Procrastination

Who doesn’t let things slide and lose sight of time? I’m sure that’s most of you. I have had a finished document of my manuscript waiting to prepare professionally, I have let it collect some dust while I continue with my Masters Degree in Leadership with a current course in Global Leadership. It’s an eye opener as I learn valuable facts and lessons from each class.

Meanwhile back at the ranch I struggle to find time for my lifelong dream of publishing this book idea which is on leadership. I worked so hard with my coach to polish it up.

Ideas circulate my head as to my marketing strategies and door to door company sales I propose. With all that said, the bottom line is to just block time off each day and leave procrastination at the door. Wish me luck.

Seasonal changes from the Mid-west

This is not New England where the vast array of Autumn colors can be seen from the tree dense mountains or in the distance up ahead.  No…this is Central Illinois where the few tree lined streets near me display an artful of colors for your eyes to see for a few short weeks.

Here today, gone tomorrow when the rain washes the leaves away off the branches into the wind and onto my lawn for raking.  Then the leaves are no longer considered a beautiful display, NO. They become an exercise of a job of raking and bagging and raking some more no matter if the leaves fell from your tree or your neighbors. Good thing I do like my neighbors.

Enjoy the captures and the weather if you have temperatures above the 50’s like here.

Photos by Martina  — visit http://www.studio67.us for more.

Flowers of a different view

This past week the weather in the Chicagoland area has been unusually warm and spending time outside enjoying nature has been a joy in lifting the spirits.  My last post I spoke about my photo shopping in stores.  I have more store photos to share during my outings.  I did a mini photo project by photographing the same bunch of flowers using several camera settings.  Thanks again to my friends at Whole Foods, these roses are gorgeous.

Which one do you like the best?

Photo Shopping in the shops

Often when I go food shopping or retail shopping I also go shopping with my camera at the same time. I’ve used my phone, my compact and my DSLR camera. Today this photo was taken with my (old) iPhone camera which was all I had on me. Memory was full so I got just one click.

I have used my DSLR to photograph in stores before, most people don’t bother me, especially if I use a smaller 50mm lens or Lensbaby optic. The only place so far that told me photos were not allowed was Victoria’s Secret.

Was my camera too obvious, did they think I was stealing their patterns and styles? There were no live models present. Oh well, I kindly left the store and put my camera away. It was a funny story at the time.

I like to stretch my camera buttons sometimes to see how far I can go…Apparently not in Victoria’s Top Secret shop.

Thank you Whole Foods for letting me “photo shop” your flowers every time I enter the doors.

Sunset on fire

This photograph is one of my all time favorite  sunset photos.  Walking among the Morton Arboretum and seeing what my camera can capture, I spotted these wild life brushes looking like fire in the background.  Something the wonderful sun can do with it’s magical powers and glow that it gives off.  The colors, the heat, the feel good feeling all relate to our wonderful sun.

I’m enjoying every last moment at the start of Fall before Autumn temperatures really set in and coats will be worn again.

Happy Friday!

Symmetry in Nature

…Well nothing is perfect, is it? I like the design of the nature inspired look. Kinda different, kinda me.

Rays of Sunshine

When life gets you down,

When you feel like you are all alone,

When you don’t know what to do…

There is always HOPE,

Hope for a better tomorrow,

Hope that you wake up feeling like new,

Hope for a second chance at a new beginning,

Hope that your day will be filled with rays of sunshine.

That is my HOPE for you this day.

 

 

Reflections of Yesterday…

Time passes so quickly, most of us don’t appreciate what life has to offer until the time has already passed. We look back to reflect on yesterday’s past. Here today, gone tomorrow. What were we spending our time doing. I think we all get caught up in this “live for the moment” mentality.

When we look back, learn from those reflections, then we can see what we need to do better next time. Sure we all make mistakes, but when we have turned them around for the better then we have become wise in our own worlds. We often learn by doing and from our own experiences or from watching other people, both good and bad. When you learn to let go of the past, learn to forgive and really try hard to forget… then that leaves room for you to let the good things in live in. If you hold onto all the junk, there is no more room inside of you to let what God wants to bless you with.

Live for today, learn from yesterday, plan for tomorrow….then when one door closes, another door shall open if you open your heart and your mind to believe all things are possible through Jesus Christ.

Underwater

Literally, are you feeling like you are drowning with a task list or swimming with a project you haven’t finished? If so, you are not alone. When I have so many things on my plate, I seem to get none of them accomplished. Why? Because I feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Making lists and putting the items in categories, then labeling them in order of importance helps. If it can wait until tomorrow, don’t stress over it. Time sensitive items come first.

I think that the marketing people of the world used the “time” label to their advantage. Think about it — everything has an expiration date of time, sales events have a time, coupons expire in time, sign up dates have a time. Hurry in now or you miss out. Everything has to happen now, we are always in a rush to get things done right now. People behind me honking if I daydream at a green light. Where is everyone going in such a hurry? Life is too short to be in such a hurry. If you miss the sales event, thank yourself for all the money you saved. I just love it when sales people at the counter tell me how much money I saved. I correct them and tell them how much money I just spent because that’s what I have to pay later if I spend now.

I say we need to slow down, catch our breath and relax. Take a dip in the pool and go underwater as long as you come up for a breath of fresh air once in a while. You will be doing ok.

Thinking?

Catch me off guard,

My thoughts wander.

Silent words spoken,

Can you hear me?

If they are not heard,

Are they still present?

Only in the mind, you see.

Those thoughts go a million miles a minute.

Only in the mind, you cannot see.

Nor can you hear words of no sound.