"Positively Inspired!"

 

Spring is right around the corner (March 20)! Happy! Happy!

Spring represents new beginnings, a rebirth. It's the time when the pretty flowers and leaves come out again in all of their splendor. Do you know that we can let spring inspire us to change for the better?

However, we don't have to wait for spring or New Year's Day or any other special day for beginning anew. We can begin right now to make our lives better, the way we want our lives to be.

~"Every day is a new beginning. Take a deep breath, smile, and start again." -Tamara Kulish

Here are some ideas that might positively inspire you as they did me on my life's journey, and I hope they help you, as well-

~I recently saw and bought a used bargain coloring book. I have this book in a drawer that I open daily, and I feel inspired when I see the charming drawings that were skillfully colored with felt-tipped pens, and I read the inspiring quotes that accompany the pictures. 

Here are some of the quotes: 

-"Life is wonderful, and so are you!" -"Dreams do come true!" -"The best is yet to come."

Positive messages like these are very important, especially in today's world where we are often bombarded with so much negativity.

~"Leave the past and any difficulty where it belongs-behind you. Instead, take a deep breath of fresh air in this moment-and focus on your ideal life. Your power to create your life the way you want is now." ~Rhonda Byrne

Rhonda Byrne is one of my favorite authors. She has written several inspirational books, including "The Secret," "The Magic," and "The Power," as well as several others. "The Secret" movie is terrific.

More inspirational books are the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books. They were written by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson.

One of these books featured a man named John Goddard, who, at the age of 15, made a list of 127 goals he wanted to accomplish in his life. A few of his goals included visiting The Leaning Tower of  Pisa, becoming an Eagle Scout, typing 50 words a minute, and reading the "Bible" from cover to cover. At the time of the publication of the book, he had accomplished 108 of his goals, which is really remarkable.

This shows what we can do if we really want to.

We may not want to have the time, energy, or inclination to set and achieve so many goals as this man did, but, at the same time, it's good to set goals for ourselves, to accomplish something worthwhile, and to not get stuck in a rut. After all, life should be an inspirational adventure!

Animal Feature-

Kit-Cat

Hope you're inspired to adopt a pet. Bet you'd be glad you did, and so will your pet!

Happy spring!

Positive thought: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, April 5, 2025, Becky

"February, a Very Positive Month!"

 

WELCOME!

Besides being just another winter month, what do most people think of when they think of February? If you are like me, you probably think of Valentine's Day on February 14. Most people are probably making plans to have a meal out or to have a romantic meal at home. This year, Greg and I are planning on exploring a nearby historic town after lunch. We'll visit some local shops and other places of interest that we haven't had time to visit in the past.

Many people will exchange valentine gifts and cards, as well. 

I still remember when I was in grade school, how each student would have a beautifully decorated Valentine's Day box where we would all put valentines in each other's boxes.  

As if February 14 festivities were not enough, there are other neat days in February, as well.

Today, February 2, just happens to be Groundhog Day. Every year at this time since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predicts the weather according to whether or not he sees his shadow. The not-so-good news was that he did see his shadow today, so here in the United States, there is supposed to be six more weeks of bad weather. The good news is that Phil is right only 35% of the time!

Right now, here in the Southern Appalachians, we are predicted to have above average temperatures most of this week, although after that, the temperature will be more seasonable. (We're really taking advantage of these warmer days right now! We're getting to work outside some, as well as having fun!)

February 17 is also a very special day since there are several fun ideas that you might enjoy trying that day-

-One thing you might want to do on this day is to celebrate My Way Day. All you do on this day is to celebrate you and your unique talents and personality, and to do things that you enjoy (that are not immoral or illegal, of course!). 

To celebrate, you might want to stay home and watch several DVD's that you have never had time to see before, while eating several of your very favorite foods. You might even go out and buy a new blouse in your favorite color and style, or you might like to go somewhere you've never been before. The important thing is just to celebrate the real you, the person you really are. ~For more information visit  http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/my-way-day/  .

-Another idea you might want to try after having fun celebrating you, is to focus on other people, and do something randomly nice for others on Random Acts of Kindness Day which is also on February 17. 

Some ideas might be to sincerely compliment someone that you may or may not know. (I remember how good I felt when a stranger once complimented me on my hair, and when someone recently admired a necklace I was wearing.) Also, you could open a door for someone, or just give someone a smile. You could even give a neighbor a small gift.

Being kind to yourself and others sounds like a great idea!

And that's not all for February 17, 2025 since Presidents' Day just happens to fall on this day this year.

With all of the really special things that we might decide to do on the special days in February, we can no longer think of this month as just another cold month to get through until spring, but, rather, we can declare instead that February is a very positive month! 

