Positivity

"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings." ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Positivity. Is that a word? I don't know -- I didn't stop to look it up, because I decided I want to use it, even if it's not in the dictionary. It is a gray day here in Maine, and it's chilly too. Seriously chilly, like in the 30s. I decided I needed something to brighten this day, so here is the blog post I've created to talk about positivity, or the art of being joyful.

Where does joy come from? Are some people born as 'cup half full' people while others just naturally see the cup as half empty?



I don't think so. Joy does come from within, but it starts with our thoughts and grows from there -- or not. To experience life from a happier perspective, you first have to make the decision that you want to be happier and you're going to be -- regardless of what's going on around you.



Next step? Become aware of your thoughts and feelings. Are you always complaining? Is your boss a jerk? Does your mother-in-law get on your nerves? Do traffic problems send you over the edge? Whatever you're feeling is fine, but if it's less than positive, you might want to take a step back and realize how you're thinking about things. Everyone can be a jerk sometimes, but once we label someone that way, that's the side of themselves that they'll show us.



Take a moment today to consider yourself and your life. Not liking what you see? Then what can you change? Not the other guy -- YOU! It always comes back to you. Change your outlook, and you'll change your life.



Add a touch of positivity to your day -- in the form of a happy thought, smile, or small joke -- and you're already on your way to a happier life. Try it. Just for today. Take one small step toward positivity and see how it makes you feel. And now for some happy images to help us all feel better right now...

Congratulations, Laura & Keith!

My friends Laura & Keith were married yesterday at Bowdoin Chapel in Brunswick, Maine.












Keith & his family are of Scottish descent, so all the men in the family wore kilts, and there was a professional bagpiper playing at the ceremony.

Laura spent months planning this wedding, and the details were very special -- everything from the favors, which were CDs this musical couple recorded of themselves performing at a local club, to the handmade paper flower centerpieces to the "album covers" that served as table designations.



From beginning to end, a very special day for a very special couple!

Autumn evening at the Maine Coast

My friend Mary Ann was visiting this week from LA, and I took her to my favorite place on the coast. I'm going to let the photos tell the story! (Click on each photo for a larger view)

Funky Friday ~ October 2nd

I've borrowed a friend's Nikon and am practicing with it so I can take photos at her wedding reception on October 11th. The other day, I took the camera with me to the local Audubon Center. Just as I was leaving, I spotted 4 wild turkeys as they made their way across the parking lot and into the woods. I think turkeys qualify as funky!



Earlier, I took a nice, relaxing walk through the woods and fields. The center used to be a private farm, and the land borders the Presumpscott River.



There were signs of fall everywhere, from crimson leaves...



... to apples on the trees.



The fading light bathed the marsh in a golden yellow glow.







As the sun set, I prepared to drive home...



...happy in the knowledge that the Audubon Center will be there, just down the road, whenever I am ready to go back and explore it again.

Funky Friday ~ September 25th

[bakery shop window, Flushing, New York]

It's Funky Friday - time to make plans for a wonderful weekend! Wherever you are, whatever you do, make sure to make the most of every day.

Funky Friday ~ September 18th

This is a picture of the Miss Portland Diner that I took several years ago and manipulated using Photoshop Elements. Pretty darn funky!

Enjoy the day & have a fabulous weekend! I am off to Massachusetts tomorrow for my cousin's wedding. "All you need is love, doo ta doo doo..."

Some of my favorite quotes

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
~ Einstein



Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.
~ Oprah Winfrey



Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
~ Melody Beattie



Evolved individuals know that people who are not intuitive can be dangerous to work with, since they are guided solely by the current appearance of things that are in reality, changing. Evolved individuals seek out others who have intuition and vision - a form of intelligence that comes from cultivating the instincts, observing the direction of change, apprehending the evolution of ideas.”
~ Lao Tzu



To live content with small means... To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion... To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich... To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly... To listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart... To bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never... In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common... this is to be my symphony.
~ William Henry Channing