Sometimes The Truth is Funny

My Favorite Blog Took a Break

One of my favorite blogs took a break and nearly broke my heart this summer.

Okay, well maybe the devastation was not quite so severe, but I was pretty disappointed...at first.

I look forward to reading Rowdy Kittens and I love what Tammy reflects on and how she shares.

Back at the end of June, when Tammy posted her 'Taking a July Digital Sabbatical: Why and How?', I think I nearly fell off my chair!

She was leaving the Internet and her blog behind for an entire month! HUH!?

How would she survive this? How would her readers not go somewhere else?

Why would she do that?

After a long and (semi) patient wait, she returned from her vacation, and I received her August 1st post!

And now I know why she did it.

An inspiration to everyone wanting to relax, reconnect (and not via the Internet), read, write and just 'be'...

Read her blog today...A Beginner's Mind: Insights from my Digital Sabbatical

Thanks Tammy!

(Going away for a month did not make me forget about your messages...it made me look forward to them more;)

Truly,

Amber

Lost (RePost w/Link)

Ever get lost? 

Sure there’s Mapquest and GPS navigators and good old fashioned maps…so you shouldn't get off track, but have you ever just taken a wrong turn? 

Or, you know, when your GPS doesn’t realize you've just passed the road you should’ve turned down?

It stinks when that happens and can get quite discouraging if it happens more than once.

Usually it’s not too much effort to get back on track, but it does occasionally take longer than expected.

Ever notice that staying calm and thinking positive is the key to getting through it?

I had to travel somewhat far away recently. It was about an hour south of me and I had never traveled the road before.

As I drove south on the highway I got to thinking…

Just because you're going South doesn’t necessarily mean you are headed down.

It made me wonder how many people actually think that every bump in the road or wrong turn is actually a negative thing, rather than a positive thing.

I like to refer to a song that I know. 

It’s from my favorite band, Coldplay.

It’s called Lost (and actually a woman made this cool video to go along with it).

Listen to Lost -- and imagine-- what if every wrong turn or missed opportunity was meant to be. 

...That you were supposed to travel this road you're on so that you can see and/or experience whatever it is that is on that particular path.

Keep Calm and Carry On...

 

Truly,

Amber

Hackers Have Evolved

This comic shows the Evolution of the The Hacker since 1997.

Hopefully you've never been hacked and hopefully you never try Hacking..

Have a Happy Friday!

Truly,

Amber

A Clutter Review and a Secret...

If you are still struggling with clutter...

don't worry, I am too.

Well...maybe not this badly...but...

I have found these tips!

Until now I'd never heard of the One Minute rule!

AND

I just found out a secret I never knew:
Clutter is the result of an unmade decision!
(CAN YOU SAY 'AHA MOMENT'?)

These  might help you out!

(Out of your piles, that is!) 

But, don't worry, I'm not laughing at you being buried....

I'm laughing with you, because I am buried too!

Have a Clutter Free week
(Or at least try to)

Truly,

Amber

Are You Depressed?

Except for maybe on Charlie Brown, decades ago mental illnesses were viewed as taboo.

Nobody wanted to address them, let alone admitting to having one.

Now mental illness is being discussed more openly.

Even Hollywood has been sharing their battle with mental illnesses, like depression and bipolar disorder; raising awareness and encouraging acceptance and treatment. Here is a long list of celebrities who've been identified as having a mental illness.

According to WebMD the most common mental illnesses are anxiety and mood disorders, followed by psychotic and eating disorders.

No one should feel alone and it's an encouragement to society when someone well known comes forward to say they are struggling with something. Many mental illnesses should be treated similarly to other diseases.

Like cancer and diabetes they should be discussed, researched, accepted and treated.

I've been depressed before.

I could tell. In my instance I was really tired and sad. I felt overwhelmed by everything and motivated to do nothing.

If anyone says they've never been depressed, they are lying. No one can cope with everything that happens in life and stay chipper day in and day out. From time to time we will all experience feeling a little blue...but it's when more than a few things happen at one time...when people can get depressed.

The solution?
 Talk to someone. Get help.

But beware of thinking a doctor prescribing you pills is the quick fix...

In some cases, it is not a chemical imbalance, but the depression is a symptom of something else.

There could be something going on in your life that has led you to become depressed and that's where finding someone you trust to listen, understand and validate you, is helpful.

Sometimes depression can be situational.

It's where depression is caused by something in your life you feel you do not have control of is leading you to feel overwhelmed, trapped and down right hopeless.

But, once you talk about it, get through some fears, and make some changes, you feel alive again.

That is what happened to me. Once I identified what the issue(s) were in my life causing me to feel this way, and eliminated or changed them...I was a new woman!

