(Do you wander or just wonder?)
With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life. By writing this blog I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way and find joy how you can.
*** Remember, to read past blog posts, go to kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook, check out my blog on my website.
*** If you are not my Facebook friend, yet, please befriend me.
*** The freedom I am experiencing in my travels is a marvelous thing!
*** Going where I want, when I want, and seeing wonderful places and people.
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** I will have secrets to unfold and good news!
I WANT TO TAKE YOU AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!
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INTRO TO THIS WEEK >>
I find myself doing that at times, I am reading something, but my mind is thinking of other thoughts. The key is to make the material you are reading important and focus. That is so important in life, to learn to focus.
The main theme of this week’s blog is “Focus”, something I need to work on, too.
I heard from my friend, Phyllis Lynch. She told me that she loves to read my blog, that she finds a quiet time and settles in to take it in. So great to read her words, I must say. Thank you, so much, Phyllis.
Perhaps you know, I very much dislike when people are unfriendly and they don’t even say “hi”. Now, it seems, people even more self-contained hiding behind the stupid mouth covering. As you can tell, I’m very angry and just want to run to the woods and hide to keep away from humans.
Heading back toward the north now, but I don’t know where to. Maybe over to visit Texas again and Big Bend National Park? Please, help me to decide. And, if you live in any of the southern states, I would love to stop by for a visit, let me know.
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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have an amazing ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.
This is why I find them so interesting, challenging, and important on the path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire yourself.
Inspiration >> The process of being mentally stimulated to do a certain thing.
I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.
You see, the way you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determine everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.
When you change the quality of your thinking, you change the quality of your life—sometimes instantly!
Just as positive words can make someone smile, and/or, a well-timed humorous quote can make someone laugh, our own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control.
You have complete control over only one thing in the universe — your thinking — and that’s where motivational quotes come in!
To be successful, you have to use each day as an opportunity for improvement, to be better, to get a little bit closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule, next to impossible.
But the best part is, the more you accomplish, the more you’ll want to do, the higher you’ll want to reach. So as long as you have the hunger for success, you will always have the power within you to achieve it.
Self-talk is so important—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.
I hope the words I pick do help you.
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BE INSPIRED BY THESE WORDS>>
FOCUS—YOU CAN DO IT!
No matter what goals, schooling, juggling, or work you are currently pursuing, a trained mind is critical for your success. For that reason, I’m sharing ten effective ways to train your brain to stay focused and be productive. Pay attention and apply these ideas! Remember, don’t just look over these words, take them in depth.
1. Plan and Visualize a Few Critical Tasks Each Day
Start small, then work bigger. Our thoughts shape our reality. Why? Because our thoughts generate feelings and passion, feelings lead to action, and action leads to results.
As a part of your morning routine, establish one to three important tasks that must be done throughout your day. Don’t just think of them superficially, visualize them and simulate the feelings you will get after finishing each task. If you truly think about your day’s success, your subconscious will do everything it can to help you turn thoughts into reality.
2. Find Your Peak Hours
I do better in the morning. Some people perform improved later during the day, while others do great during the evening and night. To find your most productive time – the “peak hours” – you should actively measure your productivity during various hours of the day. Find the best time to be productive—for you.
Pay attention to your energy, thought patterns, distractions, motivation, and moods while figuring out your best performance times. Make sure you allow at least a week to establish your peak hours.
3. Avoid Multitasking
Focus on one issue at a time. Multitasking has been proven to reduce our cognitive abilities due to the fact that the brain can only fully focus on one task at a time.
Multitasking can be beneficial in various situations, but you should avoid it as much as you can whenever you deal with important tasks. Give your full attention to the task at hand to improve the quality, the result, and speed of work!
4. Build Your Self-control and Discipline
Very few of us are making real decisions. A judgment is a deal with your mind that no matter what happens, your decision sticks. Therefore, when you say, “I should exercise”, you should immediately replace the “should” with “must”. Otherwise, your brain won’t take your intent seriously and it won’t “care” to help. Train your brain.
Self-control and self-discipline are two related traits that should be developed at the same time. Your willpower is the fuel of your actions. Your discipline is your ability to get past interfering thoughts, comfort zone, and laziness.
Here’s what few others tell you—these skills require consistent practice, building them is not easy, and giving up is not an option for you. The end result is better focusing ability.
