With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.

*** To read past blog posts, go to >> kitsummers.com/blog/
*** If you are reading this through Facebook, check out my blog on my website.
*** Thanks, my wife, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I was hit by two different trucks, one involving a 37-day coma.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK >>
Sleep-Wilderness-You?
Is wilderness part of your life?

Starting in my teens with the boy scouts, the out-of-doors has been a big part of my life. After significant life changes, I hit the road and visited as many national parks as possible. For about six years, I traveled, lived in my van, and visited every national park in mainland America.

Just seeing these different locations, advanced my life. When you get back to nature, it is so fulfilling and truly life-changing. Get out to nature as often as possible; you will find relief and relaxation.

Here are some other ways to relax and release with nature >>

1- Escape
Come to where I live, in the woods, and you’ll soon find that you’ve left the moody crowds, the barrage of commerce, and the giant cloud of pollution far behind you. You’re now free to explore a completely natural environment. There are no advertisements, screens, or barriers between you and the outside world!

2- Self-improvement
The modern world has us seeking constant entertainment and/or gratification at every turn – and that’s just not healthy for you! An easy way to escape this is to change your environment and get away from nature! You need to expose yourself to healthy food, a fun way to exercise, and an environment that encourages you to switch off from the strains of this daily life. Change is a good thing.

3- Natural Environment
Experts and you are convinced that plants and the natural world make people feel better, have mental benefits, reduce stress, and improve concentration. So how about heading to a natural wilderness surrounded by lush green fields, trees, and picturesque coastal areas when possible?

4- Exercise
Running, sea kayaking, juggling, swimming, jumping, and hiking are possibly the most fun ways of doing exercise without knowing you’re getting physically fit! Instead of being surrounded by the same four walls and sweaty gym, you’ll be too busy enjoying the stunning views to realize how fit you’re getting in this different environment!

5- Clean air, plants, and sea breeze
No polluting your vision in the city, no car exhaust fumes, industrial pollution, and no litter as far as the eye can see – This is a world away from where you are right now. You need a good dose of country air and wilderness or the beach, combined with a gentle sea breeze to blow away those cobwebs and remind you what clean air tastes like!

6—Meet different people!
How many new people do you meet each day?
Do you even look for new people?
Sure, you might be crammed in with many others on a bus like a sardine in a can, but do you ever say hello and meet others?? Take the time to meet people and get to know some of them. It will add to your life—there’s, too!

7—When you are by the sea!
Many people believe humans are happiest by the ocean. It is believed that fresh sea air is good for your sleep, and it has healthy negative ions that accelerate our ability to absorb oxygen. Negative ions also balance serotonin levels, a chemical linked to mood and stress. This is precisely why you feel more alert, relaxed, and energized after when you are near an ocean!

9- Slow down
You can take a weekend and do a wilderness adventure at any pace you wish! Sure, you might not get to determine the speed you’re falling at as you might leap off the cliffs into a green ocean, but the environment here is guaranteed to let you relax and have fun at your own pace. Whatever your outing, take your time and relax.

10 – Pleasure
Just because you’re having outdoor fun away from home doesn’t mean you have to sleep in a cramped tent or the cold! This is your time; perhaps you want some friends to join you and have fun. Find time to get away and do just that.

What new stories are you ready to write?

********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

I find them so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.

Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

WHEN YOU IMPROVE 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 amusing quote can make someone laugh, your 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 keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
REMEMBER, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS FROM JOHN MUIR INSPIRE YOU >>

“In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
“Between every two pine trees, there is a door leading to a new way of life.” – John Muir
“How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!” – John Muir
“None of Nature’s landscapes are ugly so long as they are wild.” ― John Muir
“Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. Sleep in forgetfulness of all ill.” ― John Muir
“Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods.” – John Muir
“Going to the mountains is going home.” – John Muir
“Earth has no sorrow that earth cannot heal.” – John Muir
“Wander a whole summer if you can…time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will lengthen it and make you truly immortal.” – John Muir
“And into the forest, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” – John Muir

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
And time seems to be going faster all the time.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Do this for a few weeks, and you will see your time differently.

2/25—More work on the above-ground gardens today. They should supply a lot of food for us. Have you set up yours, yet?

2/26—Sunday, went to church today. Beth’s friend, Wendy, invited us to join her at firstbethany.org. I’ve been to churches across the US, one in New Zealand and one in England. Sorry to say, there is not much difference in presentations between any of them.

I continue to not believe in any of the gods humans have created. There are many more important things to think about, like living life.

My wife went to church every week and believed.

She wrote these words recently:

Today is Sunday, church day for many, especially here in the Bible belt. Kit and I were invited by my friend, Wendy, to visit her church just down the road a bit from us. This morning, we attended the First Bethany Baptist Church. I will be telling this from my point of view, not my husband’s.

My back story, in brief, I attended church my whole life, from birth until around 10 years ago. And may I say, I. Was. Involved. Walking into First Bethany Baptist Church filled me with nostalgia so strong, I wanted to cry. The people, the music, and the memories came flooding back. Growing up in church with my family, especially my sisters, made me miss this so much.

And then, the sermon. My views have nothing to do with the pastor, personally. Pastor John is truly a kind, gentle man, and it was obvious to me that he wants to help people. The sermon was like most, and I have heard them all before. I was in church for over 50 years, and I’m old. There is nothing new under the sun. I felt like I was at book club and the leader discussed our monthly novel. The resurrection of Jesus was proof that everything he said was true. I beg to differ.

History has similar stories. It all depends on which one you choose to believe if any. Attis, Romulus and Remus, Dionysus, google their stories. Never take someone’s word on anything. Do your due diligence.
https://gsgriffin.com/2016/12/08/other-gods-born-to-virgins-on-december-25-before-jesus-christ/
and
https://gsgriffin.com/2016/12/08/other-gods-that-rose-from-the-dead-in-spring-before-jesus-christ/

None of these stories, including the story of Jesus, is proof of anything. What I once had was faith and belief without proof. The books these stories are in are not proof of anything real. It all depends on your own need to believe.

