this one will come in handy.
Twitter: Momalom
Kristen,
I love love love your post “Let Me Give You a Hand” and even though I am going to leave you a comment on Motherese I just wanted to say it here so anyone who is reading the comments will GO TAKE A PEEK AT KRISTEN’S POST. It has great meaning – both little and big.
Sarah
Twitter: Momalom
I am rarely in possession of words of wisdom, motivating advice, or profound encouragement. Rather, I usually REQUIRE it. But I do live my life by the “Do Unto Others” way of thinking figuring I’ll get back a little of that which I sow. And a wise writing teacher used to tell me that a white screen when writing is the most intimidating thing ever. So to just sit down and write ANYTHING, a letter to a friend, the events of your day, and before you know it the words are flowing. You can always edit later.
P.S. Thanks for the Twitter links. I’m new to the concept but will be “following” shortly!
Oh, my twitter name is sysmith76…sorry (I said I was new at this, right?) :)
No, no, NEW IS GREAT. I love NEW. In fact, I had a boyfriend once with the initial NEW and I swear I was so heartbroken when we had to break up because those initials were perfect in every way.
Life is NEW. Every day. We’re glad to have you along.
Twitter: Momalom
Yes, Do Unto Others. The blanket truth of words to live by. What we teach our kids and teach ourselves every day that we live amongst others. Because in every moment there is a choice to make. How we treat others. What tone of voice that we use. What words we select. What glances we give. Oh life is so exhausting, isn’t it? And yet, so brilliant.
Twitter is a crazy, crazy world. It takes a lot of time to even understand what they heck we are all doing in the Tweet world and what the heck to say…but welcome! It’s pretty darn entertaining, if you I do say so myself.
Twitter: Momalom
This is perfect because I just read the following quote and have been repeating it in my head ever since.
“Talk doesn’t cook the rice,” Chinese proverb
Isn’t that the truth? I’ve also made up my own version, “Talk doesn’t run the race,” which is my mantra for getting out on the running trail with the kids.
Okay Laura, I am not playing favorites here, but this one takes the cake so far for innovation. Okay. Mulling it over….
Talk doesn’t cook the rice.
Idle chit chat no good. Do the work. Get it done. No complaining.
You know what I think? I think imma gonna say this to my seven year old the next time it’s appropriate and watch as he cocks his head to the side and looks at me like I’m crazy. It’s one of my favorite expressions from him AND YET it infuriates me. Funny, no?
And Talk Doesn’t Run the Race?
Yeah. Coulda used that this weekend when I skipped out on my 12 mile training run and whined about being tired. Gah!
Twitter: Momalom
Whoops! Blogosphere problems here, too. Let’s try it again.
Wally Stegner followed me from classroom to classroom over my teaching career on a piece of tattered, yellow posterboard. He said, A teacher enlarges people in all sorts of ways besides just his subject matter.
I think that translates into the home where all you wonderful – yes, wonderful -parents are teaching your children how to use the potty and tie their shoes and say please and thank you, while also finding time to read stories and bake cookies and sing songs and dance in the kitchen. You celebrate them as well as educate them.
Which leads to my next favorite quote, again from my classroom, and one that hung on a banner over the door to welcome all who entered there: What will you do with this, your one wild and wondrous life? A question the children (and parents and administrators) liked to ponder. A question I return to frequently, for at 62 I still find myself “in the process of becoming”. And, a question to try to remember in the blind rush of childrearing. Children easily see their lives as wild and wondrous. They participate in their own lives fully and live in the moment in a way I truly envy. In this we should learn from them. So, celebrate them surely, but also celebrate yourselves, and our own wild and wondrous life. Carpe diem amidst the dirty diapers and mounds of laundry!
Geez, Mom. What are you trying to do, make us cry? Aren’t you glad to finally have a grandchild with the namesake of Wally? Even if it did take NINE TIMES? Oh, sorry readers, this is a public message, isn’t it? Well, there you have it folks, the teacher speaks. Momalomsmom is the teacher you all want for your children. And I am so grateful to have spent so much time in her classroom, because now I know what a classroom should look like, and I have a shot at asking somewhat intelligent questions to my kids’ teachers.
