Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill
It’s been an exciting week, our grandson turns one, and I was invited to give a presentation to a group that helps people heal after brain injury. The person that invited me is the leader of the Mississauga Writers Group, and I wondered what I could offer.
It came to me in an epiphany that an Illustrated Journal might be helpful. Writing helps us and art helps us so putting the two together into an Illustrated Journal might help as it documents our lives and is something we can hold in our hands. As we look over the pages we remember our days. It is a way to celebrate the everydayness of our lives, and our days are our lives. When we enjoy and celebrate our days, we enjoy and celebrate our lives.
They loved the idea and we are getting our proposals for courses out today. As they say, we need to strike while the iron is hot. The longer we take to implement an idea or opportunity that comes our way the more chance it will get away from us. We will begin to think it’s not such a good idea, why bother, they won’t be interested anyway, and we are putting all that work into it for what? It is easy to talk ourselves out of doing things.
If you’re not making someone else’s life better, you’re living yours wrong. Kushandwi Zoom
The other thing they are interested in is my involvement with public speaking through Toastmasters. The more we learn the more we can help others learn. Serendipity works in our lives, we might not be looking for an opportunity but it jumps into our lives and it is up to us to take advantage of it and see where it can go. How many people can we help if we do what it seems we are called to do?
It seems to me the people who lead rewarding lives are giving to the communities they are part of. One of my first bosses took me under her wing, she gave me “The Edible Woman” by Margaret Atwood to read, and I read it. She introduced me to community theatre. I think of her fondly especially now that I have time to be involved in community activities. She was an example of a woman living a well-rounded life, working, her daughter was grown, and she was involved in the community.
We have one life to live and we need to take the opportunities when they come, but we also have to know what is most important in our lives. If we get too busy outside the family, the family may suffer, but if we do too little, we may suffer by not being all we can be. Is there something we would like to do, that if we don’t do it might not get done?
It is never too late to be who you might have been. George Elliot
Create an environment where people can take risks. If everything has to be brilliant from the word go, you’re never gonna get off the ground. Paul Hewson, aka, Bono
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can. John Wesley
Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read some more and have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.
