Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Teaching

Yea yea, I took the easy route this week. I snagged this picture from Google lol. I do have a loaded schedule, but I did not want to miss out on one of my favorite weekly activities, Writer’s Quote Wednesday.  I titled today’s quote teaching, but it is not the kind of teaching you may think. I titled this post Teaching from the perspective that you are the teacher of how other people treat you:

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In truth, people will take advantage of you. You don’t have to do anything to deserve it. You can be the nicest, sweetest person in the world and still suffer this fate. This is not an endeavor any of us can escape. At some point in our lives and without our permission, someone somewhere will take from us. What they take varies. But in some point in your life you will come across those who do not have the same level of appreciation for who you are. Now, this is, in my opinion,  two fold. On the one end, no matter what you do or say and how you say it, you cannot control how others see you. That’s their business and theirs to deal with.

On the other hand, what you allow in your space is a personal responsibility. Whereas we cannot control how people see us and whether or not they choose to appreciate what they see, we can however control our reactions. You have the right to let people know for example, when they have offended you. It does not mean your level of love has diminished or that you are enemies with the offender, it’s just that you are teaching this person who YOU are. Many of the people who will hurt and offend you first are those who will possibly be among your best friends. That’s because they have gone through the course of getting to know you, in which case you have taught them.

“Don’t misinterpret your lyrics, expect some criticism. That’s a part of the gift, so I gladly accept it. You don’t have to agree, but you gotta respect it.”

No one should have to be mistreated. But while that fault is on the person doing the mistreating, the victim (of sorts) still has to bear a portion of that responsibility, and he or she does not have to be mean or loud and obnoxious to do it. Kindly and gracefully you can teach people what you will and will not accept.

We cannot control others views of us, but we do have the right to intervene any situation that causes someone to bring that negative energy into our space. We do this by what we allow, what we stop, and what we reinforce.

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Don’t forget to check out Writer’s Quote Wednesday every Wednesday, hosted by Silver Threading.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Love Is

So as I pondered what to present this snowy Wednesday morning (Yea, you heard it right, it’s snowing in Louisiana again in February, insane. Thought I left this in Chicago, but I digress). I decided to switch it up this week with a song. Today’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday is Jah Cure’s Love is:

Love IsThis song is all about the quote:

“Love is the answer for every question”

We walk around here with our Bachelor Degrees and fancy titles. We hold forums on the state of the world. Everything from poverty, to racism, to religion. We cough up varied professional reasons why the world is the way that it is. As a result to these reasons more questions spring from our natural yearning for truth and for understanding. Some of us profit from these dictionary type languages we hold with one another, professed scholars and philosophers. Self-made experts in the field of such and such, and a how-to book that promises to give you the answer to the question of your existence and how to perfect your life. All of this and yet the answer lies in the simplicity, yet depth, of one word: Love.

It is no secret that the physical is a manifestation of the spiritual. And as the snow falls this cool Wednesday morning I am reminded that the hearts of men are just as cold. But love. Love is the heat with the potential to melt the wicked from the foreskins of our hearts, and so that we may feel again. It is the answer to every question, every solution, and every situation that exist. The world has grown cold because the world is void of love. It is the umbilical cord that connects us to our creator and all of creation and yet it is missing from our lives. Indeed, this powdery morning I am reminded that Love, Is.

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Don’t forget to check us out every Wednesday for exciting quotes (and songs!) as part of Writer’s Quote Wednesday, hosted by  Silver Threading.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Non-Essentials

Today’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday is from Lin Yutang:

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Have you ever known a pack rat? Are you the pack rat? The person who just cannot throw anything away? As such the garage, the storage room, the extra bedroom, or the closet overflows with all of your things. Not just anything, but things. Things that are no longer usable but take up space. This quote reminds me of that.

Anything in life that cannot be used for the benefit of moving forward is a non-essential and is just taking up space. If I cannot make use of this computer, if it is broken and it has proven to go beyond restoration, then it is no use to me. It must be undone. Left alone. I try to look at life in terms of value and quality. Anything that I add to my personal space: relationships, writing, goals, friendships, and even blogging, if it does not assist me in some way, does not add value to my life in some way, then it must be left undone. It is a non-essential. I cannot use it.

The Point of it all? Learn to do away with anything that no longer grows you.

Linyutang

Lin Yutang (October 10, 1895 – March 26, 1976) was a Chinese writer, translator, linguist and inventor. His informal but polished style in both Chinese and English made him one of the most influential writers of his generation, and his compilations and translations of classic Chinese text into English were bestsellers in the West.