Let me try to explain how I see things:
Suppose you, the believer, were to attend a church with me, a non-believer. My church is MUFON (Mutual UFO Network). People have been hearing about aliens all their lives. Sometimes you believe the stories, sometimes they sound too hokey. Sometimes you want to believe them because a close friend or relative deeply believe and are very involved.

But for you, there is no proof. All you have are people telling you what they saw and what happened to them. The “minister” at the pulpit leading the story, and the congregation are all wonderful, kind people But just because they believe in their “religion” does not make it true. But thank you for attending for my sake. Now I feel better that I have exposed you to my reality.

I do feel things deeply. Once, I was in church with a friend and heard angels singing. I was so overcome with emotion that I’ve never forgotten this experience. Did angels sing to me? Probably not. I have no proof other than a feeling.

I saw my favorite band, YES, play in Philadelphia at the Spectrum. (I don’t care what they call it now. For me, it will always be the Spectrum). One song, in particular, hit me in the “feels.” To this day, I can remember how the music felt as it went through my entire body. (no, I was not high) That was the most beautiful feeling. At that moment, if any band member had told me to come to follow them, I’d have gone. Feelings are not reliable.

Today I need tangible proof. The Bible is a book. I read lots of books. Jesus, the man, may be a real person documented in history, but he is not the son of any god. Nor was he born of a virgin. (Can you seriously believe that a virgin child (Mary was 13-14 years old) gave birth because a spirit flew over her, but you don’t believe sightings of Aliens, which have been documented many more times than an actual virgin birth?) I shake my head at the things I was taught to follow.

I have so many more examples of why I do not believe and none as for why I should believe. Maybe in the next blog. I am happy for those who are content to believe in a god. If that is what you desire, great. I can respect that. And I understand it. I was once one of you.

And I won’t denigrate you for believing what you do. I thank you for caring enough about me to invite me to church, or to tell me that you will be praying for me, but I respectfully ask that you stop trying to bring me back into the fold because you think you are right, and I am wrong. If I wanted to be a sheep, I’d have bought a farm.
(Thanks for writing that, Beth.)

2/27—I went back to the doctor today; this was about my allergies, which have gotten much worse. She prescribed me a nose spray to help; she seems to be doing that.

John Sacchi has contacted me about filming a TV movie about my story that will inspire millions to advance to a higher level.
Here is about John >> https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-sacchi-722b9661/

2/28—Today is my birthday!
On Facebook, I put a post with “When I’m 64”, the song by the Beatles.

Beth took me out to
https://el-sombrero-mexican-restaurant-grill.business.site/
where we meet up with friends, Nancy Baschnagel and Lee Haskins.
Lee and I have the same birthday today.

3/1—Right now, we are sitting in the back of our house on the deck I built, enjoying nature. The wilderness is right out our back door, which is nice. Hopefully, it is not too far from you, the benefits of witnessing nature, and much more.

3/2—Off to Lowes again to get stuff to finish projects. I had to buy some more compost, peat moss, and vermiculite. These are the essential ingredients to make healthy dirt. I also added some dirt from our land. Once I add this, our gardens will be ready to supply us with much to eat.

3/3—We are set up to collect rainwater. You must know, every time you flush your toilet it costs for water. Yesterday I picked up a small bucket. We keep the bucket, full of rainwater, next to the toilet. Every time we need to flush we pour the bucket of rainwater in. No more cost to flush the toilet!

To collect rainwater from our roof, I purchased a 50-gallon container for the back of the house and a 100 gallon for the front. I purchased these through >>
https://www.vingli.com/products/vingli-50-gallon-collapsible-rain-barrel
and, watch this >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT-7zxVhuuU&ab_channel=Freshnss

I built stands about five feet tall to go under the rain-barrels. That way, the water collects up and gravity will bring water to hoses to water the plants—these stands I placed next to the down-spout. Then I cut the down-spout to just above the rain-barrel. I bought a four-foot flexible tube to bring the rainwater from the downspout to the barrel. Also, I have gutter screens over all the gutters. Now, every time it rains, the rain-barrel is replenished.

We use this for flushing the toilet, watering plants, and later, showering. Also, after running the rainwater through a filter, we can drink it—no more water costs. Being self-sufficient is a better way. Might you try it?

I hope my ideas have helped you in your life.

Is it time to “make” things happen and live a fuller life?
“Make” a great week for yourself.

******************

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK > >

Examine and decide where you will be placing your rainwater-collection system.

Do something new, daily, then keep doing it for the rest of your life.

*******************

NEXT BLOG

It’s been a while, time for me to get back in the kitchen and produce some of my homemade salsa, some of my Japanese Salad Sauce, and, maybe, more of my chocolate chip cookies (my recipe.) I will include recipes; what will you make this week?
*******************

THIS WEEK,
MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN
WRITE ABOUT!

• Tweet
• Pin It

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.

*** 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, please, befriend me.
*** Thanks, my wife, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I was hit by two different trucks, one involving a 37-day coma.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK >>
Make Your Life and Adventure!

Life IS an adventure!
How boring if it is not.
And, we are the one who makes it that way.

Life keeps throwing challenges at us, and when we do not give up on challenges, that’s an adventure too. Life starts with the adventure of being born and ends with starting a new adventure no one knows after death.

By the way, I’m dying.
But so are you.
Until your last time on earth.
Make each day.
Make each moment.
A Glorious Adventure!
It is up to you.
You will have a better life!

I am seeing more and more we have a limited time on this earth. As I get older, I am seeing my end time coming sooner and sooner. When I was young, the idea of death never came to my mind.

Currently, Beth and I have Rocky and Bullwinkle on TV. The comedy on this is much adult mentality, I love it. You CAN find entertainment for a minimal price.

1—Getting back to adventures in life.
To create an adventure, you must do things differently. Start searching the town where you live, find things to do, and learn more about the area where you live.

When I lived in San Diego, I would check out local places in Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, and, of course, Mexico was close. A short drive to each, excellent adventures. In each area, there is a different cuisine to savor.

Most every town has parks and wilderness areas that you have not seen. Now, get out there and find life’s “different” things.

