Enthusiasm

Did you know the etymology (origin; root) of enthusiasm is: "possessed by a god, inspire." [en-, in + theos, god] (New World Dictionary) That fascinates me. The literal definition of enthusiasm is to be   possessed by (a) God. Looking at it a different way, consider the antonyms (opposites) of the word; apathy, indifference, half-hearted, listlessness. Is it just me, or doesn't that provide a clue as to how we could conduct ourselves?

Okay, I can hear you now--"Dude! give it a rest, already. You talk about God too much." Fair enough. Even though I've said I don't care if you believe in God or not, (and I don't) lets look at it from a different point of view. Watch this 2 minute and 57 second link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx5IX3Nwu_M

No word about God was there? Just a practical approach to improving your life. The emphasis of what she is promoting is a gratitude list to be thankful for. From a LIFE COACH no less! And what Sarah suggests will increase your enthusiasm (possessed by a god) is to be grateful. (see life as gift) Where we differ is that I contend that an ASPECT of God is revealed in the process. If we take the literal definition of enthusiasm, we are privy to an aspect(s) of God (energetic, vigorous, passionate, warmth).

Application: For one week, try the following. When you get up in the morning repeat: 1) I will greet this day with love in my heart. [~Og Mandino The Greatest Salesman in the World] 2) Sing (or what passes as singing for you) Oh what a beautiful morning-Oh what a beautiful day-I've got a beautiful feeling-Everything's going my way. [~Oklahoma! Rodgers and Hammerstein] 3) Do your best to believe it. 4) See what happens.

Sacred Feminine

                  Francis Dee

Little boy looking in a candy store
Shoe's scuffle rhythm on a hardwood floor
But what can you tell him, what can you do
Little boy's dream can't ever come true

Pennies in his pocket he ain't got
"Just look, don't touch!" is his poor lot
But what can you tell him, what can you do
Little boy's dream can't ever come true

Eye's grow wide and heart beats fast
He knows how long that sucker would last
But he'll never taste it, he'll never know
Candies out of reach and his heart aches so

Oh! for a bite from that caramel bar
Or just a few of those chocolate stars
But he'll never taste them, he'll never know
Candies out of reach and his heart aches so

This story is over save one sad fact
Just a single change in this whole act
The little boy's me and I feel the same
As the kid in the store when I hear your name

~WPG

Eeny Meeny Miny Mo

There are a number of idea's floating around in my head for today's post. They will have to wait, though, as I explain yesterday's double post. (as if you noticed, right?) Some background information might be helpful. Monday I took Gwenn to lunch. (you can meet Gwenn at this link)

http://wpgrogan.blogspot.com/2013/07/gwenn-jones.html

It was a small way of thanking her for the work she put in formatting "The Last Enchanted Forest" in a way acceptable to Smashwords. Believe me when I say it has been a "battle royal." We actually started with Amazon and had it available there. But I wasn't happy with the results and immediately had Gwenn pull it. Nearly 6 weeks later, and with a different distributor, we can be located on a public vehicle. The upside about Smashwords is they can offer the book in any format under the sun. (i.e. Kindle, E-pub, etc.)

During lunch we discussed a number of different ways to market the book. One thing I mentioned was I would like to do a post about the book (Ask And You Shall Receive) but I didn't want to link it, I wanted to have the image (book cover) appear on the page as part of the post. Boom! Yesterday Gwenn e-mails me to look at the blog. Viola, there it was. I responded I had wanted to create a post around the image. She told me to go in and edit it.

And I guess, from a distance, that seems fair enough. To me it was a case of; the cats out of the bag. Fait accompli. I hadn't got to do things the way I wanted and it irked me! I had a scenario in mind and it had been waylaid. Why hadn't Gwenn run this through me? She had given me a ton of grieve for doing the exact same thing to her regarding the printer. (I had 10 copies printed for marketing purposes) What had she been thinking? Why did she feel authorized to post without my expressed approval? I was moving towards a temperamental, artistic snit-fit.

Well, you probably guessed what happened. The blog I posted earlier in the day was, Lighten Up. And it had a cartoon that harpooned the very essence of what I was grappling with. If Gwenn ever left, I would be over. She made the web site possible. She made the e-book possible. I had been hoisted on my own petard. I simply had to let it go...

So what does it all mean? That I struggle like you. That I am a human being with flaws. That the phrase, "physician heal thyself," constantly plays in my mind when I blog. Still, with humility, I contend that the blog is of value. I believe that it is possible that an entry (like yesterdays was for me) can be a reflection of our own foibles and steer us toward more positive outcomes. At least I hope so. Willie (the protagonist in The Last Enchanted Forest) expects no less.

"The Last Enchanted Forest"

A picturesque children's eBook now available on Smashwords.com and http://www.GiftGratitudeGod.com. Enjoy!

Lighten Up

This is exactly how I feel about my modest readership...

http://i.imgur.com/qnADUD2.jpg

Find something to laugh about today. It will do you good.

People Don't Learn

I suppose that is why I have come across another "elder" that I hadn't heard of before. First Louie Zamperini and now Alice Herz Sommer. Both defined to a large extent by their World War II experiences. I wonder if her "everything is a present," (Gift) adds gravitas to the theme of this website? Or do we hear the words, think "how nice," and promptly forget them?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5VTkQKgxkY

I am going to include another link below. It is a 21 Day Gratitude Challenge. It starts tomorrow. Might be time to stop reading and start doing. Of course, that implies you actually want to learn something. And we all know how Alice feels about that.

http://www.kindspring.org/21day/

ENLIGHTENMENT

A story told in pictures...

http://500px.com/photo/45553024

(may take a heartbeat or two for full image to load)