I’m off to be wild and wondrous and find deals on inexpensive and creativity-inducing holiday gifts. Hmm… maybe that will be my next post!
Twitter: MomalomJen
Can’t wait to read your post today. This is becoming addictive. I really must unpack!
See that brilliance there from my mama? Right. Now you see what Jen and I are always striving for. I would like everyone to know that Momalom’s Mom does not normally comment, but we have asked her to participate in Five for Ten. She’s got to earn that t-Shirt we’ll be handing over at Thanksgiving.
Oh! And we thought she’d be a perfect addition to the community we are trying to form over here, and the connections we are trying to make. She’s got a perspective on things that I just don’t have yet. It’s a beauty to see it here on our very homey home page. Thanks, Mom.
Twitter: Momalom
Just gotta say it – Momalom’s MOM rocks!!
And inquiring minds would like to know… do the t-shirts come V-neck, for showing off cleavage? (We mothers of teens need to market all the assets we’ve got left…)
Twitter: BigLittleWolf
Yes she does rock, doesn’t she? Thanks for saying it.
And yes, the t-shirts will indeedy do be a v-neck. Don’t tell me you were thinking of dropping out if admitted to the dreaded crew neck? Just know I am always trying to work on sexy over here, but I could always use a little help, too. So send me some damn HOT shoes already, would ya?
Twitter: Momalom
Thanks BigLittleWolf! Maybe that’s my blog…..The Rockin’ Grandma. Words of wisdom from the 60′s (age and era?)
And count on me for 8 more posts – looking forward to that sexy V-neck. Just not too revealing, please. The cleavage gets even iffier at 60. : (
You just need a lower gravity planet. (Am still searching. Will keep you, um… posted.)
Twitter: BigLittleWolf
You are right! We definitely need to show off our assets.
Twitter: NickiinNY
Um, could somebody send me some assets to show off? Or a gift certificate to Vicki’s…cause I could buy me a secret to show off if I had to.
Twitter: Momalom
Thanks Peach. And Big Peach, too. You girls are the light of life. there. Now everybody knows it. (OK, the grandkids, too.Just wait till you are all grandparents. Such pure joy.)
Jeez. I lost another answer. OK, so thank YOU Peach. And thank you Big Peach. You girls are the lights of my life. Well, and then there’s the grandkids. Just wait till all of you are grandchildren. there’s the reward. Hmmmm..a post?
When my husband and I were first dating he bought me a necklace that when I opened I said to myself, “oh geez, this guy has A LOT to learn about my taste in jewelry.” (mean? maybe…) It was very conservative with a tiny garnet and silver tag hanging from it. I smiled politely and started to say thank you when he said, “Read the tag”. I squinted to make out the teeny tiny letters that read, “Nothing is Worth More Than this Day.” And I started to cry. It was so incredibly meaningful to me at that moment and it still is. It’s just another way of saying, “live in the moment” but the word “worth” to me makes it that much bigger. I wear the necklace often and caress the little tag with my fingers and remind myself how true these words are.
Twitter: dramaformama
and my twitter… lukahsmom
Twitter: dramaformama
Oh the romanticism of that sweet little gift. And the saying has two meanings really: that you should remember the day that he gave it to you and the way you both felt; and that you should live in THIS day and feel it for all that it is worth.
That’s like right out of a Julia Roberts movie. You know that right? So cute. A keeper he was, no doubt.
Twitter: Momalom
What a fantastic post. Words are immensely powerful. They fuel us. They inspire us. They collide and commingle within the pages of our lives. Words are windows. Windows out. Windows in.
“Just do it.” Yes, that good old Nike mantra. It was my eighth grade yearbook quote. Loved it then. Love it now. I love the deceptive simplicity of this message. I say these words to myself all the time. When I was contemplating leaving the law, when I was contemplating launching my blog. There is a majesty in slapping fear in the face and acting. In chasing dreams. In making it happen, whatever “it” is.
