inspiration

It’s Just Change

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That makes change sound so simple, so casual, right? Yet just the word ‘change’ can have some of us already feeling anxious, because we so often associate change with something negative.

Photo: towfiqu-barbhuiya / unsplash

But what if we could look at change from a different angle, and consider that all change is ultimately good for us in some way. What if we could take that a step further, and consider that everything is always working out in our favor?

That’s a concept that I would have likely disagreed with a couple years ago. I’ve since changed my mind. However, it does take an intentional shift in perspective. Every experience we have contains within it the opportunity to grow, and to find/be something better.

We can sit and stew and whine and complain about something that’s happening or … we can step back and look at it, and say, `what’s here for me to learn? How can this change benefit me?’ You might be surprised at what you find.

Photo: Ellis Garvey / unsplash, Instagram @ellisgarvey

This doesn’t discount the fact that change is sometimes painful. There is no growth without discomfort or pain. But if we can make that shift in perspective, and be willing to look at the bigger picture?

We can grow and find more happiness, more contentment, in our lives. In whatever time it takes, in the end? It’s just change, and you and I are strong enough to handle it.

Something Wonderful

/ still a dreamer / 8 Comments

I recently learned of a small, very simple tip that actually does make a difference in how you can feel each day, and I thought I’d share.


Photo by Chidy Young / unsplash

Before you go to sleep at night, say to yourself or say out loud, “Something wonderful is going to happen tomorrow.” 
When you get up in the morning, say, “Something wonderful is going to happen today.”  And repeat it from time to time during the day. But each night, each morning.

And it works. Here’s why.

We spend a lot of time in worrying and negative thinking. Wonderful things are going on in our lives all the time, but we often don’t stop and notice. They needn’t be huge. They can be as small as an unexpected call or text from a friend. Someone let you go ahead in traffic. Or you spotted this adorable little toad when you were out gardening. 

My 4-year-old neighbor pointed out this little toad to me. He named him Jumper.

If, each day, you look at the day before to see what wonderful thing happened, you will spot it easily. And that works every day.

I think of it as gratitude through the back door.  Try it.

Tree Hugger

/ still a dreamer / 5 Comments

There was a time that “tree hugger” was a dirty word. If you were accused of being a tree hugger, that was an insult. It meant you were a softie, perhaps a bit tetched in the head because you loved trees.

“Tree hugger” was also the catchall name – a slur – for an environmentalist, someone who loved and respected the rich and diverse life on this planet. And there were, and still are, too many people that view the environment as something to be used and abused.

But to others of us, “tree hugger” is a mighty fine compliment, thank you. I will happily accept your calling me a tree hugger. And if you’re still here reading, and looking at photos, I feel pretty confident that you are a tree hugger, too.

Nice to meet you.

The photographs here are selected from those I’ve taken over the last 10 years or so with my phone or digital camera. I have many others taken with SLRs, but they are stored in other formats, not available on my computer.

Some of these are taken around my own town, others in Frenchtown and Clinton, NJ, Tinicum, PA, and a couple at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ.

They all say one thing – trees are magnificent beings. We can be grateful that they share their beauty with us, season after season, clean our air, offer us shade, and provide homes for so many forms of wildlife.

Have you hugged a tree lately? You might feel a little too embarrassed to brazenly wrap your arms around a tree and hug, but I’m sure a little pat and a quiet `thank you’ would be appreciated.

When Music Finds Me

/ still a dreamer / 13 Comments

I never really know how music finds me when it does. It just does, and I’m always grateful. The song and video below are what inspired me to write this poem.

I’m pretty sure I saw Gladiator a long time ago, but I don’t recall the storyline. It doesn’t matter. It is this music and these visuals that called me to write these words.

The song, played by 2CELLOS and the London Symphony Orchestra, is Now We Are Free, from Gladiator, written by Hans Zimmer.

This was my inspiration:

Colosseum photo by Chris Flxxx / pexels

Why Do I Share Books with You?

/ still a dreamer / 5 Comments

Basically, because getting new books is exciting for me, and Still A Dreamer is about sharing things that I find worthwhile and valuable. Books – and reading – hold a place of importance in my life, and I just went to a huge book sale!

Maybe because I hope to inspire you, and you are ready for some great suggestions. (in my opinion, of course.)

In the top photo, are 6 books I found and purchased from my carefully curated list of 34 books. Celeste Ng’s book is not the original from my list, but a worthwhile swap.

In the photo above are some extras I found – 3 by authors I know and like, a fictional biography enthusiastically recommended to me by a young woman at the sale, and one for a friend.

The total haul? $22.00. You can’t beat that if you’re a reader.

The love of reading was engendered in me from a very, very young age, around 1 or 2 years old, for which I am deeply grateful. I quickly found that books were magic – they took you places you’d never imagined, taught you all your little mind could grasp with joy. Books laid down the path for a lifetime of curiosity, enjoyment, learning, and inspiration in so many ways.

See anything you like? I hope I’ve offered some interesting possibilities. BTW, if you have kids, and they see you reading, you’re already an inspiration for them to develop a lifelong habit of doing the same .

If you are not currently an active reader, or feel it’s too late to learn, find the book that will get your mind lit up and jump in. It’s never too late.

p.s. The day after the book sale, not having found the few “must-haves” on my list, I decided to buy 6 more on Thrift Books. I think I’m set for quite a while now! Stay tuned ….