And do you know what?-We can make every month of this year more positive and enjoyable by just being kind to ourselves and others! Sounds like a plan!

~Animal/Pet Feature-

One of our special family members, Cris, sent us information about what to do if we find a hypothermic animal which might happen if it is exposed to cold weather or cold water so that its body temperature is very low. It is valuable information (Please see paragraph directly below.) that we might need at some time. Cris loves animals, and she supports animal causes. Cris, thanks so much for sharing! 

For more information about this important topic, please search the Internet. Just type in- "What to do if you find a hypothermic animal?"

~ "If we're going to have animals around, we all have to be concerned about them and take care of them." -Bob Ross

~ "Animals are souls, aspects of God just as...we are, and many species are way-showers of unconditional love, loyalty and supportiveness."-  www.matthewbooks.com/january-3-2025/

Our Kit-Cat was a stray, a feral cat, not in the best of health. Thanks to our local vet, she is thriving now-

~"Cats are angels with fur." - Sark

Happy Valentine's Day. and Happy Every Day!

Positive thought- "Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction." -Rumi

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, March 1, 2025, Becky

"A Positive New Year!"

 

Here are some inspirational quotes and ideas, etc. to help us have a more positive new year. Let's trust the magic of a fresh start! Welcome 2025!

~ "2025 is a year of heightened focus on balance, harmony, and new beginnings." -Carol Tuttle

~ Here's "A healing mantra for 2025"- "I am open to what is possible." -Laura Koniver

A favorite mantra of mine, that I repeat several times a day is, "Every day in every way, I am getting better and better." (Emily Coue)

~ "...it's time to set our intentions for this...year. Make a list of what you want to see happen in 2025, and to insure your intentions are fully energized..., read your intention list each day for the month of January." -Rhonda Byrne  

Also, Rhonda suggests watching "The Secret" movie to be uplifted, inspired, and empowered.

I've made my list of resolutions for the new year, which includes, of course, being even more positive! I'm reading my resolutions every day, and I plan to do so the rest of the year, so I don't lose my focus on what is important for an even happier, more positive life.

Also, I believe that it's good to have positive reminders around to help you stay on track. For example, we have a decorative coffee cup in our kitchen that I gave Greg for Christmas. The cup has a picture of the late, talented artist, Bob Ross, (Greg and I are both big Bob Ross fans.) along with one of his famous quotes, "HAPPY LITTLE TREES," a quote which Greg and I both love. Seeing the cup with the smiling Bob Ross, along with his quote, makes us smile, and it is a fun reminder to be happy, and to take time to enjoy life! 

Here are some encouraging quotes from "The Pioneer Woman" website, to further help us as we venture into the new year-

~ "Every moment is a fresh beginning." -T. S. Eliot

~ "...to be successful in the new year,...develop a positive attitude...." -Bamigboye Olurotimi

~ "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot

~ "The new year stands before us like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written." -Melody Beattie

~ "The best is yet to come." -Frank Sinatra

~ ANIMAL FEATURE~

~ "Animals are such agreeable friends-they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms." George Eliot

~ "(A dog's) ability to love...is tremendous. It's spirit and willingness to love and to be a companion is great." -From "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews

"Wishing you all a Very Happy New Year! May it bring endless opportunities, happiness, and everything your heart desires. Sending love to each and every one of you." -Malte Marten

(I second that! Becky Arnott)

Positive thought- "No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again." -Buddha

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, February 1, 2025, Becky

"Positive Christmas Ideas"

 

Although I've been a bit "under the weather" this past week, and I'm running a little late with my blog post, I'm just thankful to be feeling a lot better, and that I'm gradually catching up on everything.

I wanted to make sure that I got to share with you some positive Christmas ideas that I have since Christmas is right around the corner.

~"There's something about Christmas time, Something about Christmas time, That makes you wish it was Christmas every day" -From "Christmas Time," a song by Bryan Adams

Christmas songs and carols are a big part of Christmas, of course.

A couple of my favorite groups, especially for Christmas are these-

~Home Free is an American country a cappella group with beautiful harmony. I was amazed when I found out that they sing with no musical accompaniment. They do an especially nice job with "O Holy Night." (And so does Josh Groban.)

Greg and I really love the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Our favorite song of theirs is "Christmas Canon."

Also, another idea for Christmas music is to go caroling yourself, along with some other people. 

At the Welcome Center in Abingdon, Virginia 

While out, enjoy the decorations, like at the welcome center (above) and at the-

Abingdon Commons (above) which houses a health food store, a coffee shop with goodies, and a brick oven pizza shop, as well as other businesses.

While in Abingdon, you might want to check out-

the Barter Theatre that is now featuring professional live performances of "A Christmas Carol."