“I think, therefore I am.” Good old Descartes. Yes, I am a philosophy nerd and proud of it. There are exquisite layers in thought. Thinking is a huge part of my life and my identity and my existence. When I feel rattled or stuck or sad, I often fall back on the waiting pillow of thought. This is why I love blogging. For me, blogging is thinking aloud, bartering experiences and ideas, asking questions. It’s all about questions. Thank you for this question!
Twitter: ADonnRowley
Aidan, interestingly enough I have only recently gotten comfortable with thought. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy quiet and solitude, but thought – sheer thoughts and thinking – is another entity. And for me it has always been a kind of beast. (of burden, if you will)
Maybe this is because I am an action girl. A fly by seat of pants girl. A knee-jerk reaction girl. I don’t know but I would imagine this has a lot to do with it. But deep, calculated thought has always made me antsy. Uncomfortable, maybe? Frightened: a little. Torn, imbalanced, undecided.
Due to the fact I have very little time to sit and think without distractions or discussions in my house, I now enjoy the few moments before I fall asleep every night. It does not take long, mind you, for me to drift off to sleep. But for the past couple of weeks I have looked forward to those moments. It is where I tend to sort out my dreams and goals from what is possible and how far I want to reach and push and….
Oh the thinking that is taking place here on this page. It is a beautiful thing and I am so grateful to have all of you here.
Sarah
Twitter: Momalom
Okay folks, my words of wisdom today come off the sandwich baggie Health Services gave my college student just before he called me to say they were sending home with the flu. “Stay at least six feet from other people. Wear the mask in public areas.”
I swear I will truly respond as soon as I get through this. LOL
Twitter: NickiinNY
Oh no! We all had it. My family AND Jen’s family so I feel you. And the good news is that it didn’t seem to be too too horrible. We are sending you well wishes. Take care of that kid, Mom, but don’t forget to wash your hands because moms don’t have the time to get sick.
Amen!
Twitter: Momalom
My hands are almost raw already. I have managed to dodge the bullet with a sick friend who visited and with a 22 year old daughter who was sick earlier this fall. Hope I can manage to keep this at bay also.
Twitter: NickiinNY
Good luck, mama!
Twitter: Momalom
Act, write, and speak with deliberation because you don’t know who you will inspire or whose lives you will affect.
So many people have passed through my life (for a reason, a season, or a lifetime) and changed me without knowing it. I hope to do as if someone’s watching, write as if someone’s reading, and speak as if someone’s listening, not out of self-consciousness, but self-awareness.
Incredibly insightful, Adrienne. And what a difference to do it out of self-awareness as opposed to self-consciousness. To be deliberate. To understand how very much we are all connected. How much we can affect.
I am touched by this comment. Thank you.
Twitter: Momalom
“Keep Passing The Open Windows. ” – John Irving/ Hotel New Hampshire
It’s not sexy and it’s a tad depressing but it’s the truth.
OOh. I love John Irving. I have to think about this one a little, though. Oh. Got it. Yes. Very John. Hey, thanks for bringing a new dimension of inspiration to momalom!
Twitter: MomalomJen
I have no idea what keeps me motivated. I guess when I am in a slump I just think to myself, “This too shall pass.”
Well, that, and I do fantasize about being diagnosed Adult ADD and then getting some meds for it. Like a magical pill that will make life slow down, me speed up, so that I can possibly catch up to those gosh darn bills and dreams of a shiny new (or barely noticeably used) Yukon. Um, tan leather interior, back up camera would be fantastic, definitely need DVD player, just kinda loaded…but I haven’t really thought much about it. So yeah, oh and a new baby to go with it. Yay. But in the meantime, “I NEED MEDS!”
A magic pill that will make life slow down. Yes. I wish for this too, sometimes. (Except when I’m wishing life will accelerate in the hours prior to bedtime.)
I like your dreams. Go get them.
Twitter: MomalomJen
Oh there are a few. And I realize I’m probably forgetting more.