5. Treat Your Mind Like a Muscle, Then Exercise that Muscle.
What do you do when you want to build muscles? You exercise. Not just once, but on a regular basis. Training your brain to stay focused is a matter of practice. When your mind gets off subject, refocus! Every time you experience confused thoughts, you have to acknowledge them for what they are – time and attention killers.
It may take training to get your mind to focus engrossed on something. Build your levels of focus gradually. Your first two weeks, try focusing for 20 minutes, take a 5-minute break, then go again. In two months, you should be able to stay focused for 60 minutes and get a lot of things done!
6. Pain or Pleasure?
When we do something, we do it because we seek pleasure or because we want to avoid pain. Think about it – when students must do their homework, they drag their feet because their subconscious mind signals an incoming pain of study. When the deadline is close, they’ll act, in order to avoid the pain of receiving a bad grade from the teacher.
Take this example and synchronize it with your own life. See the end result of your endeavors throughout the process. Every time you focus on a task, acknowledge your immediate response. Are you trying to avoid pain? Or you’re looking for pleasure? When you step back and become the observer, you’ll be able to be in charge.
7. Invest in Your Power of Habits
If you build good habits, you’ll no longer have to use your motivation and willpower to become and/or stay focused. Your mind will recognize the pattern and will make your job easier.
For example, when you wash your teeth and face at night, you’re doing it mechanically without using any significant amounts of focus, energy, and motivation. Building productive habits is like teaching your brain how to behave at different yet specific times. Train your brain.
8. Avoid Any Distractions
You can’t train your brain to stay focused unless you ensure that your external surroundings also lack distractions. Your phone, for example, turn it off. Also, turn off other notifications, say “NO” whenever someone interrupts you, and be committed to cut off every possible distraction around you.
9. Practice Focusing
Focus implies self-awareness. Practicing focusing is nothing more than directing your entire attention to the present moment. Your present thoughts and feelings, the environment that surrounds you, your breath, your heartbeat…you choose. It doesn’t matter what you focus on – as long as you’re “here”, “now”, your mind is present. And, remember, you are always “HERE” and it is always “NOW”.
You can practice focusing in various situations: while reading, working, juggling, studying, washing dishes, walking in the park, and so on. When your focus is prioritized on what’s happening now, you’ll perform better in most situations.
10. Become Independent
Self-determination is the practice of aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Most people lack sovereignty, which means that their emotions are not in harmony with their thoughts and their actions.
Think about things beforehand. For example, if you want to read a book today, but you instantly feel that it’s going to be boring, you’ll never actually read that book. However, if you think of something and you get positive feelings as a reaction, taking action won’t be that difficult. When I read anything, I think about how the ideas can be added to this blog, which keeps me focused.
In Finality
Improving your mind is the main thing. Until you let yourself be carried by your thoughts—immediate pleasures, fear, and pain, you will experience exactly what you “set up”. As they say, you reap what you sow. Good or bad, that’s totally up to you.
Now, it’s time to get out there and do
something incredible that you can rejoice in!
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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
1/29—It’s half past noon on Friday, I’ve arrived at Mallory Square to, hopefully, see some jugglers performing later. Like everywhere in Key West, there are many hens and roosters all around the area here, too. It’s actually kind of amusing.
I could go bike riding, I could walk around the area, well, I have been reading. For some reason, I hardly slept last night. My mind would just not turn off. I hate trying to force myself to get some shut-eye, and, last night I couldn’t.
At this point, I like the town of Flamingo much better than I do here. Maybe I’ll head back there in a few days. I do like this being able to go where I went when I want. I suppose you will find out where are we going, what do you think?
That’s an island on the other side of me.
I did end up walking around the area for a bit at about 2:30 in the afternoon. Then, yes, I did get my bike down and went for a ride. Very nice, I enjoyed that.
As often happens, I don’t know where I’ll be parked to sleep tonight. I guess I’ll find out in the number of hours.
I arrived at Mallory Square between 10 and 11am. There were many open parking places, especially in the handicapped realm. So I grabbed a prime spot. Now, at 3:28, every spot is taken. So, worked out well for me.
I hope you’ll be happy to know but I’m still eating a salad every day sometime between 3 and 4 pm. It’s a habit I started more than 30 years ago.
