"Positively Inspired!"

 

"We love, because God loved us first." (1 John 4:19)

This is such a wonderful time of the year, with the beauty of nature and the Easter holiday with its special church services, Easter baskets filled with colorful eggs and chocolate bunnies, and special traditional meals shared with loved ones. 

Some people celebrate the holiday in non-traditional ways, like celebrating on another day of the weekend, or having a meal at a fast food restaurant, etc. ( It's okay to just celebrate it your way! We can be creative!)

All of these special things help to make us feel positively inspired. They can keep us from being in a rut.

To be inspired generally means to create a positive feeling.

We don't have to wait to be positively inspired because we can feel positive every day of our lives! During challenging times, it's good to have things that inspire us.

Here are some things that have helped inspire me be happy and positive-

~Walking, taking pictures, etc. in nature. (Once while on a walk, Greg and I came upon a woman who was painting a picture of the beautiful scenery.)

~Being with happy, positive people

~Watching funny shows, DVD's, etc.

~Planning and doing special nearby trips. You don't have to go abroad or across the country to have a wonderful time. There are so many nice things to do in our own back yards!

~Doing things often that I enjoy, like writing, crafts, etc. (What do you really enjoy doing?)

Beautiful music can be inspiring. I especially like these two songs- 

~"Hero" by Mariah Carey- ..."Look inside you and be strong, And you'll finally see the truth, That a hero lies in you."

~"Unstoppable" by Sia- ..."I'm unstoppable today..." -I first heard this heartfelt song on the Dr. Bob Martin radio show.

(These two talented women, who write songs, as well as sing, overcame adversity to share their great talents with the world.)

Here are some inspiring thoughts from other people-

~"Today is another chance to get better." -Unknown

~"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -Henry David Thoreau

~"All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving toward them." -Viola Davis

~"Prayer is powerful." -Julie Green

~"If you have zest and enthusiasm, you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind." -Norman Vincent Peale (His wonderful book is "Enthusiasm Makes the Difference.")

Here are a couple of inspirational people and their websites-

~ www.Intuition-Physician.com (Dr. Laura Koniver, who has a background of abuse, helps others overcome various illnesses with natural healing techniques, etc.)

~ https://ct.liveyourtruth.com (Carol Tuttle, who had a rough childhood, helps others dress better, look more beautiful, and live better lives.)

"Easter is a day rooted in faith, in gratitude, and in the quiet reminder of what matters most." -Good Ranchers

~Positive thought: "If you are feeling good, it is because you are thinking good thoughts." -Rhonda Byrne, "The Secret"

~Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, May 2, 2026, Becky

"Spring-New Beginnings"

 

And Welcome Spring!

If our new year's resolutions have not worked out as well as we would have liked, spring is a wonderful time to start anew!*

~"Spring with its blooming flowers, warmer weather, and longer days, is often associated with new beginnings and fresh starts." -LPI Legal Professionals, Inc.

Although spring doesn't officially start this year until Friday, March 20, Greg and I are getting a bit of a head start on spring this year-

First of all, we are still working on our circadian rhythm which I mentioned in my last two blogs posts. Although we are the wolf type, which stays up later than the other chronotypes, we were staying up way too late at night, even for our type. Working on this was our new year's resolution this year.

We had made some progress on this, but we're doing even better now since daylight savings time started a few days ago, and we're also inspired by spring which does represent new beginnings.

In fact, we have not done this well, turning in to sleep at an earlier time in years! Since we are so happy that we are so close to achieving our goal, we decided to reward ourselves with a fun trip in a couple of weeks. It's really good to reward yourself for a job well done!

However, our best, most important reward is that of improved health, physically, mentally, and emotionally, as we continue to follow our circadian rhythm type, getting the right amount of sleep we need during certain hours of the night. We hope that meeting our personal goal will inspire others to do the same.

Spring is also a wonderful time to work on the place you call home.

~"Spring is the time of plans and projects." -Leo Tolstoy, "Anna Karenina"

Greg recently changed our kitchen faucet, and I decided that this was a great opportunity to organize the things under our sink. It didn't take that long, and it was very rewarding. Things are much easier to find now.

Spring can inspire you to be more creative.