Bird by bird baby, bird by bird. From Anne Lamotte…. when I get overwhelmed.
Just keep swimming…. That would be from Dori (Nemo) for when nothing seems clear
and
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…… that one goes on and on but the first two lines are really the gist.
Two of these were offered to me as words of wisdom at some point. The first from my little sister; also a writer. The last from my older sister. I wish I could say I ‘got’ them right away but I didn’t. They mean something more now that I’ve seen them through their eyes.
I have to do everything bird by bird, step by baby step to understand the journey. I can’t become stagnant or settle into mediocrity because I am afraid….
I’m proud to say my simple mind latched on to the ‘ just keep swimming’ one when watching the movie with my boy:)
Rachel, I do believe you are the first one to have turned me on to Anne. I love her. One of my favorites of hers is “Clutter is fertile ground.” It’s a damn good thing, because one look around here and all I see is clutter. But my kids are utterly creative, so the mess must inspire them!
Twitter: MomalomJen
As a parent you MUST read Operating Instructions by Lamotte. You will laugh so hard.
Ooh! New book. I think this has been recommended by someone else as well. Will add it to the ever growing list of books I don’t have the time to read! boo!
Twitter: Momalom
I’ve got it – of course. Lamotte is one of my favorites. You can grab it at thanksgiving. : )
“Just Breathe” and “Be Still” are my favorites. Often, repeating them over and over gives me time to clear my head and get a freaking grip. One of the perks of being a therapist is that I have a lot of coping techniques.
I like that you have a lot of coping techniques. And that you admit to needing them. Because I think a lot of folks think therapists are immune to these needs. I like Just Breathe. Simple. And purely essential, too.
Twitter: MomalomJen
From RENT!:
NO DAY BUT TODAY
My cousin took me to see RENT! as my high school graduation present. It resonated with me on a very deep level and to this day, when I find myself overwhelmed I will sing “Seasons of Love” to help maintain perspective and remind myself that I love, and am loved, very deeply.
Which brings me to the next stone in my foundation:
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Lao Tzu
Dean R Koontz used this quote in the beginning of his novel Lightning (one of my favorites) and I have never forgotten it. I will shorten it during meditations to “Strength-Courage, Strength-Courage” over and over.
And, lastly, “A gentleman is a man who can play the accordion but doesn’t.” – Anon
This just reminds me to be humble – to not be a know-it-all show off. Just because I am a highly intelligent, attractive, accomplished, well-educated woman doesn’t mean my light always has to shine the brightest.
Ok, last-lastly:
Simplify, simplify!
-Thoreau
Natalie, that’s one of my favorite Koontz books, too. Go figure!
Well, we are long-lost sisters, so that makes perfect sense!
I saw RENT ages, and ages, and ages ago. Thank you for refreshing my memory.
And, Simplify is what I need to do right now, because all of you ladies are rocking out, and I need to rest up for the next eight days! Love it!
Twitter: MomalomJen
Hey you! Go get a gravatar at Gravatar.com! I want to see all the beautiful faces here in the comments!
Twitter: Momalom
I don’t have it written anywhere but my mother always told me “nothing beats a failure but a try” so I keep that in mind whenever I am afraid or apprehensive about doing something.
That’s a great one. And one for me to remember because I am a perfectionist. And it defeats me. And sometimes I am so fixated on doing things right and perfect that I don’t even try – for fear of failure. Problem always is that if I don’t get past my fear of failure and at least just try, I fail. So there you have it…
Nothing beats a failure but a try.
Beautiful.
Twitter: Momalom
I think it was a Nike tagline years ago, but I love “Impossible is nothing”. I repeat it to myself all the time when I’m faced with something I feel like I just can’t do!
Impossible is NOTHING.
Oh this is a good new mantra to take with me on my long runs. Long runs that do indeed seem quite impossible. Especially when I am trying to find the motivation to lace up my sneakers…
Twitter: Momalom
Sarah – how long are your long runs?