2—Plan a Trip
Yes, this sounds simple enough but set a date to make it happen. Even if you don’t have much vacation time at your work, you still have 52 weekends each year to take weekend trips or even day trips.

There are plenty of National Parks (I’ve been to all of them, except in Alaska.) State Parks are another great choice to explore.

Also, I have traveled all over the US a number of times, as well as going to Europe three times, Japan three times, and Australia and New Zealand. I love to travel!

3—What’s for Dinner?
There are many places and food to eat that you have not experienced. Try a new cuisine, a new dish, or even a new restaurant, and explore your local eats, along with designing your own meals differently!

Things can be delivered, too. You can also subscribe to a food box from other countries to try something new. If you’re on an eating-out budget, you can even try cooking a new dish at home.

When I was in Japan, I ate horse.
When I was in Australia, I ate kangaroo.
I want to try eating bugs, which is getting more popular.
Try new things; I will keep doing that.

4—Check Out a New Concert / Show / Festival
When was the last time you went to see a live band or a live speaker? As we get older, we go out less and less often and definitely don’t see new bands. You need to find a local venue that showcases up-and-coming bands and see someone new. Support local artists, for you, and for them.

5—Learn Something New
Think of a few things you’ve wanted to learn all your life (to speak Japanese?) Perhaps you can take some classes and become curious about hand lettering? Maybe you want to learn to surf or skate. Find something new to set your mind to.

6—Talk to a Stranger
Adventures can come to you through conversation and experiences with others. Talk with someone new every day and not just about the weather but about what they do in life. Explore them as they explore you. Perhaps you may even find a new friend!

7—Drive into a Random Neighborhood
We tend to focus on getting from here to there, but haven’t you ever wondered what’s down the other road? Take a few extra minutes, drive down a new road every week, and see what you discover. Learn about your neighborhood or city.

8—Throw a Party!
Throw a themed party for an occasion or cause or just a get-together! You and your guests get dressed up, research, and make it fun! This is a great way to get to know your friends and neighbors. It’s about getting friends together and dressing up for some fun.

9—Work Location
Where you work may be easier for those of us with home offices, but even if you’re in a work office, see if you can get outside to work a few hours a day in the sun! It’s amazing what a change of scenery and a little extra sunshine can do to your mood and how it brings happiness.

10—Take a Break
Take a personal day and go on an adventure! Juggle for an hour, watch a midday movie, go ride on a roller-coaster, or just lay out in a park. You can take time for yourself to be refreshed. Yes, your time.

What I am trying to get across is that you need to find a way to live life for yourself. Yes, you are the most important person you know. Try to get your boss to see a way to let you go somewhat, but still give all you can to your work.

The most incredible adventure in life is not about climbing that mountain or riding a motorcycle or exploring a remote forest or jumping off a bridge. The most incredible adventure in life is that you challenge and change yourself daily.

Even if you are riding, flying, or doing something else, the adventure is only in going beyond your potential. It is stretching beyond what you “think” you can handle.

Whether you are working from nine-to-five in an office or doing something else, no one can deny you this. If you break one bondage every day, depending upon how many heaps of limitations you have, some day you must get liberated. It is bound to happen.

What new stories are you ready to write?

********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

I find them so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.

Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

WHEN YOU IMPROVE 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 amusing quote can make someone laugh, your 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 keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
REMEMBER, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

1. ‘’Adventure isn’t hanging on a rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day-to-day obstacles in life.’’ – John Amatt

2. ‘’If happiness is the goal – and it should be, then adventures should be a top priority.’’ – Richard Branson

3. ‘’You must go on adventures to find out where you truly belong.’’ – Sue Fitzmaurice

4. ‘’Then one day, when you least expect it, the great adventure finds you.’’ – Ewan Mcgregor

5. ‘’Jobs fill your pockets, but adventures fill your soul.’’ – Jaime Lyn

6. ‘’Don’t die without embracing the daring adventure your life was meant to be.’’ – Steve Pavlina

7. ‘’Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.’’

8. ‘’One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.’’ – Wanderlust storytellers

9. ‘’Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.’’ – Helen Keller

10. ‘’Adventures don’t come calling like unexpected cousins calling from out of town. You have to go looking for them.’’

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
And time seems to be going faster all the time.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Do this for a few weeks, and you will see your time differently.

2/18—Continuing work on the gardens. As you know, I want to set it up so that we feed ourselves, without going to the grocery store.

Also, I am checking into all costs we are incurring. I will put in a new bathroom as I build our new bedroom. I am going to set up so that we use rainwater that is collected for showers.

Then the water from the shower will be diverted, as it is used, to be able to be collected and used to bring water to the gardens.

In this bathroom, I will install a composting toilet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blX2ss5Fe2I&ab_channel=OFFGRIDwithDOUG%26STACY
So, our body waste will return safely to the garden.

I want to be as much off-grid as possible. I am seeing that in the future, we will not have any costs to live where we do.

You can do this too! Look into YouTube videos about different topics and see how much you can save on these costs. And, more important, not having to depend on anyone for your future.

2/19—Another Sunday that we didn’t go to church. I like to go sometimes to try and figure out how these people can believe how they do (oh, are you a believer?) I have never believed or seen sufficient evidence for any of the gods humans have created.

2/20—Back to the gardens. Went to Lowes today and bought ingredients to build good dirt. For good dirt, you want to put a third of compost, a third of peat moss, and a third of coarse vermiculite. I also add dirt from this area in the woods, too.

Do this, and you will have terrific dirt for your garden. Start today to build your garden and get as much off-grid as you can. Depend on yourself; we will all have to start doing that more and more.

Something I have found to save money is to ask if stores have any damaged bags of garden soil, compost, ingredients for building your dirt, or mulch. Today I picked up six bags of mulch from Lowes for only a buck a bag. Then I stopped by Walmart, found damaged bags, and got them for half-price.

Often they are reduced to half-price, and they have the total amount in the damaged bag, just because the bag might have a little tear.

