Category Archives: Photography

Something Good

ericpinksky041. New Architectural Watercolors by Maja Wronska on Colossal. These make me want to get on a plane, immediately.

2. Brightly Painted Stairway in Turkey Starts Revolution Against Drab Gray.

3. 5 Things to Do Before Breakfast for a Happy Day on Elephant Journal.

4. Beck’s new album, Morning Phase. I’m not a crazy Beck fan, but I am in love with this album, although it at first made me super weepy (it’s quite melancholy).

5. 30 Cats And Dogs Losing The Battle Against Human Furniture on Bored Panda.

6. What I’ve Learned as a Writer on Zen Habits.

7. Permission To Be Hungry by Meg Worden. Such an important message.

8. “What stands in the way becomes the way.” ~Marcus Aurelius

9. On Messing Around from Lisa Congdon.

10. Old stories from Kat McNally.

11. Treasure Hunt: Color Collecting is Andrea Scher’s new photography ecourse. It looks so fun.

12. 18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently on Huffington Post. There are things on this list that I regularly criticize myself for doing. That stops now.

13. Wisdom from Chögyam Trungpa

People have difficulty beginning a spiritual practice because they put a lot of energy into looking for the best and easiest way to get into it. We might have to change our attitude and give up looking for the best or easiest way. Actually, there is no choice. Whatever approach we take, we will have to deal with what we are already. We have to look at who we are.

14. How to Find Body Compassion on Magpie Girl.

15. On Desire and the creative kindness of limits from Hiro Boga.

16. 33 Ways to Be Childlike Today from Tiny Buddha.

17. Wisdom from Rumi, the poem “The Guest House,” a reminder I need again and again.

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

18. This wisdom, a Note from the Universe. I need to hear it at the same time I don’t want to hear it, don’t want to believe it even though I know it’s probably true.

Protocol Clarification: Jill, in the adventure of life there are no “brownie points” earned for suffering, sacrifice, or tears. Nor for anguish, altruism, or selflessness. In fact, you don’t even get any for generosity, gratitude, or compassion. In time and space there are no “brownie points,” period. Might as well just do what makes you happy.

19. The True Cost vs. Benefits of a Dog. {Infographic} on Elephant Journal. I love this, although in my case the cost has been much higher, and it says nothing of the emotional cost, of having your heart broken in the end.

this one has already cost me plenty

this one has already cost me plenty 🙂

20. 7 Questions I Asked Myself from Executive Coach Michele Woodward.

21. Shared by Susannah Conway on her Something for the Weekend list: What You Learn in Your 40s and “What should I write about?” 33 prompts to unlock new blog posts + stories that need to be told …

22. From Positively Present Picks: “The best journeys answer the questions that in the beginning you don’t even think to ask” (image) and 8 Things To Do Alone… For A Change.

23. To That Guy Who Made a Fat Joke about Me to My Boyfriend from The Militant Baker.

24. 18 New Life Hacks from viral Nova.

Something Good

ericlongwinter031. Time to Thrive, transcript of speech given by Ellen Page on Huffington Post, in which she says,

You’re here because you’ve adopted as a core motivation the simple fact that this world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another. If we took just 5 minutes to recognize each other’s beauty, instead of attacking each other for our differences. That’s not hard. It’s really an easier and better way to live. And ultimately, it saves lives.

Then again, it’s not easy at all. It can be the hardest thing, because loving other people starts with loving ourselves and accepting ourselves.

2. Wisdom from Lodro Rinzler, “Gentleness to oneself is the foundation of the entire meditative path.”

3. How “Fearless” is the new perfectionism from Your Courageous Life.

4. Let thanks land from Jonathan Fields.

5. A Photo Essay: The Lone Tree from Tammy at Rowdy Kittens.

6. Wisdom from Brave Girls Club,

The crazy life is oh so tempting….ohhhh sooooo tempting. It is tempting to go go go and prove prove prove and seek seek seek for apPROVE-al, isn’t it? It is tempting to do what everyone else is doing…and to make it shiny and sparkly and perfect and wonderful and to sacrifice anything and everything to make it so. It is oh-so-easy to get caught up in the competition…in the comparing…in the craziness of what it *seems* like everyone else is doing.