Twitter: NickiinNY
Re: RUNS. Um, I’m supposed to be in marathon training right now for Austin on Valentine’s Day with my sister-in-law. Training, etc was going great until I got the flu a few weeks ago. Even though I recovered physically I still haven’t gotten my motivation back. I was supposed to run 12 this weekend and, um, I was too happy to sit and read all our your comments and blogs to do it….oh and the fact that I stayed up until 2 am the night before? And drank too much red wine? DID NOT HELP.
So if you have a little motivation for me in the RUNNING DEPARTMENT…
Bring
IT
On!
Twitter: Momalom
Sarah – I use to find posting my runs on FB was great because people would comment and it would spur me on. I finally stopped as when I didn’t run, it also made me feel I was letting them down a bit.
Maybe my previous words on camaraderie will help – http://nickisnook.net/2009/10/06/the-camaraderie-of-runners/
Twitter: NickiinNY
“Don’t fall down now, you will never get up.” It’s a line in an Everclear song (Strawberry).
It may not sound inspirational to anyone else, but it reminds me that even when I’m down, I’m not so far that I can’t get back up.
Yes, your explanation of it is perfect! There is always a bigger hole to fall into. There is always a deeper space. There is always lower. And when you have been so low (like I have) you know you don’t want to go back. But even if you haven’t, it is important to remember your lowest point and fight against it. Does that make sense? Gosh, I’m getting sleepy already. Pre-9:00 pm. Hello Motherhood, nice to meet you!
Twitter: Momalom
I have quotes all over. I have a few that have been with me for years and still inspire me: “Live out loud.” “Live for today” (hubby has that one tattooed in our honor on his hot bod). “Surrender.” “Do one thing every day that scares you.” As of late, I have a new addition I am focusing on: “Be bold, free, and truthful.” by Brenda Ueland.
Bold and Truthful. Yes. I concentrate more on honesty than I ever have. It is my entire premise for blogging, which I am certain you know. I take this time away from everything else that I am doing to find the truth in all of it. To write bold and free and honest. If it were any other way all of this time would be wasted, I think. This blog is my lifeline now, as it has a way of always leading me back to my own (often hidden) truths.
Twitter: Momalom
Oh LIZ…Go to Gravatar.com and git urself a Gravatar girl…so I can see your pretty face up here at the blog! Easy peasy!
Twitter: Momalom
Wrote brilliant comment, then computer hiccuped and lost it! :-( Here’s what I remember of it:
I’ve always had favorite quotes. Current favorites:
Carpe diem!
Live well. Laugh often. Love much.
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
Do no great things, only small things with great love (Mother Theresa)
Much as I love words and quotes, when I’m down in the dumps they don’t seem to help me find a way out. Wish it were that easy!
Twitter: CZRiley
OOh. Sorry that words can’t be your saviors. Perhaps we can? The ones you shared are pretty darn perfect, you know!
Twitter: MomalomJen
We have notecards posted all over our house that give me something to think about in moments when, well, I need to take a moment.
Things like “Things are just things, they can be replaced or broke. People and their feelings can’t!” “Will this matter in an hour? a day?”
I need little things to remind me when the day is getting bad about looking the big picture!
Will this matter in an hour? In a day?
I need this. I do remind myself of this. More often than my husband does, though. And maybe to a fault at times. Ye olde Pick Your Battles quote.
But it’s all true. We can so easily get ramped up and emotional in an itty bitty minute and we need things to bring us down sometimes – when sometimes we can’t bring ourselves down. I love that you have these posted all over the house. Little bits of needed inspiration just waiting to be noticed, to be used.
Twitter: Momalom
Yes. Things are just things. I like this very much. Because my son? He destroys and/or breaks everything. Good one!
Twitter: MomalomJen
I’m not at home, I’m here at my parent’s house so I can’t share my quote because it’s on my fridge at home. It’s by Rainer Maria Rilke and it’s about not asking questions of your life, but instead cherishing them and learning from them, until you’ve found that you’ve LIVED the answers. “Like a foreign language…” I remember that part.
I’ll try hard to remember to share it when I get home.
