A Favorite Quote

This is the quote that hangs on the wall in my office. 

"The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.

Creativity in living is not without its attendant difficulties, for peculiarity breeds contempt. And the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is that when people realize you were right, they'll say it was obvious all along.

You have two choices in life: you can dissolve in the mainstream, or you can be distinct. To be distinct, you must be different. To be different, you must strive to be what no one else but you can be. . ."

Alan Ashley-Pitt

It Works Out

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."

-Gordon B. Hinkley-

Another Quote

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
-Henry David Thoreau-

Thought for the Day

Tonight we were having a family discussion and the conversation turned to self-worth. We talked about how we are all children of God and therefore have infinite potential and value. One of the kids asked, "When we do bad things, does that make us bad people?" My son came back with this answer..."Think bad about the verb, not the noun." I'm taping this one to my fridge.

I Hope It's Worth It

I'm sitting here listening to the piano practicing that is supposed to happen in our home every day. The sound of music filling the house reminds me of my own piano lesson days and how much I resisted practicing. Of course, now I look back and have great appreciation for all the piano teachers I had and for my mother, who wouldn't let me quit. I enjoy sitting at the piano and playing for my own enjoyment, and I can also accompany others when they sing or play in church.

My oldest daughter took piano for a few years until we pulled her out because we didn't have the funds to pay for her lessons. She finally begged me to get her back into piano because she really wants to be able to play. She doesn't mind practicing and does well, but wishes she had more time to put into her lessons. Having a teenager who chooses to take take the lessons on her own is a treat.

My middle child hasn't taken lessons since grade 2. He used to throw such fits for the teacher that she finally wouldn't take him anymore. I taught him for a little while, but that fizzled over time. This fall when we were discussing lessons, the youngest asked why she had to take them when her brother didn't. Her sister replied, "It's because we are girls." Boy, was I sending them the wrong message. So this fall he entered grade 8 and was signed up for piano lessons - under protest and with the promise that he could quite when he can play two songs out the the hymnbook we use at church. The funny thing about the situation is that he gets up every morning on his own to practice without any one having to remind him. He has also has caught up to his older sister, but don't even hint that you think he likes it.

Then there is the youngest. She has the ability, but completely lacks the desire. She is constantly trying to think of reasons why I should let her quit. So far she hasn't succeeded in convincing me, and I don't even try to tell her she will be glad for the skill someday. That's something she is going to have to figure out for herself. Meanwhile, we have to endure the grumpiness and tears and the sour notes, hoping it will all be worth it.

Every once in a while, a piece is played with such sweetness and skill, that I've begun to believe it is already worth it. The kids are developing musical ability, and they are learning not to quit. And even if they are never highly skilled at the piano, at least they can say they tried.

I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.

-George Eliot

Success

He has achieved success
who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;

who has enjoyed the trust of
pure women,

the respect of intelligent men and
the love of little children;

who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;

who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem or a rescued soul;

who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty
or failed to express it;

who has always looked for the best in others and
given them the best he had;

whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.

-Bessie Anderson Stanley

I've not missed a day yet...

Tonight I'm not feeling well, so this post is just here to fill the requirement to post every day in November for NaBloPoMo.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American family and friends. Since Canadian Thanksgiving was over a month ago, my thankful post can be read here. There are always more things to be grateful for and I'm sure I could go on for pages. But instead of going on for pages, I'm going to bed.

*****

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

-Melodie Beattie-

*****

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.
-Edward Sandford Martin-

*****

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven
-Johannes A. Gaertner-

*****
And on the lighter side....

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
-Author Unknown-

Life

Life is a gift to be used every day,
Not to be smothered and hidden away;
It isn't a thing to be stored in the chest
Where you gather your keepsakes and treasure your best;
It isn't a joy to be sipped now and then
And promptly put back in a dark place again.

Life is a gift that the humblest may boast of
And one that the humblest may well make the most of.
Get out and live it each hour of the day,
Wear it and use it as much as you may;
Don't keep it in niches and corners and grooves,
You'll find that in service its beauty improves.