Often this evening salad will be my dinner, because I’m seldom hungry. Of course, I hope you’re eating well.
Then, of course, I washed my eating with utensils and bowl play right when I’m done. This might be a good habit for you to get into, yes?
1/30—Went to the one McDonald’s in Key West to get online this morning. I could go inside, and they have one outlet to plugin. I feel much better now.
I had a bunch of bread, so I feed the hungry pigeons and chickens outside the van. Then the rooster showed up, cock-a-doodle-doo.
The pigeons could only eat small little bites, then the seagulls showed up. These bigger birds would down a big piece of bread at once. No teeth, I guess they have to.
Got the bike down, went for a long ride, that felt good. I’ll have to do that more often. When’s the last time you went for a long bike ride?
Having a very relaxing day. Laying in the van, I did a lot of reading. Did some biking, did some walking around, cooked up some chicken, and thought of you. Blue skies above, sunshine, couldn’t be nicer.
Okay, for a while I just sat on a wall and watched pretty females walk by. I miss, so much, being in love.
This evening I got to see some more shows!
I saw Will.
I saw Blue.
I saw Jase.
Only one show each for the day—things are different now after Covid. Normally they are able to do many shows each. A new life for all of us.
During day hours Mallory Square is very quiet and deserted. As the sun in going down, people materialize in multitudes. For over 40 years people have been drawn to this area in abundance.
Will Soto (willsotokeywest.com) has been performing at Mallory Square in Key West since 1976. He just turned 74 and is still going strong. Along with Key West, he has traveled about the world performing as he has gone.
In Will’s show, some of the things I saw him do was a great routine with three clubs. He also juggles two torches and ate an apple, which was a delight to the audience. Upon the tightrope he included 3 ball juggling and he juggled 3 machetes. The comedy throughout the show was Magnificent. The show turned out a great hat, if you know what I mean.
Two other acts, much younger than Will, also perform at the Square. Jean Morabal (he goes by the name, “Blue”) and Jase Anderson amaze crowds. Will, who I wrote about above, trained these two excellent jugglers and performers, they both have put together fantastic acts.
Blue does much juggling, as well as riding a ten-foot unicycle. His comedy is excellent as he does a long routine up on the high cycle. He included kicking a hat from his foot to his head as he is up on the high unicycle.
Jase does much with torches in his show. Along with doing an excellent 4 torch routine, with 3 he juggles them over his head while laying down. He concludes his show by juggling 3 torches as he balances a long torch on his chin.
For sleep, I found a spot away from houses off the main drag. Hoping to get a good sleep tonight. I hope you did too, good night.
1/31—It was time for a shower, it’s been a few days. I did a search for “public showers” and came upon Smathers Beach.
Parking my van at about 10 am. the ocean was calling, so I had to go in. It felt pretty good to be in the saltwater. My legs and body have been attacked by mosquitoes. It was good to be clean. After the ocean, there are public showers, so I did. I feel much better to be clean.
One of the main streets in Key West there is a street called Eaton Street. I had programmed in my GPS to arrive at Mallory Square. As I’m going, the GPS said, “Are you hungry? turn left at Eaton Street and grab a bite”. A little comedy for you.
2/1—I didn’t see enough reason to stay in Key West. With the library being closed, and the only place to get on Wi-Fi with at McDonald’s. I headed north again.
Spent the day with Will (whom I already wrote about) and Amy at their home, which is on the next key up and not on Key West. This is so much nicer than being in that City.
They live in a nice trailer with plants all around. This trailer is right next to a canal, so they can get their boat out and go out anytime. This is like paradise.
Will and I cleaned up his yard. You can get big winds, and sometimes hurricanes, which often leaves the yard in shambles. But, living in this lovely area is well worth it.
Happy with my two successful endeavors. Enough city, though, I need to get back to Wilderness, it’s something in my bones. So, off I went t the north and west.
Returning to Big Cypress National Park. From Will, I heard about some of the places to go and wander, so here I go!
First I took 95 South, then to get from East to West I took Route 41. I’ve taken the route before, it’s great.
Then I took kind of a shortcut, but not. Anyway, this road is not used very often. Also, I found a campground right on this road! No host here, only one other camper here.
The road I took off of 41 is CR 94. No other vehicles, the road went through the Everglades. Swampland on both sides of the road. So many big birds of various species, but no Bears or lions or orangutans.