Also, there have already been Christmas parades, "The Nutcracker" ballet, and Christmas craft shows, as well as others, but there are still other places to go, other things to see and do, like going to the Appalachian Caverns for their Christmas tour to see the underground caverns beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, as well as other decorations. You can view the caverns through the end of December, with the exception of Christmas Day.

Also, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville are all celebrating Winterfest with beautiful displays of lights now through mid-February.

Here are some positive, unique Christmas gift suggestions-

~Give someone something you have made yourself, to someone who would really appreciate it.

(Not all gifts need, or have to be wrapped, however.) For example-

~Give someone who needs one, a smile. (I feel such a positive connection with humanity when I'm out, in a store, for example, and someone smiles at me.)

~Volunteer your time for a good cause.

~Donate food. supplies. or money to your local animal shelter. 

~Even better, adopt one or more animals to take home with you.

We adopted our Mitzi and Kallie at the same time. They have brought real joy into our lives.

Also...

 our Kit-Cat came to us as a stray, a feral cat. She is our outdoor cat, and she seems to love it that way.

Pets can make a really positive difference in our lives. We help them, and they help us.

Besides the above ideas, you might want to check out this website, not only for this Christmas, but even for next year, etc, as well-

https://www.minted.com/lp/christmas-traditions

On the above website, they had a really interesting  article, "25+ Christmas Traditions in the US and Around the World." One of the Christmas traditions was "Spread Joy With Random Acts of Christmas Kindness." A couple of their suggestions are to pay "for a stranger's coffee," and to tape "dollar bills to items in a dollar store." Fun ideas, fun reading!

"During this season of religious services, majestic music, festive gatherings with family and friends, and sharing with souls in need, living from the heart is especially evident." -www.matthewbooks.com

~Positive thought -"Money doesn't bring happiness, but happiness brings money!" "...if you want to attract money to you, the fastest way to do that is to be happy first." -Rhonda Byrne

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, January 4, 2025, Becky

"Positively Inspirational"

 

Sometimes we feel like we need to have some positive inspiration to help us navigate today's world, so here are some positive quotes and ideas to help us on our journey through life.

~"We've known for a long time...that time spent outside lifts your spirits." -Laura Koniver, MD

Let's connect with nature. If we can't be outside, we can look out the window as Greg often does when he can't go out and do gardening or other yardwork. Even looking at pictures of nature-landscapes, etc. can make us feel a lot better. 

Nature can be so inspirational!

~"Join me on a journey into the infinite diversity of our world. Let us explore the beauty of variety in others and ourselves and enjoy the harmonies of every sound, color, and feeling this journey holds in store for us." -Malte Marten, musician

~"I think if the whole world (saw) this video, the world would be a better place." -A viewer's comment after seeing one of Malte Marten's handpan music videos

Pets can be such a wonderful inspiration. We can learn lessons from them. For example-

Our Kallie was a beautiful example of pure, unconditional love.

~"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." -Anatole France

In my Sunday, August 4, 2024 blog post, "Living Positively," I wrote about a man's pet bird, a white parrot, that he had with him in Sevierville, Tennessee, that he was showing off to some other visitors there. 

I had taken several pictures of this pretty parrot, and I had wanted to put one of the pictures in that blog post, but I couldn't, because all of the pictures on my photo card had completely disappeared! I even went to several photo stores, but no one could help me. 

I never gave up hope, however, and I finally asked a woman who sometimes comes by to work with me on our computer if she could help me recover the missing photos. I told her if she could do so, it would be a miracle.

It turned out that she recovered nearly all of my missing photos! I told her that she was a miracle-worker! People like her are a real inspiration!

And here is one of my miracle photos-

~"Expect a miracle! Miracles happen every day." -Josie Grouse

An extremely important presidential, etc. election in the United States is coming up this Tuesday, November 5, 2024. For the sake of our country and for the sake of the world, please take the time to vote if you haven't already, not just for the next president, but for the others who are running for different other offices, as well.

Greg and I voted about a week ago, and before we voted, we asked ourselves this important question- "Are we better off now than we were four years ago?" The answer to that, for us, was simple.

~"America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea." From "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, positive, inspirational, and blessed Thanksgiving!

Positive thought- "May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door." -Irish Blessing

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, December 7, 2024, Becky

"Positive Actions"

 

Becky Arnott Photography

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."- Albert Camus

In this blog post, the focus is on positive actions.

Even in tumultuous times, we can still focus on the positive. For example, during the recent Hurricane Helene disaster, which was mainly devastating to many of the people who live in our Southern Appalachian area, caring people have been helping other people either through actual physical help, as well as giving donations of food, other much-needed items, and money, locally. (Some of those that volunteered used helicopters, etc. to help rescue people, and some even came from long distances like Texas. One woman we know even had a fundraiser to help out. People like these are heroes!) 