Edgar Guest

Advice from Winnie-the-Pooh

Winnie-the-Pooh is one of my favorite cartoon characters and now my children love him too. Since I don't have a lot of time to think of a profound and life-changing post tonight, I'm going to share some wisdom from my favorite bear...

*****

If possible, try to find a way to come down the stairs that doesn't involve going bump, bump, bump, on the back of your head.

*****

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.

*****

When having a smackerel of something with a friend, don't eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out.

*****

"It's always useful to know where a friend-and-relation is, whether you want him or whether you don't." -Rabbit

*****

You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.

*****

A bear however hard he tries,
Grows tubby without exercise.

*****

"Spelling isn't everything. There are days when simply spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count."
-Rabbit

*****

Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.

NaNo Update

Because it is a holiday, the kids didn't have to go to school today, and I also didn't have to babysit. So my family kindly let me hide in the office all day long and write. Some of the time was spent typing out minutes from the last school council meeting and emailing them to everyone, but the rest of the time I wrote (and did a little laundry on the side.)
So the update is: my word count has hit 16,400 and counting. I still have a little time tonight before the family gets home from the swimming pool. Who knows, I may catch up yet.

*****
Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.
-Brian Tracy-

*****

That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

*****

For now you know one of the greatest principles of success; if you persist long enough you will win.
-Og Mandino-

Persistence

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge

Burning the Midnight Oil

Someone commented on how late I always post. It seems to be around midnight most days. Yes, I am also up at 6:30 every morning so the days get really long. I have well meaning friends and family members that suggest I get more sleep, and believe me, bed sounds really good most nights around 11:00 pm. (I know, that is still late to most people, but I am such a night person.) If I could figure out how to put more hours in a day, I certainly would go to bed earlier. For me it comes down to priorities.

There are so many things that have to be done each day. And despite all my good intentions of getting the writing done during daylight hours, it never seems to happen. First there are all the family responsibilities. Now midnight wouldn't be such an issue if I didn't have to get up so early to get a daughter to early morning seminary and kids to school. We also try to eat breakfast together as much as possible. Then there is the dinner hour, homework, housework, and all the other things that go with raising a family.

There are also work responsibilities. As much as I dream about being a best-selling author someday and supporting myself with writing, I am very much not there yet. So I can't quit my day job. Some days I have children arriving at 7:30 am, and by 8:30 I often have up to six extra kids demanding my attention. Now I insist on a quiet time during the early afternoon, so I can often get in a little writing time then, but I'm lucky if I get even an hour.

Just those two things take up every hour of a normal day. Start adding in church callings, school council meetings, and all the other little things that come up in a week. I have become very good at knowing my limits and in the last year I have almost perfected the art of saying "no" when I need to. But still, there are very few spare minutes to be had.

Tonight I finally sat down at the computer at 9:20 pm. We had our annual ward corn bust to go to, which took up some good writing hours, but it was a good time. They organized a chili cook-off, served corn on the cob, and had games for the kids. It is always good to mingle with ward members and get to know them better. But here I am sitting at the computer, and midnight is creeping up on me again.

My husband looks at the calendar and notes that this latest BIAM challenge will be over in early October. Then I remind him that NaNoWriMo starts in November and there is an online writer's conference that I will be participating in happening the second week of October. So we all just get used to mom being up till midnight most nights.

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: "Winners look for ways things can be done. Losers look for ways they can't." (unknown). I think of this every time life throws something else in my day. I have decided to be a successful writer. To do this I actually have to write. Writing is important to me, but I can't neglect the other things demanding my attention. So until the kids grow up, and until I don't have to work anymore, I'll see you here around midnight.

Creativity

"The man who follows the crowd, will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.

Creativity in living is not without its attendant difficulties, for peculiarity breeds contempt. And the unfortunate thing about being ahead of your time is that when people finally realize you were right, they'll say it was obvious all along.

You have two choices in life: you can dissolve into the mainstream, or you can be distinct. To be distinct, you must be different. To be different, you must strive to be what no one else but you can be . . ."

Alan Ashley-Pitt