On one side you’re driving down by the Everglades, on the other side, there’s a waterway that goes all along the road.
After arriving at the campground, at first, I thought, Nah. Then I made myself look for wood for the fire. So that will be going on tonight hopefully with photos for you. As usual, I wish you were here.
Right now I’m sitting in front of the roaring fire right now typing this using my voice on my phone. I like this way, then I get more information to you.
If you see me and I have no hair on the back of my hands, Then you know I’ve been dealing with fire. Making a great fire you get some flame on your hands.
Kind of a cool evening, I feel a cool breeze flowing through. The sun is just going down behind some trees and I would love it if some animals made an appearance.
I’m debating in my mind, should I use all the firewood tonight or save some for the morning? I say, use it all tonight. More can be gathered in the morning.
2/2—So, I took route 41 across Florida and then jumped on 94 to the west. The first half of the road was paved, a good dirt road was presented for the second half. A beautiful drive it truly was.
Then I was off again.
First, it was off to Costco to fill up on fuel, since they always have the lowest price.
Then to see my friend Alan, he had told me he would look over my van. All the belts and fluid levels check that all right. Once again, if you are anywhere near Miami and need work on your car, check out Alan at 305-637-8492.
Next, off to the North to see Jack. The handlebars on my bike did not do me well. In fact, I wrote before how I fell off the bike as I was getting on. I asked Jack if I could do work there in exchange for a new handlebar.
I swept up and cleaned up around the whole place. He is currently putting on my new handlebars. Great deals on bikes and bike repairs. Check out >> https://jackthebikeman.org/
2/3—After all the beauty of The Everglades and Big Cypress, I found a Collier Library in Everglade City. I very small place, I was the only person here, but with three people who work here.
While here and online, I got caught up on the news and words for this blog. They close at 4:30, so I’ll be here for another hour.
Parked next to a nice lake near Fakahatchee Strand. I’ll be here for the night, hoping to see some animals.
At the library I was just at, it was a big bowl of plum tomatoes. I asked about them and was told they were brought in by one of the clientele. She told me I could have some, I took 3 for my salads, with a smile on my face.
2/4—Spoke with my daughter April yesterday on the phone. What a joy, always great to talk with her. She sounds quite busy with school and study and new husband and work and so much more. She let me know that in the last couple of days a foot of snow fell to the ground up there. I smiled as I experienced temps in the seventies today.
See their perfect teeth?
As I was driving along I thought I saw a turn off for Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. It was fantastic. I took a walk on the boardwalk which ran through the reserve, three-quarters of a mile in three-quarters of a mile out.
Saw many exotic birds and plants in my walk.
When I got to the end, there happened to be a ranger there. I got a great education about the area from Dave. He said the more than 120 square miles of Fakahatchee State Park, making it Florida’s largest state park.
I learned that there are more native orchid species growing here than anywhere on the planet. Dave told me that the orchids here are one of a kind. Orchids out in the world are all a mixed breed. The ones here in the forest or native and not mixed.
I was told that the wildlife around here includes American crocodile, West Indian manatee, Florida black bears, Everglades mink, and Florida Panthers are living in this park.
I think there was more to see, but I can only stay in one place so long, as you know. So I set my GPS for Marco Island Library. This town is a fabulous place, too. I came here for you, because I need to make sure I am in a place where I can publish my blog tomorrow, Friday.
In the library now working on the blog. I have my mouth covering off, I coughed once, a guy at a table ten feet away from me asked me to put my mouth covering on. I did, but I see that it is guilty until proven healthy. A sad thing life has come to.
2/5—Woke at 1 am and thought I was up for the day, but got another couple of hours of sleep after all. The library opens at 10 am, but I found an outlet outside to charge my stuff. The wifi is not working out here for some reason.
I’m lonely out here, I would love to hear from you.
Either through Facebook or email, kitsummers@gmail.com
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MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU THIS WEEK >>
This week, train yourself to focus, intently, on what you need to. As I have written before, don’t just slide through life, make your life a masterpiece! Learning to focus engrossed in your subject will help.
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NEXT BLOG>>
I may head back to Texas and Big Bend National Park, staying south where it is warmer.
Are you anywhere between Florida and Texas? I would love to visit you. Let me know.
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