Beautiful friend…pay attention very closely to how you feel when you are giving in to this kind of temptation. Pay attention to how it feels to go faster than you really have strength to go….to prove that you are just as good, or just as wonderful, or just as talented. Pay attention to how it feels to constantly seek for the approval of others. Pay attention to how it feels to enter into the competition…to compare your life with the life of others. If it doesn’t feel good, any of it…….it’s time to evaluate it all.

Sometimes we get so caught up in this way of living that we forget that there is another way to live. There really is another way to live, beautiful soul. We don’t have to enter in to the crazy life…and even when we do….we really can walk away.

It is worth the hard decision of turning around and walking away from a crazy life that doesn’t make sense. It is always always always worth it to go where the peace is….where the best stuff is…….where we can just BE and not feel like we have to BE ENOUGH. We are ALL already enough.

Go where the peace is, sweet girl. You were always meant to have peace.

7. How an On-Air Panic Attack Improved My Life by Dan Harris.

8. Wisdom from Kris Carr, “Confidence and self-reliance come from a deep trust in yourself. You know that you’ve got your back and that no matter what, you will not abandon yourself.”

9. Wisdom from Meryl Streep, “This is your time and it feels normal to you, but really, there is no normal. There’s only change and resistance to it and then more change.”

10. Artist Turns Fellow Train Passengers Into Funny Cartoon Characters with His Post-It Note Doodles.

11. Remembering Maggie Estep from Neil Gaiman.

12. What I won’t and will miss, a list from Norah Ephron.

13. Uncommon Advice to Heal a Broken Heart, Susan Piver on Huffington Post.

14. College Students Scared Straight Prank. I don’t want to laugh, but I can’t help it.

15. A Lost Dog Story from Mark Hass.

16. Wisdom from Henry Miller, “Let us do our best, even if it gets us nowhere.”

17. Truthbombs from Danielle LaPorte: “Be willing to start over” and “Start leaving what you want to leave. Your future is waiting.”

18. More wisdom from Brave Girls Club,

Dear Sensitive Girl,

Your soul is whispering something to you. Slow down so you can hear it.

You know what do to…..your heart is smart, and it is telling you in a million different ways. You can trust it.

You know exactly what to do….you really do. Listen to those whispers….they are leading you toward all that is good and right for YOUR life.

You are so brave, you are so wonderful, you are so on track.

You are so loved.

xoxo

19. The story of Owen and Haatchi on Viral Nova.

20. An Awesome Book of Love, “Yael Staav’s poignant and emotional interpretation of Dallas Clayton’s celebrated storybook, An Awesome Book of Love, shows us that love is truly humanity’s greatest gift.”

21. Jump Off the Busy Train for a Simpler, More Passion-Filled Life on Tiny Buddha.

22. The Complete Guide to Not Giving a Fuck on Medium.

23. On Softening to Pain on Zen Psychiatry. Since I read this, I can’t stop asking myself this question, “How can I soften into this?”

24. Warning: Do not read this if you enjoy clinging to excuses that prevent you from making art, moving forward + doing wonderful things from Alexandra Franzen. No more excuses.

25. A story from Elizabeth Gilbert on Facebook that will make you think.

26. Rachel Cole’s 5 Essentials for a Passionate, Well-Fed Life on The Kitchn.

27. Laurie Wagner on breaking a love affair with the screens that fuel our lonely habits on Flourish. P.S. There’s still time to sign up for her ecourse, Telling True Stories.

28. Should spiritual teachers be paid? from Susan Piver. (Recognize that shrine? It’s on my writing desk.) According to the logic of the original email, it would suggest that doctors and teachers shouldn’t be paid either, that if you are fulfilling a need you shouldn’t be compensated. I don’t buy it.