2/21—Off to the library to do book stuff. The local library is such a fantastic resource; I hope you are taking advantage of this tremendous asset. As you know, two years ago, Beth retired from the library one week after we met.

Thanks for your help, Valerie.

I had to make copies, and Beth had to pick up more books. She is a voracious reader, and it is constant. She even has books in the bathroom. Don’t ask; you will hear nothing from me.

2/22—ANNIVERSARY DAY! A year ago today, Beth and I were wed. We took Jemma and went to the forest area where we were married. We brought some food with us and celebrated. I bought Beth a beautiful bracelet along with a few other items.

We both remain delighted with each other.

Is it time to “make” things happen and live a fuller life?

2/23—Worked on the rabbit hutches today; I want to make them like new, then we will sell them. Beth has cut down on rabbits; we were up to 29 of the little critters at one time. Being allergic, not so good for me. Yes, brand new baby bunnies! 

The weather was quite lovely; spring is on the way. Beth likes the cool, and I like warmer. Jemma doesn’t seem to care either way.

2/24—Up early, as usual; woke about 3:30am today. I do better with less sleep, it seems.

Today I had an appointment with the dentist. Recently I purchased some fake scary teeth and wore them to the dentist. He loved it. I gave him some and told him to use them with patients, especially new ones.

“Make” a great week for yourself.

******************

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK > >

Find a way to go on an adventure this week.
Do something you have never done.
Go somewhere you have never been.
Make friends with new people.

Do something new, daily, then keep doing it for the rest of your life.

*******************

NEXT BLOG

Next week is the day.
February 28, 1959, Kit arrives into the world.
Since my birth, I have tried to add to the world more than I receive.
Is it working?
As Paul’s song goes, “When I’m 64 . . . ”
Care to celebrate with me?
*******************

THIS WEEK,
MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN
WRITE ABOUT!

• Tweet
• Pin It

With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.

*** 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, please, befriend me.
*** Thanks, my wife, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I was hit by two different trucks, one involving a 37-day coma.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK >>
Food and eating

All animals, including humans, have to consume matter to stay alive. We can either enjoy the experience of eating, or we can just chow down and stuff our mouth with food during each meal.

Before my accident and 37-day coma, which occurred in 1982, I ate much. After the accident, I went back to how I ate before, yet I was not as active.

You see, before, I was practicing juggling 6 hours daily, running, biking – very active. Therefore, because I did not have high activity after the accident, I started to gain weight.

Eating and weight gain are a mind thing.
Once you learn to control your mind,
you control your eating.

Here are some of the best reasons for
you to start learning to eat healthy >>

• Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Have better heart health.
• Eating less reduces the risk of cancer.
• Eating less will give you improved mental health.
• Your digestion system will work better.
• You will have an increased life quality.

As I was recovering, I found that I had the same eating habits as before the accident but without the same amount of juggling practice and exercise, so I started to gain weight. After a time, I saw that the way I ate was a matter of discipline and control.

If I could learn to control my mind,
I knew that I could also learn to control my eating habits.

With some research, I learned quite a bit about health and eating habits. In reflecting on the changes I needed to make to keep myself from gaining more weight, I realized that much of what I ate was out of learned habit.

Many of us are habituated to eating a certain number of meals at a certain time of day following a prescribed way of making up our plates with this much carbohydrate and that much meat and the list could go on and on.

The first step I took in breaking the learned habits was to eat only when I was hungry. I also made sure that I stopped eating when I had just enough to get me past that hungry feeling.

I also learned that incompatible food combinations robbed me of energy and added to my weight gain, so I started to make up my meals and my plate in ways that would give me energy and not cause me to gain additional weight.

Control your eating and you control your life.

I later began a form of intermittent fasting and wouldn’t eat anything after nine at night (this later was moved to seven.) There are several reasons to put a buffer of at least three hours between food and sleep.

First, your body does most of its detoxification while you are sleeping, and if it has to digest food instead, you are missing out on crucial detoxification of other gunk and junk floating in your body.

Also, as you sleep, your body has to work extra hard to digest food and that food can transform into excess weight easily.

Many people might look at these habits and think they are difficult to do. Food cravings can be really strong sometimes and when you really want a cookie or some ice cream at eleven thirty at night, it can be hard just to tell yourself no. Stop and think for a second though:

What is a food craving?

First, it might be helpful to know that you don’t get food cravings; you create them in your mind! If you tell yourself you aren’t allowed cookies before bed, then guess what? You will crave cookies before bed.

You see, we create food cravings through our thought patterns toward food. Eventually, many of these thought patterns will become food habits.

Changing my eating habits wasn’t easy, and even now, sometimes, I struggle to maintain them. Especially after my accident, I would crave certain foods depending on how I felt that day, and often I would be extremely fatigued.

At times, sleep was hard to come by and because I couldn’t sleep, I also had trouble concentrating. Often when I felt tired or frustrated, I would crave sugar, an indication that my adrenal glands were fatigued.

Dopamine is a good thing; sugar is not.

When we are tired, our bodies crave sugar to give us energy. I also appreciated the surge of dopamine the sugar would release in my brain almost immediately upon eating something sweet. Dopamine is known as the feel good chemical because we feel good when it is released in our brains.

The well-known issue with sugar, however, is that it will only energize us for short spurts of time, and the dopamine release it provides is also only short-lived. Shortly after eating something sweet, I would be right back where I started – cranky and tired!

Eat right and you will get through changes better.

Besides feeling cranky and tired, I often also felt unproductive. Because I couldn’t concentrate, I also wasn’t able to do many of the things that I knew I needed to do or things I wanted to do.

Then depression started setting in, harming me in various ways.

I wasn’t physically stuck in bed, but I found it difficult to find any desire to get out of bed and get things started or to get things done.

Eventually, I got to a point where I could see time passing by, but I didn’t care. I didn’t even try to keep up with it because I felt so depressed. I would have frequent pity parties for myself and others didn’t seem to want to be around me anymore, given my foul mood.

One of my doctors suggested that I start taking medication to help me deal with low-grade depression and anxiety, but I decided to opt out of that recommendation. Instead, I decided I was going to retrain my mind to think in other and new directions.