Maybe you aren't actually depressed, and you aren't dealing with a mental illness, but you're just feeling a little burnt out or bummed out, here are a few things that can be done to boost your mood:

• STOP 'believing everything you think' (A popular quote and sooooo truthful. 'U' can be your own worst enemy)

• Start listing your accomplishments and don't stop ;)

• Get out into the sunlight (Aitamin D deficiency has been linked to S.A.D.) 

• Take a hot bath (And don't forget to add the bubbles. No bubble bath? Just uses a few squirts of shampoo!)

• Get a hobby you love and get a friend to do it with you

• Surround yourself with genuine, upbeat and supportive friends

• Volunteer at a shelter (people or animal)

• Send a card to someone who's sick, needs encouraging, or to just to say Hi to a relative you've not seen in some time...put bright stickers on it too! (No one is too old for stickers!)

• Help out a friend with a project you have experience with 

• Listen to a friends problems or worries (You will immediately forget your own)

• Turn off mellow, or melancholy, music and turn on upbeat songs you can sing cheerfully to!!!

• Watch a comedy or read the funnies (Laughing will improve your mood instantly)

•  Evaluate things in your day to day life: if something is VERY broken, fix it. Don't wait.

• And yes, the infamous thing we never want to hear- exercise! It's a fact that it gets the blood flowing to the brain and is a natural way to boost mood!

Take this Depression Test to see if you may be depressed.
(This is not a substitute for a medical diagnosis; if you feel you may be dealing with some type of depression or mental illness call your primary care physician and make an appointment. He/she may refer you to some one who can correctly diagnose you.)


'Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression.' -Dodie Smith

 

Truly,

Amber

Tropical Puzzle

The internet and gaming units have been popular because of their ability to entertain us and keep our attention.

I have always enjoyed good old fashioned puzzles though, and recenly I wondered, with all of this fangdangled technology now-a-days, is this type of puzzle dead? (If the tropical one does not load right away, use the slide tab below the photo to chooose the 19th one to the right...or browse the others!)


I was amazed! I could actually do a jigsaw puzzle on the computer!
I didn't need to go to the store to buy one! (Gotta love the internet.)

Problem is...I almost cannot sit still enough to complete it!

You try...and see how fast you can do this puzzle before your attention span expires!(Gotta hate the internet!)

Happy Friday!

Truly,

Amber

You Need To See This Guy's Positive Attitude!

Bad things happen. 

They can make us feel defeated, hopeless or discouraged.

If we look around us, there's almost always someone who has it worse than we do.

And sometimes those people still keep positive attitudes...

We wonder how? Or why?

Watch this video then come back and tell me if you still feel like having that Pity Party.

Truly,

Amber

Time Got A Hold On You?

‘How do I manage time when it always seems as if time is managing me?’

Do you find yourself saying this exact sentence more than once a week? 

How about more than once a day?!?

It seems that time is something that is never on our side.

Though, it is.

We get plenty of it. 

Years, hours, minutes, seconds.

So why does it seem as if we don’t ever have enough of it?

Because, it boils down to our choices of what to do with it and not all of us are great at successfully organizing it.

At home I squander time as good as anyone. I can always find the lesser important tasks to work on...but it never works to my benefit.

Over time (no pun intended) I found these five things to be quite helpful when organizing my day:

1. Prioritize: Do the tasks with shorter deadlines first
2. Do the harder things first: It gets them out of the way and ensures they get done (and don’t get procrastinated upon)
3. Delegate (this takes admitting you're not superhuman): If you have too much on your plate call on a family member, friend, spouse or better yet, if you have kids they would love to help
4. Get organized (and stay organized): Everything has a place and everything in it’s place.
5. TIO (Touch it once): this is an oldie but goodie. Never put something down unless it’s been dealt with.
6. Say No to things that are not priorities or which do not resonate with your purpose in life. 
7. Beware of Time Stealers: Yes this could be considered Facebook (it happens to me), but this could also be T.V., generic/no purpose internet surfing and sleeping late (yes I do abuse this when I can-but I feel best, and I'm more productive, when I get up two hours prior to the time I would normally get up and get ready for work.

We have all probably heard of tips like these before, though  it’s good to revisit them now and again. 

 

Need more help?

Eat That Frog! Book by Brian Tracy

Online Exercise & Strategies (plug in the time you spend on each activity): 

Time Management: My Daily Hourly Schedule Exercise

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”

                                                                                      – Earl Nightingale

What Color is Your Personality? Take this quiz to find out!

My favorite colors are yellow, black and white.

I have always been drawn to purple as well.

I have never been very much of a pink person.

I took this fun personality quiz which is supposed to reveal my 'color' and after checking off 

some traits, moods and attributes....

I was shocked to find out that....

I'M DEEP PINK!  WOW!!

you are deep pink #FF1493

Your dominant hues are red and magenta. You love doing your own thing and going on your own adventures, but there are close friends you know you just can't leave behind. You can influence others on days when you're patient, but most times you just want to go out, have fun, and do your own thing. Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

(Well, that explains my secret like for a few things in my life pink;)

As much as quizzes are not the true determining factor of who you are...they sure can be fun!

