Curb Appeal ~ Picturing Possibilities October 14, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Blogging, Nature, People.comments closed
If you want to sell a house in a saturated market, improving its Curb Appeal makes sense . . . allowing you to draw more potential buyers into its interior.
Similarly, if you want to attract readers to your blog (with so many other blogs clamoring for attention), take steps to improve its Curb Appeal:
1. Use intriguing graphics. Pictures and photographs are eye candy for hungry readers. Instead of allowing uninviting and overgrown hedges to block access to the front door . . . plant flowers.
2. Give each post a catchy title. How soon would a “SOLD” sign go up if the Realtor’s ad read, “just another house” instead of something more enticing like, “pristine waterfront views”?
3. Give each post a “fresh coat of paint.” Proofread and edit your work to make your words shine. Misspelled words and bad grammar, like cracked and peeling paint, do not encourage readers to linger.
4. Share your best words with the world. Post only when you have something to say . . . not just because you want to say something. Blogging is not about getting something FROM readers ~ it’s about giving something TO them. If you want repeat visitors, give them a reason to return.
Quote: Do not overlook any good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel. ~ The Buddha
Related posts: Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Possibility * Possibilities (Pseu) * To Go or Stay (Just Snaps) * Goal (Time After Time) * Possibility (Maggie’s Photography)
7 Ways To Defeat Disappointment October 14, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness.comments closed
When we leave our brains on auto-pilot, we become brainwashed by images, unaccompanied by independent thought. Expectations arise unbidden. Left unfulfilled, they create unnecessary suffering.
We walk around in a state of perpetual disappointment because others are not who and how we want them to be.
Instead of challenging our thought patterns and changing them, we attempt to change others ~ expecting THEM to meet OUR expectations. When they don’t comply, we grow discouraged, disheartened, and disappointed . . . drowning in self-created despair and dismay.
There’s got to be a better way!
1. Be who you are ~ Be true to yourself. Don’t conform to the norm to gain approval. Be sincere. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Stop being dishonest. Allow others to be honest with you.
2. Accept the “What Is” ~ Let life unfold. Be patient. Life is stirred with a slow spoon. Go with the flow. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Don’t waste time in idle worry. How we relate to the issue IS the issue.
3. Stop chasing fame and fortune ~ Life is a journey, not a destination. Quantitative measures of “success” require external comparisons. No matter how much we have . . . our egos always want more.
Shift your reality. Stop comparing yourself with others. The goal is not to be better than them ~ we need only be more fully who we want to be.
4. Let go of addictions to ego concerns ~ Let go of your desire for external accolades and attention. Stop feeding negative emotions like anger and self-pity. Let go of past problems. Stop remembering stale issues and old hurts. Experience what is available instead of re-living what has been.
Be clear about what you want. Set your own expectations. Do what you love. Explore. Dream. Discover.
5. Keep your eyes, mind, and heart open ~ Who we are shapes what we perceive. We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. Our past perceptions shape our current impressions. We see the world behind our eyes.
Be open to what you don’t know. Explore possibilities. Stop taking things for granted. Stop accepting the internal dialogue as “true.”
6. Be Positive ~ Change your wiring. Create a more positive life by being a more positive person. Be in the mystery. Go with the flow. Play. Laugh. Sing. Dance. Count your blessings. Develop an attitude of gratitude.
7. Enjoy the Journey ~ Be here now. Focus on sights, sounds, tastes, textures, smells, and sensations. Allow your bottomless reservoir of peace and joy to surface.
Recharge your batteries. Empower yourself. Share your passions with the world.
Breathe. Relax. Repeat.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Quote to Ponder: We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. ~ Carlos Castaneda
Related posts: Sidey’s Weekend Theme ~ Disappointment * What’s It All For? (Woman Wielding Words) * The Art of Happiness * The Serenity Principle * Attack of the Killer ANTs * Watch Your Thoughts * When Ego Wins . . . You Lose * X’s Very Public Pity Party * Don’t Bring Me Down * Your Wheelbarrow of Woe * Peace Lies Within * Aah . . . That’s Better * Controlling Emotions (NOLA Girl at Heart)
The Power of Positive People October 14, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Less IS More, Mindfulness, People.comments closed
If we want to move from where we are to where we want to be, we need to clear out the weeds and underbrush and surround ourselves with people who value our curiosity and wonder and open-minded attitude toward life.
Peace grows within. You are the garden. Nurture yourself.
If we want to maximize joy and inner peace, it helps to mingle with people who value and support joy and inner peace . . . rather than detracting from it with their constant negativity.
Well, it wasn’t much of a tail anyway.
Eeyores are energy drains, dragging us down with constant pessimism.
When Negative Nellies are hanging onto our kite tails (or our coat-tails), we never get the lift we need to soar into the future at maximum velocity.
Hang on! The future is next.
We benefit the world when we plug into the power of positive people:
Quotes to Ponder:
* Living life without passion is like trying to go hot air ballooning with an empty balloon.
* Those who can, do. Those who can’t, try to tell us why we can’t do it either.
* If we limit our choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, we disconnect ourselves from what we truly want; all that’s left is compromise. ~ Robert Fritz
Aah . . . that’s better!
Birds of a feather flock together . . . is your flock dragging you down? If so, maybe it’s time to cut them loose! Give yourself a chance to soar unfettered.
Related posts: 10 Ways to Attract Positive Energy * Tigger or Eeyore? * Only If . . . Je Voudrais Voler * Self-Fulfilling Prophesies * Silence the Inner Critic * Dream The Impossible Dream * When It’s OK to Walk Away (Huffington Post)
Spirit Lights The Way 