Eventually, I found out that the food I was eating had a direct impact on my mood and was contributing to my depression and anxiety. I started implementing some of the changes that I listed earlier and quickly found that my attitude and my mind changed for the better.

What we eat directly affects what we think and how we feel; exercise will help, too.

Another secret I discovered was that exercise works as well as any drug (better than, actually.) Work your body, and your mind will clear up any depression or flawed thinking.

Brain function is dependent upon the body’s ability to metabolize the food you eat properly. Your brain depends on glucose (blood sugar) as a source of energy. To get your brain to use glucose properly it must have a sufficient supply of vitamins and minerals. The proper functioning of the brain is more dependent upon vitamins and minerals than any other organ in your body.

Your brain is the biggest consumer of what you eat, feed it right.

The food and nutrients that you feed your brain are directly responsible for the functions the brain must perform. These can include thinking, controlling your hormones, regulating involuntary functions such as respiration and your heartbeat.

And this can also include controlling motor activity, juggling, and sense perception like smell and taste. If your brain doesn’t have enough energy, you will feel tired and sluggish.

What we eat also directly affects which neurotransmitters are produced and how much of them. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that ultimately determine our frame of mind In turn, your mood will affect your memory, your actions, your ability to learn and perform, and everything else about you.

We discussed previously that while sugar initiates the formation and release of dopamine for a good feeling in the body, that good feeling is short-lived. There are many other nutrients that we can feed our brains for increased production and prolonged release of dopamine. 

Although your brain represents only two percent of total body weight, it accounts for over twenty percent of the total utilization of oxygen and fifteen percent of blood sugar. As you can see, your brain is very hungry and is dependent upon your nutritional intake to function correctly.

Feed your brain right.

A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry compared a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish with a diet of highly processed meats, grains, and fast foods. Those who ate the whole foods diet had a one-third lower risk of becoming depressed. Not to mention that eating processed junk foods means you’re more likely to be overweight, often resulting in depression.

So what is driving you to eat?

Is your brain out of energy and looking for a refuel? Or are you running to the vending machine at three in the afternoon simply because that is what you do every day because your job is frustrating and you need that short-lived burst of dopamine?

Before you put your coins in the slot, ask yourself, are you truly hungry? If the honest answer is no, then put your coins back in your pocket. Remember it isn’t your body that craves food, it’s your mind.

Changing your eating habits for the better will literally change your life.

The first step you can take to change your eating habits for better health and mood is to keep a food diary. This is a book in which you record everything you eat or drink, no matter how little or how much of it went into your mouth. Studies have shown over time, people who maintain a food journal are more likely to lose weight.

For at least one week (month?), record everything you eat at meals and snack times, and record the time. Use an online site such as SparkPeople.com to figure out the number of calories you have eaten and other nutritional information like how much fat, carbohydrate, protein and fiber were in your meals.

After a week or so, review your diary and see where you need to make adjustments. Are you eating too many carbohydrates and not getting enough protein? Are you getting at least twenty-five grams of fiber each day?

Also, remember that nutritional guidelines and advice are just that – guidelines and advice.

When you eat, record how you feel afterward. If brown rice gives you gas, it isn’t the healthier food for you, regardless of what the food gurus say. If you start drinking soy milk and your cholesterol skyrockets fifty points, then soy products aren’t for you.

A Paleo diet isn’t for everyone, but neither is vegetarianism. All of our bodies have been through different triumphs and trials and will respond differently to different foods and eating patterns.

Review your diary for other eating habits.

Do you just eat without thinking? Perhaps you eat to feel better mentally. Inspect the causes of pressure in your everyday life, and one by one, take steps to remove each stress factor. Stress management could help you to control emotional eating or binge eating.

Make each bite smaller, but make each bit an experience.

Another thing to try is intentional eating. This is eating at its best. Don’t grab your bagel at ten of eight in the morning and chew it twice, then swallow while you are driving through ridiculous traffic to make it to that eight o’clock appointment that is thirty minutes away.

Instead, plan your meals, and when you get hungry, sit down and enjoy it. Savor each bite of food that goes into your mouth. Relish the smells as you bring the food to your mouth.

Chew your food thoroughly before you swallow, making sure to get all of the juice and flavor out of it before it goes down your throat and into your belly to be dissected into the nutrients that your brain needs to function.

Yes, we can mindlessly stuff food in our mouth, or we can delightfully savor each morsel we consume. If you really take the time to just put your fork down between each bite and taste all of the aspects of your food.

Do this, as well as examine the texture with your tongue, you can have a delightful eating experience, and you can do this each time you eat. Eating should be much more than just sending food down your gullet.

Make this way of eating intentional, and make it a habit.

Taking your time and relishing every aspect of your meal may be a new way of eating for you. This new way of eating might sound like a lot of bells and whistles, but you will quickly find that you will eat less but you will enjoy your food a lot more. If you are eating less food, then it follows that you will lose weight and keeps your mind and body in better shape.

Change your mind and change your taste.

Eating less won’t necessarily take you to your weight loss goal. We also must be careful of what we eat. While the cravings might be intense, remember, you have control!

After I had been released from the hospital, I was drinking a lot of diet soda. I would typically have two or three cans a day. This went on for five years and diet soda had become simply another habit for me.

I happened to eventually read some reports reporting about how bad soda is for people. The chemicals in soda are known to cause bone loss and can also disrupt and inhibit organ function. Not a drop of soda has gone down my throat since then – and that was over twenty years ago.

It helped me to quit my habit by switching to tea instead. At that time, I would liven up the taste of my tea with some cream and non-sugar sweetener. Eventually, I came across some studies that talked about how artificial sweeteners can be highly harmful to the body and brain. That was the end of my romance with non-sugar sweeteners. Now I use honey, honey (yes, you.)

Think before you put stuff down your throat

Of course, the literature is full of contradictory reports of this or that food being good for you or bad for you. The truth is, you have to be the one to figure it out for your body.

Some things are a matter of common sense, like the fact that an apple has more nutritional value than a sponge cake. Other things, like eating vegetarianism and a Paleo diet, as I mentioned before, are really about what your personal and individual body needs.