(Giving locally ensures that the donations go to the right places. One of our local small grocery store chains partnered with other local agencies to collect here in our area. Our church, as well as many others, collected for the hurricane victims. Greg and I always give locally.)

Also, Mike Adams (www.healthrangerstore.com) has sent several pallets of organic food to help out areas affected by the hurricane.

(And here's an important message for all of us- "We suggest having on hand two or three weeks' supply of food and water for family and pets, flashlights, and other emergency essentials."- From www.matthewbooks.com)

Oftentimes, in our modern-day world, with our day-to-day activities, we often forget to help those in need. Used to, in the past, neighbor often helped neighbor with barn-raisings, etc. It's good to get back to that instead of being so wrapped up in our electronic devices, etc. and not even knowing or interacting with our neighbors.

However, it's good to know that when the chips are down, good people will come to the rescue of others.

You know, we also need to stand up for ourselves as well as others. We need to take back our power, and to do things such as supporting the things that we care about.

Let's hug and cherish our precious pets and other loved ones-

Mitzi and Kallie

I believe in the power of prayer. Prayer is simply talking positively to God. Prayer can be very powerful. It can help us, our loved ones, our friends and neighbors, and it's especially good for those who are going through an extraordinarily difficult time, like the victims of the recent hurricane. 

If you feel that you need extra prayer help, there is always your local church, etc. Also, there is online help such as www.jgminternational.org .

There is a very positive, important action that we Americans can take now to insure a positive, bright future for our country, and that is to-

Vote for peace, prosperity, and freedom!

May God bless America!

Positive thought: 

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, November 2, 2024, Becky

  

  

"Positive Words, Positive Thoughts"

 

"...September days are here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer."- Helen Hunt Jackson

September is a transitional month, with fall right around the corner! (Sunday, September 22, 2024)

This time of year, I really enjoy being outside, sitting on the front porch, enjoying the late afternoon sun, and smelling the sweet fragrance of the last of summer's sweet flowers wafting through the gentle breeze. Birds are singing their little songs. A little later in the day, Greg and I often enjoy spectacular sunsets that help make our Appalachia Mountain area look even more beautiful. (Just like snowflakes, no two sunsets are exactly the same.)

In a few weeks, the green leaves will, of course, give way to the colorful reds, yellows, and oranges of fall.

I'd like to share with you some positive words, and some positive thoughts that you might find helpful-

~Open-minded- I generally like the old TV comedy shows, and so does Greg. We tend to have the same sense of humor, but Greg also really likes old adventure shows like "MacGyver." I'd never seen one of  the "MacGyver" shows before, because I didn't think that it was something that I'd be interested in. Then, one day, I was in the living room when his show was on, and I actually watched some of it. Very interesting! I found out that MacGyver uses ingenious hacks to help him be successful against the bad guys, and bad women. I was impressed. 

Greg loves the show so much that I gave him MacGyver-type items for his birthday which included a Swiss Army knife.

Now, I try to be a little more open-minded, and I'm learning to appreciate other people's tastes that might be different than mine.

~Do-it-yourself- Greg and I like to make a lot of the things that we use around the house, and I also like to make some of my own personal items. Between us, we make gnat traps, cleaning products, liquid hand soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, weed killer, etc. Doing this saves us money, and it's also a lot healthier! 

~Optimism- Dr. Bob Martin says that optimism is a key to health and longevity. He says to be around people who are optimistic and uplifting. Also, he says to train yourself if you are not naturally optimistic-to read books that help you to be more positive, and to do positive self-talk.

I'd like to add that I found that it's important to be careful about what we listen to on the radio or watch on TV and the Internet, etc. I ask myself how I feel after watching or listening to anything. If it makes me feel less than positive, I simply don't watch or listen to it anymore. Life is too short to dwell on negativity.

~Joyful- "20 Handpans / Handpan Choir & Malte Marten" This is a joyful presentation on YouTube of  musicians joyfully working together to create a musical mini-masterpiece. It's so inspirational that it makes you want to grab a handpan and join in on the fun! Besides, handpans are tuned to Hertz frequencies which are supposed to be healing.

~Happy- When you're happy in life, the law of attraction will continue to line up even more happy circumstances and events for you."- Rhonda Byrne

Also, "Happiness is a warm puppy." -Charles M. Schultz

~Pet Feature-

John and Ashley have a new addition to their household, an adorable new puppy, Lucy Elizabeth-

Positive thought: "I'm unstoppable...I'm invincible...I'm so powerful...I'm so confident...Yeah, I'm unstoppable today..."- From the song "Unstoppable" by Sia and Christopher Braide

Thanks for visiting! Until sometime around Saturday, October 5, 2024, Becky