Positively Planning

by Mauverneen

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  - Saint Augustine

      Having something to look forward to is a great motivator.

      Last weekend I went to the Travel and Adventure Show in Rosemont - a two day wanderlust fest where I picked up a ton of brochures, ideas and giveaways to add to my already overloaded files of places I want to visit.

      Touring the many vendor booths from every state and what seemed like every country around the globe felt like a mini vacation in itself.  

  

      So, after filling several bags with books and brochures from all sorts of wonderful places, I am in the midst of planning a vacation or two. It's hard to decide where to go when one wants to go everywhere, but decide I must!

      “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” G.K. Chesterton

       January in these parts can be a bleak affair. I recall exactly two half days of sunshine in the past three weeks. I would have to check on the accuracy of this assessment, but would guess it's pretty close. It's a perfect time to peruse all those glossy brochures filled with photos of sun splashed beaches, blue skies topping summer scenes of distant snow-capped mountains, and coat-less tourists sipping cool drinks on boats gliding along flower filled landscapes and quaint towns. Something to look forward to.

      “Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs”. Susan Sontag

That quote made me smile because that pretty much describes me. I have literally hundreds of photos, if not thousands. No. I know it's thousands. Capturing my experiences with my camera enables me to relive them again and again, and to share them with family, friends and anyone who reads my blogs. And hopefully to share some of the wonder and the pleasure I get from traveling and maybe motivate someone to take a trip - to somewhere I've been or to somewhere they have always wanted to go. Something to look forward to.

      “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Mark Twain 

      I would like to think Mark Twain is right - people who travel for pleasure are open-minded. After all, they are going places to experience something other than what they see daily. To experience. I wish the whole world was open-minded and welcoming. I want to see places, and cultures and wonders, and not be afraid.  

   
 If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears. Cesare Pavese

      That indeed sounds like the best way to travel.

As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.

                                       However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!

 

 See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html

                      and visit my website: http://mauverneen.com

Positively Politically Free

by Mauverneen


‘You are what you think’

      I worked hard to come up with a positive blog for this week. I put a lot of time into it. But I think I will save it for another day. The best thing I think we can do to remain positive for today is to not post, repost, like or comment on any political posts. Nada! Not one. We are too polarized here, too angry. Too much looking for a fight. ‘You are what you think’


      So for today, resist the urge to comment, or call someone out, or deliver that perfect stinging comment. For today, let’s let it go. Let’s just wish each other a good day, pass on the funniest animal videos we come across, and look for reasons we are happy to be alive. It’s POSITIVELY TUESDAY - a good a day as any to be kind, to be nice, to be tolerant, and to not get our panties in a wad.
      Breathe in, nice and deep, close your eyes and let it out slow. ‘You are what you think’ Doesn’t that feel good? Isn’t it nice to know you are not going to get upset for one whole day? We can call tomorrow ‘bitching Wednesday’ and let it all hang out. But today - today we will be very Zen-like. All is good. All is calm. All is for a purpose. Harmony and tranquility are the buzz words for today. We will not even consider an unkind thought.


      ‘You are what you think’


      Isn’t it nice to know you are kind, you are good, you are happy. You are loved.

As always, words and photos are my own, and require permission to reprint.

                                       However, feel free to share the blog in it's entirety. In fact, I encourage it!

 

 See more photos at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-mauverneen-blevins.html

                      and visit my website: http://mauverneen.com

Positively Seeing Ourselves

by Mauverneen
      We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way WE are - Talmud.

  

      I found this quote the other day and it made me think. The Talmud is an ancient text, central to Jewish life and law. We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way WE are. An ancient bit of philosophy, an ancient piece of advice that couldn't be more appropriate for today's world.

      How true. Our individual outlook on life, our attitude, creates our world. We each see the world through a distorted lens - a lens of our own creation. A timid, fearful person, afraid of their own shadow sees the world as a scary place. A confident, gregarious individual can't wait to get out there and make new friends. A loving person sees the good in everyone while a hateful person will view everyone as worthy only of disdain, to be looked down on.
      We are what we think. We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way WE are.
      I like this quote. I will try to remember it. I would bet that sometimes, when I may view a person or an incident unkindly, or with distrust, or with a lack of generosity, if I remember We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way WE are, it will change everything.
      And those Chicago Cubbies continue to bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Did you happen to see the video of them at the White House? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpFyY9i06bM   In this week of ever more divisive, worrisome news, we had 30 minutes of fun and laughter. People not taking themselves seriously, poking fun at themselves and each other, but with the utmost respect. That is what we need to show a little more of to each other I think - respect. 
      We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way WE are.   

      Have a Positively wonderful day!

Positively Tuesday

by Mauverneen

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Charles R. Swindoll

Well it’s Positively Tuesday again. The one day a week to try and not say anything negative. At all. All day.

This is what I wrote four years ago, just after I started this blog....''.I am tired of hearing so much complaining – nobody likes their job, or their boss, or their co-workers, or their weight, or their hair, or their neighbors. The news is depressing, I am horror struck at times at some of what is happening out there, the looming election does nothing but get everybody riled up, and of course nobody is ever happy with the weather.''
Not much of that has changed. The news is still depressing (which is why I rarely watch it. Reading the headlines is usually enough.) And of course the election is over - in fact, we've had two elections since then and everybody is more riled up than ever.
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
It’s Tuesday – pay somebody a compliment, hold open a door, let someone go ahead of you. Share a joke, share a smile. And don’t forget to be nice to yourself – treat yourself to dessert, a new pair of shoes, a movie or a good cry if you need one. There is pleasure in simple things; rain on the roof, the smell of brownies in the oven, a baby’s laughter, a bubble bath, good food, good company. Music.
I have more than I have not. I try to remember that. I’ve had my share of hard times and bad luck but I prefer the good times over the bad and rehashing the bad only makes me relive it and frankly, once was enough. This is not to say I never complain. Unfortunately I do my share. But it’s Tuesday. I’m Positive. And it feels good to feel good.
I'd like to share the following cartoon. by Joe Fournier, of the Chicago Tribune. It pretty much sums up my attitude of late.



Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

Positively 2017

by Mauverneen




      A New Year, a new start. It doesn't necessarily mean we should be making resolutions we won't keep, but ANY day is a good day to try to be a better person, or a healthier person or a more patient person. And even if we don't make resolutions, I think we all have high hopes for the coming year. I am sure we all hope for more time to do whatever it is we want to do; travel, exercise, read, pursue a hobby, or just relax.
      A new year can be a good time for changes or starting new projects. Which brings me to my point. I have been thinking how this blog has changed over time - evolved, if you will, from a simple idea of trying to be positive one entire day of the week to more of a travel blog. But what could be more positive than travel? So, it seemed appropriate. But... as it became more travel-oriented, it also became less regular. I enjoy sharing the awesome places near and far that I may go and the fun experiences I have but I feel as if I have neglected the original purpose of Positively Tuesday. So... I thought a new year would be the perfect time to reorganize. Getting organized being consistently on my list of resolutions - new year's or otherwise! 
      Positively Tuesday is not going away. But it is going to be more of what I originally intended - a reinforcement of the notion that we can put aside negative thoughts, negative words, negative feelings for at least one day out of every week. I think it is what we need in 2017. A positive outlook, a friendlier atmosphere, a little more kindness in our lives.
      And for those who, like me, feel that travel and new experiences are some of the most positive things we can possibly do in life, I will be sharing that on my NEW blog: Mauve On The Move - coming soon.
      So - Here's to the New Year - I wish you all a Positively Positive 2017! May it bring new experiences, new friends, new joys! And may we all find the time to do the things that bring us peace and happiness.