Twitter: HeatheroftheEO
Heather. Thanks to Google I got this…
“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day. Letters to a Young Poet”
Is this it?
Twitter: Momalom
There seems to be a bit of variation in the quotes that I got..off a word or two from each other.
But if this is it I feel you! Live the question. Have patience.
Twitter: Momalom
YES! That’s it. That quote has been a MUCH needed reminder to me more times than I can say. It fits everything, really. When I start to wonder about my writing or about my parenting or my marriage, etc, it reminds me to stop over-analyzing and live more peacefully.
Thanks for finding it :)
Twitter: HeatheroftheEO
I love this post and this thread. One of my favorite and all-purpose motivational sayings is “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” Mother Teresa. It gives such perspective, yet remains so grounded. That’s a tough combination to tackle whatever the project/work/task, etc. When it comes to writing specifically, I kept the same mantra from my dissertation days: ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’ When I heard it, it sounded so cliche. It is, I suppose. But it’s true. Sometimes in pursuit of perfection, we lose volume. Sometimes in pursuit of volume, we lose meaning. It doesn’t always work for the creative side of writing, but it does help with the motivation side. Thanks again, ladies for this project. I really love it!
Hi Jules. I’ve never heard the eat the elephant mantra. But I like it. I think it will be at the front of my mind as I try to keep up with all of you great readers!
Twitter: MomalomJen
“Sometimes in pursuit of perfection, we lose volume. Sometimes in pursuit of volume, we lose meaning.”
Yes. I commented on another reader about my perfectionism. And how it has only served to defeat me throughout my life. I have lost volumes of choices, chances and opportunity. But where I sought opportunity and friendship and growth I lost meaning. YES! It all makes sense now. YES. I lost sight of the reason for it all. Best just to take one small moment at a time. For what it’s worth. And piece this great, big life together little by little.
Oh I love this project, too! Thank you so much for being a part of it!
Sarah
Twitter: Momalom
I love this idea, you two are fabulous for coming up with something new everyday!
Something I live by (and made my blog for) is “enjoy the moments.” That is the advice I received before I had my daughter and I agreed it was something I would do.
This can be difficult during trying times, but I am learning to enjoy the moments I have with my babies.
By the way, I love that your mom comments! Even if you asked her to, she is way awesome for agreeing!
Twitter: ambrosiat
Enjoy the Moments.
One of those sayings you should have above a doorway, or engraved in your fireplace. To remind you to recognize the moments RIGHT WHEN YOU ARE HAVING THEM and to enjoy every minute of them.
Yes yes and yes.
And yes to our mom. She reads every day, of course, and responds to us from time to time via email. We thought this was a great opportunity to get her involved in it all a bit more…and to gain her much cherished perspective on life, writing, and motherhood.
Twitter: Momalom
FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT
I don’t know if this is inspirational or not, but it works for me. Its all about giving as much as you have, and hopefully at some point, it will be enough. Just don’t tell anyone you’re faking it – especially your children, because then, the jig is up!
Ha! Then the jig is up! Ha ha ha. You are so totally right. On those days when I give in and blatantly TELL the kids that I am giving in to them, giving up essentially, they know it! And they don’t feel sympathy or empathy or whathaveyou – because their KIDS – so they just ask for more more more.
So yes, Fake it till you Make it definitely has it’s place!
Thanks, Maria.
Twitter: Momalom
I love the Eleanor Roosevelt quote. Do the thing you cannot do. It reminds me of that writing advice: write the thing that no one else can write. Because usually I feel like I can’t write it either, even if it is my story. :)
I don’t have any particular words of inspiration, though. So far I’ve found that the person I was when I collected the inspiration, isn’t the person I am now, when I need it. Hmm.
Don’t you love, by the way, how your words here take on an everlasting (or at least ongoing) quality? That you can have gone to bed before I’ve even turned on my computer for the day (night), and still we get to have these great interesting conversations? Even when we’re just talking about not having the right words?