Remember, your mind and body come first, for every bite you put into your mouth.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there is a difference between appetite and hunger. If you have an appetite, it means you are longing for food. This is the three o’clock trip to the vending machine for chips because you feel a need to eat something crunchy for no reason other than that you want to.

Hunger is the actual physical need for food. You might get lightheaded or your stomach might start talking to you. We seldom have true hunger, but that is when we should eat. You don’t have to eat at eight, noon, and five every day if you don’t feel hungry. Don’t just eat out of desire, habit, boredom, a need for comfort, or because others are munching away.

Take control. Remember, your diet can alter your mood and your focus. 

=========================
Another caution is that there are many chemical additives, intentional and unintentional, present in everything we eat and drink. Although research is not conclusive or existent on many of these additives, err on the side of caution and remember that everything you eat affects your body and your mind in one way or another.

Opt for that big salad with one ingredient – vegetables – rather than that bag of chips with an ingredients list longer than this book.

Salad, anyone?

In 1991 I started a habit of eating a salad every afternoon. I make my salad out of a combination of various types of lettuce, broccoli, spinach, carrot, and a few other things. In the summer, I grow much of my salad myself.

I start each week by making a salad big enough to last me for the rest of the week so it is always prepped and ready for easy munching. I hardly ever go a day without my salad and if I am out and about and wind up eating something else, I feel strange.

You, too, can develop better eating habits.

Don’t try to change everything at one time, though. Changing everything all at once will be overwhelming and lead to a quick defeat.

This week or this month, pick one of my tips and give it a try. Next week or next month, pick another one while still maintaining the first. A year from now, you’ll look back and try to figure out why you didn’t make the changes sooner – they were so easy!

Develop a good habit for yourself (and, no, not a chocolate chip cookie habit.)

Along with the salad, I came up with an excellent salad sauce (I like that wording much better than salad dressing.) Many of the salad dressings you will find in the store have a long list of ridiculous additives and preservatives that aren’t necessary and will not benefit your brain or mood.

I developed this healthy salad topping by looking at many salad sauce recipes and taking the best ideas that I had found. It is healthy, cheap, and easy to make. Here is the recipe – give it a try!

Kit’s Oriental Salad Sauce
2 cups olive oil
1 cup soy sauce
2 small onions, chopped fine
2 stocks of celery, chopped fine
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
4 tbls minced fresh ginger
4 tbls honey
4 tbls tomato paste
4 tbls ketchup
2 tbls teriyaki sauce
2 tbls sesame oil
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp pepper

Along with this salad sauce, in the 1990’s I came up with a very tasty fresh salsa. Salsa is quite healthy as it is nothing but vegetables which have many benefits for your brain and your mood.

It is so easy to make and the taste is marvelous. Below is the recipe to make your own salsa. Please let me know how it turns out. These are not exact measurements. Change whatever you want to suit your personal tastes.

Summers’ Salsa
One can of corn
One can of black beans (or a can of mixed beans)
One can of sliced peaches (or three fresh peaches)
One bunch of coriander (also known as cilantro)
A 20-centimeter diameter (8-inch square) of fresh Roma tomatoes
One large red onion
Two lemons
Two limes
Four cloves of garlic, minced
Chili powder—one spoon
Garlic salt—one spoon
Maple syrup—three spoons
Cumin powder—one small spoon
One or more jalapeño peppers (depending on how much heat you like)

Did you see summerssalsa.com? 

For the food processor, take everything down into bits to about a centimeter in size. Put the tomatoes, six to ten at a time, and take them down. Peel the onion, cut it into quarters, then put it into the food processor to take it down into small bits. Drain the peaches and add them to the food processor.

Once everything is taken down into bits, add the contents to a mixing bowl. Drain the corn and beans and add them to the mixing bowl. Chop the coriander by hand and add to the mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lemon and the lime into the bowl, and add some pulp if you desire.

Add the garlic, chili powder, garlic salt, and honey. In the food processor, chop one or more Jalapeño peppers, along with three tomatoes, into very tiny bits and then add them to the mixing bowl. Mix everything together well and then enjoy your fresh salsa.

If you desire a spicier salsa with lots of heat, leave the peaches and maple syrup out, add more jalapeno peppers, and also add habanero peppers, along with more cumin, curry powder, and chipotle spice.

Another thing you may want to consider when it comes to food is the idea that you have to eat three square meals a day and snacks in between.

Most of us eat at least three meals daily because we just always have.

I broke this cycle once by doing a four-day fast (and I did it quickly.) I drank water but no food, and I lost fifteen pounds. The strange thing was that I didn’t get hungry at all in those four days. Since I didn’t get hungry, I’ve always been curious to know how long I could push myself to go without eating.

I enjoyed the challenge of the four-day fast. For me, being hungry doesn’t hurt. I’ve been through other things that were much more painful than I think hunger ever could be.

Going through the fast was quite interesting, and when it was over, I found it much easier to make healthier food choices, almost like the fast was a reboot toward eating success.

How quickly can you do your fast?

I’m thinking I might challenge myself some time to see just how long I can go without eating—I’ll let you know how it turns out (or you’ll hear about my death.) Mainly I did the fasting as a challenge to myself.

Barring any health or religious reasons not too fast, I challenge you to try it sometime (safely, of course.) Don’t eat anything for a day or two and see how you feel. You may want to have a friend or doctor oversee you as you go through this.

Remember to drink plenty of liquids.

Reduce your food intake and eat a better combination of the right foods and you will also reduce or eliminate your stress levels, reduce weight, and be happier – to provide a better life. This I guarantee (but, not a money-back guarantee.)

Examine your own life and what you eat, and make changes where necessary. Change your eating habits and change your life.

Remember, don’t eat for your stomach; eat for your brain – feed it right!
What new stories are you ready to write?

********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

I find them so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.

Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

WHEN YOU IMPROVE 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 amusing quote can make someone laugh, your 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 keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
REMEMBER, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

“While weight loss is important,
What’s more important is the
quality of food you put in your body,
food is information that quickly
changes your metabolism and genes.”
Mark Hyman

“To ensure good health: eat lightly,
breathe deeply, live moderately,
cultivate cheerfulness and maintain
an interest in life.”
William London

“Take care of your body.
It’s the only place you have to live.”
Jim Rohn

“By choosing healthy over skinny,
you are choosing self-love over self-judgment.”
Steve Maraboli

“Eating healthy food fills your body with energy
and nutrients. Imagine your cells smiling back at
you and saying: ‘Thank you!”
Karen Salmansohn

“Your body is not a temple,
it’s an amusement park.
Enjoy the ride.”
Anthony Bourdain

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
And time seems to be going faster all the time.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Do this for a few weeks, and you will see your time differently.

2/11—When I went to the juggling festival last weekend in Atlanta, I had a mishap while driving. The road I was on was not so good; while driving close to the right side, there was a dip and my front passenger side wheel got damaged.

I was lucky to have made it home. I ventured out today to go to a Tires Plus Store in Augusta to have them take a look. He went out and showed me how the tire was angled and I needed to go to a body shop—uh ow.

Beth contacted an auto place that is local, and they will take a look on Monday. I will let you know.

Our friend Nancy‘s brother Bob visited today. We had a great get-together and talked about many topics; I did magic for him and taught him some juggling tricks, which was quite nice.

2/12—Rain all day today. I am planning on building more gardens to put around the house. As you know, I want to make this the paradise we are living in.

2/13—My van’s wheel looks bent currently, as I wrote previously. The van is alright to drive but needs it fixed. Today I went to Jiminy Fixit https://jiminy-fixit.com/ I believe Jimmy will find out what is wrong with my van and get it going right.

Jimmy saw what was wrong and said it just needed an alignment. So, back to Tires Plus for me. A few years ago, I paid for lifetime alignment, so there is no charge whenever I need one at Tires Plus.

2/14—Happy Valentine’s Day! Beth and I celebrated by going out to dinner with our friend Nancy. We dined at a local eatery called Michelle’s Pizza. Beth says we need to cut back on what we eat, but not today. When you can, go to Michelle’s, it’s a great place >>
https://www.facebook.com/michellesgrill/

My Valentine’s card from Beth

2/15—Gathering straw and rabbit poop for the compost from the rabbitry, I hit the top of my head on a metal roof area and, with heavy bleeding, ran into the house to scare Beth. As you know, head wounds bleed a great deal. Beth wasn’t alarmed this time. She says she is used to me bleeding all over the place.

Good news, I received an e-mail from Chris Jacobs, who wrote >>
======================
Hello Kit,

Hope this email finds you well.

My production company, “5 More Minutes Production”, is interested in your published work. After a thorough review, my Film and Production crew highly regard your published story for a possible film / TV/movie series adaptation.

I would like to take this opportunity in working together to create a film or TV/movie series project next year (2024) based on your published material. I can see how this can inspire and influence millions of viewers and readers out there. This impressive and admirable creation deserves a spot on the big screen.

If you have the chance, you may reply to this email and let me know what day and time is convenient for a quick call.

Sincerely,
Chris Jacobs
====================
I hope this story does fly and encourages multitudes of people.

2/16—I drove my van back to Tires Plus in Evans, GA, to have them look again at my alignment and fix what needed to be fixed. Unfortunately, they drove the front of my van off the ramp and now it has to stay there to be fixed. Once again, we have become a one-vehicle family. I treated Beth to dinner at Zaxby’s.

2/17—We woke up to 5 baby “kits”. No, not what you might be thinking; baby rabbits are named “kits”. Our Holland Lop, Priscilla, had five kits. They will be old enough to be adopted by Easter. Would you like to purchase a kit (not me, but you know)?

Is it time to “make” things happen and live a fuller life?
“Make” a great week for yourself.

******************

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK > >

This week, write down EVERYTHING you eat.

You might be surprised at what you consume.

After, make adjustments to nourish yourself more healthily.

Do something new, daily, then keep doing it for the rest of your life.

*******************
NEXT BLOG
I’ll have my van back next week.
I’ll let you know.
*******************

THIS WEEK,
MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN
WRITE ABOUT!

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With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.

*** 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, please, befriend me.
*** Thanks, my wife, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I was hit by two different trucks, one involving a 37-day coma.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK >>

Fear.
What are we afraid of?
Why are we afraid?
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
What’s the best thing that could happen?
So many things could happen.
Are you scared?
Why?

If anyone had a reason to fear, it would be me.
I pushed myself through the fear of death (accident.)
Then after getting hit by a second truck eighteen years later.
Additionally, the fear of being alone (divorce) until death.
The fear of never finding love again.
I pushed through with a smile on my face.
Isn’t life a joy, no matter what?

Animals only fear attacks from other animals. They live their lives doing as nature intended – eat, hunt, sleep, reproduce – to preserve their species. Yet, humans take a different route. Yes, you are an animal, too.

I attended Tony Robbins fire-walk without fear. After his motivational talk, everyone from the audience was to walk through a ten-foot bed of hot coals. I had no fear, even through his talk.

But I know our minds control so much of what goes on with our bodies. Because of my 37-day coma, my right side is less-sensitive. I did develop some blisters, but only on my right foot. I believe the nerve connections lack going to my right foot, and that is why.

Remember, fear is >>
“F”alse
“E”vidence
“A”ppearing
“R”eal.

You can control your fears in life.

What new stories are you ready to write?

********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

I find them so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.

Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

WHEN YOU IMPROVE 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 amusing quote can make someone laugh, your 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 keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
REMEMBER, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”
–Judy Blume

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
–Dale Carnegie

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt

“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”
–Yoda

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
–Nelson Mandela

“Nothing in life is to be feared.
It is only to be understood.’
–Marie Curie

“Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.”
–Bill Cosby

“The key to change… is to let go of fear.”
–Roseanne Cash

“He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We should all start to live before we get too old.
Fear is stupid.
So are regrets.”
–Marilyn Monroe

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
And time seems to be going faster all the time.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Do this for a few weeks, and you will see your time differently.