 

 

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Don’t forget to join us every week for Writer’s Quote Wednesday, Hosted by Silver Threading.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Happiness

When I saw this quote on the Book Rags Facebook Page, I knew I wanted to use it for  Writer’s Quote Wednesday:

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I had to read this a few times before ascribing to understanding its meaning. Then, I had to read it again because of its beauty. Here are my thoughts on its meaning:

Happiness is such a nourishing feeling that it does not resolve to be stagnant. Happy people are continuously striving to be happy. They are smiling people, complimenting people, grateful people, and they have something good to say about each day. Even in the midst of trial, happiness will always seek that excitement. While it may have settled to drink of its own glory, its wings will still move toward the direction of that which is good.

“Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place, but there is always a little corner that keeps flapping.” – E.L. Konigsburg

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I am not familiar with Konigsburg, but interestingly enough I was not surprised to find that she was a writer and illustrator of children’s books and young adult fiction. To me her quote became so much clearer, since there is something fresh about young people that is always exciting, especially small children.

She is one of six writers to win two Newbery Medals, the venerable American Library Association award for the year’s “most distinguished contribution to American children’s literature.”

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Writer’s Quote Wednesday, every Wednesday on Silver Threading.

 

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Igbo Proverb

Today’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday, as part of Silver Threading’s weekly cup of inspiration, is from an Igbo Proverb:

igbo proverb“No one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth.”
– Igbo Proverb

There is such powerful symbolism here: Food is what we give the body for energy and nutrients. Food is the substance needed to keep our bodies burning fuel and operating accordingly. Food can therefore be symbolized as anything of value we wish to accompany our lives. Anything we wish to hold on to, to swallow, and to make part of us in a way that will give us nourishment of spirit. Something like a kind word, a friend, understanding, a spouse, or writing itself, anything of substance. The world would be such a happier place and filled with happier people if we all learned to mind our own business. If you are not here to help change the world, you are here to help hinder its growth. Stop looking for flaws in other people since in doing so you will never see the flaws in yourself, since you will never get a mouthful of anything by picking between another person’s teeth.

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The Premio Dardos Blog Award #2

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The PBS Blog has been nominated for another Award, our second Premio Dardos Blog Award *and the crowd goes wild* :). I happily accept this Award and just wanted to give a huge thanks to Colleen of Silver Threading for this wonderful nomination.

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It’s so funny because I really like this Award most of all so its super cool that I get two (*Yay me*). As a reminder: Premio Dardos is Spanish for Prize Darts, and is given in recognition of Cultural, Ethical, Literary, and Personal Values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Intellect

Today’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday is from Anne Sexton:

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“Watch out for intellect, because it knows so much it knows nothing and leaves you hanging upside down… .”

We must not assume that prominence only comes from the intelligent of the world because it is not always about intellect as we may define it. Not always about the knowledgeable, the College graduate, the well-educated, or the well-spoken. Most of the people, who become great historical figures, entrepreneurs, etc., are actually those who are deemed least intelligent by the world status. They are people who have a much more simplicity of character than the general population of their peers. They may be the High School drop-out, the ill, the down trodden, the specially educated, or the lowly in spirit.

Take Anne Sexton for example. Born Ann Grey Harvey, Anne suffered from mental illness for most of her life, breaking down twice following the birth of her children per postpartum depression. As a result, her doctor encouraged her to write poetry which some say helped her to endure life for as long as she did. Her style of poetry has been attributed to Confessional Poetry, defined as:

“Confessional poetry or ‘Confessionalism’ is a style of poetry that emerged in the United States during the 1950s. It has been described as poetry “of the personal,” focusing on extreme moments of individual experience, the psyche, and personal trauma, including previously taboo matters such as mental illness, sexuality, and suicide, often set in relation to broader social themes. It is sometimes also classified as Postmodernism.” – (Internet)

“…mouthing knowledge as your heart falls out of your mouth.”

A man’s speech is always dictated by his heart. A man can proclaim to know all, yet his foolishness can be easily uncovered by the very words he speaks; by the very knowledge he tosses into the air.

In closing, Anne studied with Robert Lowell at Boston University alongside distinguished poets Sylvia Plath and George Starbuck.

Be sure to check out the link for your chance to drink of Silver Threadings Weekly cup of inspirations:

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http://silverthreading.com/2015/01/28/writers-quote-wednesday-theodore-roosevelt-2015-5/