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"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity." ~ W. Clement Stone If you aren't familiar with the person from this quote, then we're rowing the same boat. If you are familiar with him, you get a look of wonder from me. I really only know (because the quote site told me) that he is an author and founder of an insurance company. Does anyone else find it odd that an insurance guy is encouraging us to say 'no?' Aren't they sort of known for being pushy until they hear a 'yes?' Maybe that's just a stereotype. Anyway, it made me chuckle. Now, this is another great quote. Really meaty. I like using quotes as a jumping off point when I'm not sure what direction I'm going to take the blog entry in. They are good inspiration-sparkers. This one has me thinking not about my own situation (though there are plenty of ways I coul

"Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart, and bids it break." ~William Shakespeare Boy did that man have a way with words. I love Shakespeare. I think his language is like an intricate dance. It's beautiful and earthy and sexy. I know, not everyone agrees with this opinion, but they can write their own blog about those feelings. Today was a rough day and I wanted a quote that would spark a creative way to handle it. I knew I could count on good ole Will.  It occurs to me that songwriters are especially good at giving sorrow words. Today for instance, all I wanted to listen to was Adele. She's my latest obsession. Talk about hitting the mark. If you haven't ever watched her perform, you should. Youtube is an excellent source for videos of hers. Beyond her amazing voice, the lyrics in some of her songs really resonate with me. Singing along to my favorites sometimes help to release the thoughts banging around in my

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be part of a sketch comedy group here in LA called Camerashrapnel. It consisted of an amazing group of super talented people and I loved being a part of it. Sadly, the time came to let the project go but we wanted to go out with a bang. Two of the other members and I got together and wrote a full-length play, rather than our usual sketches. It was one of the best experiences I've had since moving to LA. At one point, the following poem came to me. I wrote it out, not sure if there would be a spot for it or not. But the other writers loved it. We ended up using the title of the poem as the show's title and had one of the characters use the poem in the play. Anyway, I recently came across it again and decided to throw it out in internet-land.  :) Fallout.  Dissect it to find two words.  Neither appeal to the senses.  Defenses creep in and resist The fall - promise of a nasty end.  Pretend it's romantic,  Not frantic.  Images of

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." ~Dale Carnegie I figured out that I wanted to write about fear today and went off in search of the perfect quote. I stumbled upon the above gem and instantly knew that it had to kick off this entry. Not only does it put my laziness in its place; it also lights a pretty hot fire under my booty. Like many people, I definitely struggle with the inertia of fear. I want to talk about a few examples of this and I read in my sister's blog that people like lists. So I'm gonna give that a whirl and feel free to let me know in the comments if my sister is right. Feel extra free to let me know if she's wrong. I'd be happy to pass along that message. ( Love you, Al... ) Here are four things that came to mind when I started thinking about fear today:( I know five would be more of a friendly, rounded out number,

I have been trying to find inspiration for today's blog entry, but I keep meeting resistance. Furry resistance. His name is Jack and he's very intent on keeping me from paying more attention to the computer than to him. In an effort to teach him a lesson, I'm making him the subject of this entry.  This seems to have calmed him down actually. Odd. If my dad told my sister or me that we were the topic of his Sunday letter or sermon, it would have the opposite effect on us. But Jack is the picture of confidence. After all, it's even more than he'd wanted. Instead of simply gaining my attention, he's now gaining the attention of anyone who stumbles upon this site. ( Thanks family! )  I found Jack before I even moved to LA. He was a Craigslist kitten. I'd already decided that I wanted a cat when I moved across the country. But I didn't want to wait until I moved to start looking. It's like shopping a few days before payday. You gotta get a wish

"God hides in the details." ~Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Part of the reason for doing this blog, beyond copying my sister, is to get back in the habit of writing. Being able to settle in and free write about whatever is on my mind for the day helps feed my creativity. It's only the second day and I already want to start about five projects all at once! But today I want to free write about a trip I took in the 7th grade. I came across the starting quote last night when I pulled down a book I've had for ages called "Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within." It's by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and each chapter begins with a quote. When I read this one, it sparked all sorts of inspiration. Good quotes do that, you know. But when I woke up thinking about it this morning, it was in reference to a mission trip I took with my dad to Guatemala when I was in 7th grade. Now, before you start thinking I was some do-gooder, wise-beyond-my-yea