Click HERE to find out what color you are!

Truly,

Amber

Some things are just universal...

Whether you are young or old, female or male, college educated or not, there are some things that just apply to  life no matter what...

20 Quotes on Life shared by Alvin on All-Swagga

I encourage you to read them all, but #20 is surely a winner in my book.

Truly,

Amber

Say it with Photos

Sometimes we need to silence our minds to see...
And other times art silences our minds for us.

Check out these links for some photos that are sure to take your breath away and make you think.


http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/19IpZp/www.greeksky.gr/files/photos/atmospheric/20110616Storm.htm
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/16SgaK/yurioff.35photo.ru/photos/20100830/169919.jpg
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2iQh1j/oddstuffmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ready-for-close-up.jpg
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2tEs3u/www.behance.net/ShirleyAnnDick/frame/263281

The last one is my favorite.

Ever wonder what your purpose is in life?
Looking at art can sometimes help you define that.

Truly,

Amber

Mind Over Matter

Every Path Has Its Puddle ~ Proverb

It's All How You React To It

Truly,

Amber

You Won't Regret It

A July sunrise at Put-in-Bay, Ohio

'Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.'  

- George Halas

Truly,

Amber

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I usually do not post on Tuesday's

But I thought I should since it's my birthday.

I am 38 today!

In past years I've had no real issues with getting older and
have welcomed July 12th with open arms for as long as I can remember.

I recall how it felt to turn16...
I was ecstatic, of course!

 At 18, no different...

At 21, still not much difference...

At 25, a little proud actually.

At 30, Amazing!

And even at 35 I didn't mind
I was quite happy with my age and my accomplishments.

But it was at 36 that I began to wonder...

What's going on here!?

Where is the time going!?

How is it that 36 years has gone by so quickly?
Let's slow it down a little bit...
Because....

I have gray hair (yes, I do).

I have smile lines that don't go away after I stop smiling...

And I am not able to eat anything I want anymore....
Grrrrr.

And most importantly...
I haven't reached all of my goals yet.

On one hand birthdays can be an amazing time of celebration of
our birth, our life and who we are.

We are wiser, better and more aware of ourselves,
what we want and where we want to be...

But,
They can also be a burden when we think of all we've not done.

We are reminded of all of the

'didn't do's', 'should've dones', and haven't yet's.

 I have come to this conclusion...
I will celebrate, not regret.
I'd rather be 38 than 16, 18, 21, 25, 30...

I finally feel like I have a clue in life now...
I have finally figured out a lot of things!

Why in the WORLD would I want to go BACK!!!???

So, bring on the gray, the wrinkles and the payback for eating a big bowl of ice cream more nights
than I should, because I am happy with who I am.

This year I will have 38 candles on my cake...
(though I truly hope not..lol)

And I will celebrate all 38 years of my evolution....

It's because I'm getting older...

That I am who I am today...

And I am one in a million!!!

Truly,

Amber

I Can't Do It All

Everyone's different and I figure that if I can't motivate you, maybe these people will.

My mission is to help those who want it...no matter how I do that.

So, check these links out and see if anything strikes your fancy...or lights a fire under your bottom;)

http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2007/07/the-top-50-blogs-that-will-unleash-your-motivation/

Truly,

Amber

Be Careful What You Wish For...

A joke worth reading...

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7gzIw8/stories-etc.com/ostrich.htm

 Happy Friday!
Hope I made you smile;)

Truly,

Amber

What it costs...

"What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." Author Unknown

Freedom Means Different Things to Different People

I am an 80's child for sure.... 

I was raised on rockers with big hair (which I sadly copied), idols who had gutts and I was still in that generation where anything was possible.

Politically correct wasn't invented yet and having big ones was respected not criticized.

Here is a quote that I wanted to share, because I believe

Freedom is not just what our military and country afford us, but Freedom is also within us...

It's being who we are, who we were meant to be and believing in what we understand to be our truth...

'Be strong, believe in freedom and in God, love yourself, understand your sexuality, have a sense of humor, don't judge people by their religion, color, or sexual habits, love life and your family.

- Madonna

Seems simple enough. 

Truly, 

Amber

Mistakes Make You The Expert

Mistakes and fumbles along the roads of life teach us who were are and help us learn what we need to become.

This blog post says it all...

I am not perfect and I am certain that I am better today because I screwed up yesterday.

I admit it, I love to tell others how to fix things...but that's because I have messed up so much in the past now I feel I am a wealth of knowledge on how NOT to!

I found the title of this blog post intriguing 'Martinis, Mistakes and The Experts' (I knew I could totally relate...)

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2LFCz8/livethecharmedlife.com/2010/08/100-ways-to-uncomplicate-your-life/comment-page-1

Happy Mistake Making!

Truly,

Amber