Monday Motivation - Never Give Up!

I hope this week fills you with the burning determination to chase your one most desired goal over, around or through all obstacles!   ~ Jaelyn

Wednesday Wisdom - We Would Astound Ourselves

Monday Motivation - Done Will Get You Farther

For many of us, the drive to be perfect can sometimes inhibit our ability to get things done.  Our best intentions fail us.  It's at these times that we have to remind ourselves that no matter how we see something in our minds, if we can't complete it, nobody else will ever be able to appreciate it.

It is much better to show someone slightly less than what you think is your best, than to show them nothing at all.

 Today, keep in mind that "done" will always get you farther than "perfect."  May you have a productive, prosperous, successful week!

Earth's Oldest Trees and the Universe

"If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown!"  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson 

There is so much beauty out there waiting to be revealed.  Beauty that is so much bigger than us and our everyday problems.  Beauty that, however fleetingly, lifts aside the veil between us and eternity.

These pieces of art are actual photographs created by Beth Moon, who traveled to far off locations to capture Earth's oldest trees.  She used extra-long exposures to capture the awe-inspiring backdrop of our incredible heavenly neighbors.  I am sharing these photographs on RBG today, because I want you to feel the same sense of awe and wonder that I did when I saw them for the first time.

Read more about her journey by clicking here.

All rights reserved by Beth Moon Photography.

Aquila, by Beth Moon

Octans by Beth Moon

Lyra by Beth Moon

Andromeda by Beth Moon

Beth Moon's art is truly spectacular.  If you would like to support her by purchasing prints,  contact one of the following galleries:
    
San Francisco, California - Corden Potts Gallery - www.cordenpottsgallery.com
Santa Fe, New Mexico - Verve Gallery of Photography - www.vervelabs.com
Boston, Mass - The Iris Gallery of Fine Art - www.irisgallery.net
Verona, Italy - PH Neutro Fotografia Fine-Art - www.ph-neutro.com
Jerusalem, Israel - Vision Fine Art Photography Gallery - www.visiongallery.com
Sao Paolo, Brazil - Galeria Fass - www.fassbrasil.com
Dubai, UAE - The Empty Quarter - www.theemptyquarter.com
Singapore - Zott's Artspace - www.zottsartspace.com

    

Wednesday Wisdom - Two Roads Diverged in a Wood

Sometimes, a few simple, ordinary words combine in a way that produces magic.

For me, that is what these few lines from a selection of Robert Frost's poetry do.  Taken in context of the entire poem, these words may have a far different meaning.*  But standing alone, these 22 words convey adventure, destiny, freedom and the extraordinary - and make you believe that they are written just for you.

I hope these words of wisdom from one of our greatest literary magicians (whether he intended them to be so taken or not) inspire you to think of your path not just as the road you are walking, but as your own unique destiny, leading you to seldom seen wonders and your own definition of success.  May they also remind you of the futility of regret.

~Jaelyn

*Full text of The Road Not Taken:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This poem is perhaps a tongue-in-cheek look at the inevitable regrets of the indecisive among us, but the magic and beauty of the last three lines has transcended the original poem and taken on a meaning greater than the artist intended.  And after all, isn't that the true value of art?  The ability of each of us to personally interpret the beauty of the creation in a way that reflects our own soul or desires?

Monday Motivation - You Won't Get Far if You Travel in a Straight Line

Isn't this the truth?  What would happen if we only traveled straight?  How would we get past the road blocks, walls, mountains?  We certainly couldn't climb the mountain - the hardest way up a mountain is - you guessed it - in a straight line.

May today bring you the determination and empowerment you need to take those turns when they come, as well as the patience to weather the u-turns.  Enjoy the anticipation offered by the bends in the road.  Life really is about the journey - and maybe sometimes the best adventures happen when you go off-roading!  ;-)

Wednesday Wisdom - Everybody Should Believe in Something

Happy Wednesday!

For the majority of my adult life, I have not been much of a coffee drinker - even when working multiple jobs while grinding through college.  I survived what I thought were tough challenges, and green tea (or iced tea, or white tea, or peppermint tea) was always able to get me through.   No reason to drink coffee, right?

And then I had children.  Children who don't sleep.   Thanks to coffee, we have all survived levels of sleep deprivation I didn't know existed.   The babies have long since started sleeping better and I am back to my beloved tea, but forevermore, coffee will have a place in my heart.

So, for those days when you are struggling to get your brain working and just need a warm, delicious cup of energy to get you through, here are your caffeine-infused words of wisdom.

~Anonymous

Now grab your double-shot extra-hot 2-pump mocha latte and tackle all those mid-week tasks like the hyper-focused coffee beast you are!

If you need an even larger dose of energy injected into your day, check out this post.
~ Jaelyn

Monday Motivation - Courtesy of Shia LeBeouf and the Internet. WARNING: Intense Motivation Included.

You need some motivation, and Shia LeBeouf is going to give it to you!   Apparently, he was filming some green screen material to help students, and the internet had a field day with it.  This one is awesome - a TED Talk parody.  And if you've never seen the real TED Talks, DO IT!  They are great!