Twitter: makingthingsup
Yes! I DO love the everlasting quality. And it’s really funny that you mention that, and mention turning on the computer after I’ve gone to bed (even thought it was too late as usual) BECAUSE I send to Jen via last night, “Well, that’s it, I’m off to bed. We haven’t heard from Melissa but she’s on the other coast and with the time difference and…”
Oh just how perfect of you to mention it.
And Yes Yes Yes about the Roosevelt quote. Write the thing that noone can write. The thing that most people won’t touch. The kinda sorta uncomfortable stuff.
I heard an interview with Michael Chabon and have forever remembered a line from it. Went something like this: “If you are writing something that makes you a little bit uncomfortable, you know you are going in the right direction.” Or something like that.
“So far I’ve found that the person I was when I collected the inspiration, isn’t the person I am now, when I need it. Hmm.”
Ooh, boy. I know what you mean. How we change. How our dreams and expectations remain the say.
Twitter: Momalom
I seriously have computer files of quotes. I am a word freak. Here are some of my favs.
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it’s the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. (not sure where this one came from but the file is old, on my old computer’s hard drive)
Friends are like melons. Shall I tell you why? To find a good one, you must a hundred try. -Claude Mermet
It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.- e.e. cummings
Choices are the hinges of destiny.- Edwin Markham
Self-trust is the first secret of success.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
A sorrow shared is half a sorrow, a joy shared is twice a joy.- Unknown
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.- William James
Twitter: NickiinNY
Oh Nicki! Yay! What a wonderful thing to wake up to!
I love all of them. Especially Markham, and James and e.e.cummings…
because AMEN, it does take courage to grow up, to move on, to keep going, to keep doing that which you know you should be doing even if it is difficult from time to time.
Thank you!
Twitter: Momalom
I always think of the two things that my Nan used to say – What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger and Its All Part Of Life’s Rich Pattern. Both so true and both have made me get up and get on with it in the past when things have been tough. I know I’ll turn to those sayings again in the future when I have to. Can’t say I’m one for writing down mantra’s as I sport them but I just might start!
I absolutely love both of these, ThatGirl39. I want to make something for my mother – who is a quilter – out of the “It’s All Part of Life’s Rich Pattern.” Thank you!!!
Twitter: NickiinNY
I always likened that first quote to religion. I don’t know why. Hmm. Oh right, I think I had originally heard it from a friend’s very religious grandmother. And because I had an ill relationship with the idea of organized religion for many years I didn’t give it solid thought.
But then? Something changed. I changed. I made it through hard times and I WAS stronger. And I didn’t die. Although I could have, quite literally, died quite easily due to all of my stupid actions.
So now? Now it means so much more to me. I think of it often. I say it to my oldest. I word it so that he will understand that challenges are good. That we build character. And we build wealth in our lives by pushing through.
And yes! Write some little things down here and there. Even if it is just a word or two that inspires you in a moment. I find them reassuring. Even the ones that I look at everyday and often glaze over. When I stop and digest them, I am ever grateful that I took the time to write them down!
Twitter: Momalom
Here are a few of my favorites:
“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. – Cyril Connolly”
“Small acts beat big intentions” – unknown
And the following from Lao Zi:
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step
A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honor people, They fail to honor you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aims fulfilled, they will all say, “We did this ourselves.”
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Twitter: cfoutz
One other one I LOVE:
You are not managing an inconvenience; you are raising a human being. – Kitti Franz
That is soooo important to remember on difficult days!
Twitter: cfoutz
Agreed, Momalom’s MOM rocks! Does she have a blog?
I love Anne Lamott’s stuff. Two quotes from her that I like are:
“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”
and
“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor.”
I also love the thing my mother used to always say, “There are better days ahead.” As a single mother of four in Post 40 World where money’s tight and the dating pickin’s are slim I cling to this hope continually.
When life just can’t get any worse I keep these quotes from my 16-y.o. daughter in mind and at the ready,
“Seriously?! Are you kidding me?!” and “That just made my whole life!”
Of course, the Broadway musical, Rent, is filled with some classic ones. My favorite lately?
“Only thing to do is jump over the moon”.
Great idea for a post. Love it!