Encouraging Thunder Award!

Elizabeth Cottrell over at Heartspoken  kindly honored me with the Encouraging Thunder Award for which I am ever grateful.  I’ve never heard of this blog award before and quite frankly had not accepted any awards in quite awhile, but for this one, I’m making an exception. ♥

Elizabeth’s website Heartspoken shows how connecting with others leads to a life filled with love.  There is much to do and to see on her website and I encourage you to visit.  Writing heartfelt notes, connecting with others and encouraging people are just a few of the ways we are alike and I just know you’d enjoy reading her story.

So…here are the rules…

The Rules for the Encouraging Thunder Award:

• Post it on your blog.

• Grant other bloggers the award.

What you cannot do:

1. Abuse or misuse the logo.

2. Claim that it is your own handmade logo.

What you should do after receiving the Encouraging Thunder Award:

• Enjoy the award!

• At least give thanks via comments, likes and/or mentioning the blog that you received the award from.

• Mention your purpose in blogging

 

I think I’ve done everything except to tell you my purpose in blogging.  Instead of rewriting, I thought I’d give you a list of some of the posts I’ve written that have to do with why I blog.  Enjoy!

dp-blogging-addiction

daily-prompt-help

in-harmony

why-do-you-blog

follow-the-yellow-brick-road-with-me

how-to-find-gratitude-in-having-a-tough-life

why-do-we-blog

I am honored to be able to pass along this award to a relatively new blogger who has encouraged connections within the community.  Let’s hear a thunderous round of applause for Danny over at Dream Big Dream Often  who in a short amount of time has made a big impact here in helping others and encouraging bloggers to connect by opening his blog to guests posts, to reblogs, pingbacks, etc. all in the name of positivity, encouragement, kindness and understanding.

Shine On!

xo

P.S.  Today’s the first of September ~ don’t forget to say, rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit!

 

Happily Ever After

Be Happy Forever and Ever

Today I invite you to please celebrate with me my 300th post which I had begun writing last night ~ but when the Universe via the Daily Post served up the topic,

“And they lived happily ever after.” Think about this line for a few minutes. Are you living happily ever after? If not, what will it take for you to get there?

I was left with no other choice but to oblige as I can’t think of a more apropos way to celebrate 300 posts!  I started this blog long ago, back in 2010, but I didn’t pursue it.  Then in 2011, I began to blog again with welcome-to-the-presents-of-presence  and what began as a lark, has grown into a happy hobby which I hope will continue to evolve, to grow and to emerge into a book.  I want to thank you all for connecting with me via your amazing posts along the way which have broadened my horizons and your heartfelt comments which have warmed my heart!  I am so very grateful for every person who stops by my blog! xoxo

Now back to the daily prompt! 🙂

Shockingly for as much as I write about being happy here, I don’t believe in happily ever after in the traditional sense!  I know it sounds strange because I write about happiness much of the time.  However, I believe that happiness is a quotient of what you do in your daily life and it is the benefit that you reap daily every moment of every day that makes a happily ever after, but I don’t prescribe to the idea of living happily ever after because you did x once ~ x can be marrying the perfect spouse, winning the lottery, working at your dream job etc.

Does that make sense?  So to me, there’s no special path that I have to take in order to be happy.

I can just BE HAPPY BY CHOICE!

In fact, I am happy now!  And you can be too!

Need a few ways to find a smile?

1. Look up at the sky and admire the beauty that’s there for you to enjoy!

Blue skies, clouds, rainbows, sunshine, raindrops, snowflakes, the moon, the stars ~ all of it!

2.  Admire nature ~ the green of the grass, the foliage in the trees, the beauty in the flowers.

3.  Look in the mirror and smile at yourself!  You are so special!  You are loved.

4.  Hug yourself!  Hug someone else!  Hug your furry pet!

5.  Count your blessings ~ list 5 good things about your day!

Can’t think of 5?  How about 2 ~ then as the day goes along, you can add to the list!

The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the fact that you woke up today!

6.  Laugh!

7.  Read a blog that’s uplifting!

8.  Write a heartfelt comment to someone!

9.  Turn up the volume and listen to your favorite dance tunes!

10.  Call a friend and chat!

11.  And here’s my smile ~ my gift to you!

I could go on and on, but what matters most is that you realize that…

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE!

YOU HOLD THE POWER of

HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

SHINE ON!

xo

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/daily-prompt-happy-ending/

This is Your Life…

Daily Prompt: This Is Your Life

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/daily-prompt-your-life/

If you could read a book containing all that has happened

and will ever happen in your life, would you?

If you choose to read it, you must read it cover to cover. 

I thought perhaps I’d try one of the daily prompts today.  I started following them awhile back but I never acted upon them.  However, today’s piqued my interest enough to follow through so here I am!

If I could read a book about my life, I most certainly would read it cover to cover.  Through my love of reading all types of books, but especially autobiographies, this would be my genre and therefore a resounding YES as the answer to today’s question.  I love to learn about others and listen to their stories about their lives so I would definitely read my own.  I think it would be fun!

As for the card above, (it’s from SendOutCards  ~ click here for more info).  I imagine that this would be the cover of my book about my life ~ and the title of it.  What do you think? 🙂

I’d love to hear from you!  So…please answer….

1. If you could read a book containing all that has happened and will ever happen in your life, would you?  If you choose to read it, you must read it cover to cover.

2.  Why or why not?

3.  What do you imagine it would be titled?

Thanks for sharing!

TGIF!

Shine On!

xo