I'm planning and working on a new art/craft project. I thought of the idea while I was writing my book about Southern Appalachia that should be published in a few weeks, in the spring!

Happy Spring!

*Actually, any time is a good time to start or even restart something if you feel like you are ready.

~Positive thought: "Spring is far more than just a changing of seasons; it's a rebirth of the spirit." -Tamara Myers

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, April 4, 2026, Becky

"Love Yourself, as Well as Others"

 

 

It's February, and I guess most of us think about Valentine's Day on February 14, when we buy or make valentines, and when we make or buy gifts for the special people in our lives which is, of course, wonderful that we think of our loved ones on this special day.

However, there is also a little-known, more recent, unofficial holiday in February, on the 17th, My Way Day. This is a special day to do whatever you would like to do. Wow! Imagine doing that!

If you could spend the whole day any way you'd like, what would you do? You could plan ahead by making a list of things that you'd like to do that you haven't done in a while, or maybe even something that you've never gotten to do!

You could just do the things you'd enjoy doing by yourself, or you could even go with a friend or a relative or your spouse somewhere, and you could do your fun things while the other person does what she or he might want to do. You could work out a plan. Sounds like fun!

For the first time, Greg and I will be celebrating My Way Day together this month. We have planned to go to a place we both like for lunch, and then afterwards, we can go places and do things we'd individually like to do. For instance, I'm planning to visit a new shop in town while Greg enjoys his favorite coffee shop. He said he'd like to try out a new coffee there. 

Then, back at home, Greg plans to see a DVD he's never had time to watch, while I'll curl up on the couch in the study to enjoy a book I'd been wanting to read.

Should be a memorable day! Adventure awaits!

We may decide that we don't have to wait until My Way Day next February to do things that we'd like to do. We might even have a My Way Day once a month or even once a week, if we plan it into our schedule. Why not? 

Wishing you a very happy My Way Day on February 17, as well as many other My Way Days!

Just remember to love yourself, as well as others.

Pet Feature-

How to be cozy on a cold winter day!-

Our Mitzi knows how to enjoy My Way Day every day!

Also-

~And, here's an update on following our chronotype each day-It's still a challenge for us since we have been used to our old schedule for so long, but we're making good progress. We'll continue to update you each month on how well we're doing. For more information about chronotypes, check out my blog post from last month-"Some Ideas for a Happy New Year!" published on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

~Positive thought: "I give myself space to breathe in the moment and recognize there is beauty in life's pauses." -cupofcharisma.com

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, March 7, 2026, Becky

"Some Ideas for a Happy New Year!"

 

A Visit at Christmas 

2025 is now behind us, and we look forward to a brighter, more positive new year!

Have you made out any new year's resolutions for 2026?

I made out my resolutions a couple of years ago, and I review them almost daily to help me stay on track. I change them as needed.

This year, Greg and I decided that we need to follow the circadian rhythm a lot more. Most specifically, and importantly, we need to turn in earlier at night. We researched, and discovered that people are four different chronotypes. Our type is the wolf. A wolf stays up later at night and likes to get up later in the morning. That's fine, except we stay up too late at night, even for our type. (My parents were both night people, so I come by it honestly!)

We're working on that now, and we're gradually doing a lot better. In a couple of nights, we should reach our time goal. We just need to maintain it.

If you'd like more information about chronotypes, just do an online search. You might even want to take the chronotype quiz to discover what type you are.

Would you like to make some improvements in your life? If so, here are some ideas that you might want to consider, words of wisdom from some experts in their fields-

~"Point your words, your energy, your life in a clear direction, and everything starts to organize around that choice."-Carol Tuttle  https://ct.liveyourtruth.com

~"We cannot let our past destroy the future that God has for us." "2026 is blessed."-Julie Green

https://www.jgminternational.org

~"Don't let 2026 be another year where your desires fade with the holiday excitement, allow it to be the year you see lasting transformation."-Rhonda Byrne, author of "Countdown to Riches."

Greg and I wish you a wonderful 2026. Let this be our best year ever!

(Also, I'll let you know in my February blog post how well Greg and I did on following our chronotype.)

Thanks for visiting! Until around Saturday, February 7, 2026, Becky