February 3,4,5—Getting back to juggling, this weekend I attended this >>
https://atlantajugglers.org/festivals/upcoming-festival

On the drive down there, I looked into my rear-view mirror and saw a cop behind me. I could not think of anything I did that was illegal; yikes. I decided to pull into a gas station to get away—he followed me—oh no. He drove to where there were three other cop cars to join their party. Relief came upon me.
Good to see some old juggler-friends. Many were there, with hardly room to stand and juggle for people.

I was to present some workshops to help jugglers. But, for the first two sessions, people went to the wrong place. Then, on Sunday, no one showed up; they seemed to get so into their juggling. Oh well, their loss? I did help at least a dozen jugglers with their juggling one-on-one as I was walking around.

Throwing 3 at the juggling festival, I am. 

As you know, because of my accident and 37-day coma, I can no longer juggle as I did; yikes, I can hardly juggle 3 balls these days. I feel bad, but I saw that I would have been the best there, if this time had been before my accident. 

I stayed in the Atlanta area with Ray and Pat Stern and what wonderful hosts they indeed were. Ray teaches juggling, often to kids, which is why he was attending the festival (they also live in the area, of course.) These two are so good together; great to see.

Like me, Ray is a gardener, and we talked much on the subject. He introduced me to a book called “Square Foot Gardening.” He gave me his book on the topic, an excellent teaching manual on the subject. Thanks, Ray.

Studies have shown that a lot of gardeners (myself included) do their gardens in long single rows. Many would say that this is the way it is done. For big gardeners with tractors, this works best, but not for individuals growing stuff.

I see the logic of the other way, grouping plants. Takes up less space as you group each plant species together. So, I am already changing the way I do gardening.

If you have interest, this website can help >>
https://squarefootgardening.org/

The drive home from Atlanta, Georgia, to McCormick, South Carolina.
Things went smoothly, which is good, I guess?

2/6-7—Back to the garden for a few days this week, incorporating ideas I gained from Ray and reading. I hope you are gaining ideas from me to advance.

It is very practical and essential that you start growing your own food, which is already getting difficult to find in stores sometimes. Beth and I will grow much, as we have stopped eating meat so often. Care for a carrot?

I built above-ground gardens to grow vegetables. Included are some photos of how I built mine. I cut the pallets (often free) at 22 inches. Put them together with two pallets on each side, one of each end. I used three-inch screws to screw them into each other to hold them in place. You can also do this using four pallets, a 4’ square you will have.

In the past, I would dig and dig to make my garden. I love the idea of using pallets to hold the dirt in. After you set your pallets, put cardboard on top of any grass or plants. Then start building on top of this. No digging involved at all; it is quite fun, too.

A strip of plastic was put around the inside of the pallets to keep the dirt in. For each of the six gardens, I first filled them with tree trunks, limbs, grass clippings, leaves, and organic matter. Eventually, all of this will break down and become dirt itself.

Tree shavings are great for compost. To obtain free wood shavings, contact a local tree-cutting company. Many times they get trees and chop them into tiny pieces, which they often just throw away. I called a local place, and they sent a truck full of wood shavings and dumped it on our property.

Then I put down, for the top, six inches of a mixture of 1/3 each of peat moss, vermiculite, and compost. This is basically what dirt is made of, and upcoming plants will love it. Also, in this mix, include some dirt from your own lands. For future gardens, each year you simply add more compost to the top of each garden, and you’re all set.

For the paths between gardens, I put down fabric so that no weeds would grow. Then a mulch on top of this.

The strawberries are doing well. 

I think growing grass is such a waste of time and space, so I am glad to limit mine. Having a good lawn is good for kids to play on; that’s about it. Limited grass will be good in the compost after mowing. I have two large compost bins; see the photos?

2/8—My allergies have been awful. We have bunny hutches outside in two different locations, but we also kept bunnies inside. Right now, there are 17 bunnies living here with us, and three are pregnant. We moved 3 rabbits outside and rehomed one, much to Beth’s dismay. But she said she loves me more than her rabbits, just by a little bit.

Sadly, this is one of the rabbits that will be rehomed. 

My runny nose and sneezing have gotten bad; hard to breathe it is. All the rabbits will be outside soon, which will help tremendously. We will be selling and giving away rabbits; upcoming, care for a rabbit for yourself?

Beth loves the furry little creatures, so we will be keeping some; outside, of course. Rabbits are beautiful animals, but I have to live my life, too, you know.

Here is Kit fixing a bunny hutch (or, is the way Beth usually keeps me?) 

Beth did buy an air purifier, which filters out allergens. I keep this on where I do my writing and office work; it helps much. Thank you, Beth, for caring and taking care of me.

2/9—Today was my mom’s birthday.
I miss my mom, much.

I wrote about it before; I built a deck to the back of the house some time ago. Beth and I were out enjoying nature while sitting on this back deck today. As spring and summer come, we will be out there more and more. I am building the back of the house as our refuge in paradise.

Beth and Jemma on the deck I built.

From the back deck, we can see many big trees and an assortment of birds flying and stopping by. Deer have also made an appearance at times. I set up a rainwater collector in front of the house and also in the back of the house. The most sun is at the front of the house, so that is where I built the gardens.

Because no one can see, I have set up the back rainwater collector to shower under, naked. In the summer this will work excellently. Right now, the weather is too cold to be underwater outside. Now, no peeking while we shower back there this spring and summer! (note from Beth: who is this ‘we’ you are talking about?)

Off our deck and next to the fire-pit I built, I will be building a pond to hold some fish and our turtle, too. My plans include a small waterfall, also. The cost to put in the waterfall should be under a hundred bucks, so, paradise for a low price.

Do you have some land?
Can you build a paradise for yourself?
Remember, this is your one life to live; you must live in joy.

2/10—Awakening this morning at 2:30am, up for the day I am. Strange, when I first wake, my allergies are not bad, at all. After five minutes, they start up and get worse and worse. Not a great way to start a day.

Is it time to “make” things happen and live a fuller life?
“Make” a great week for yourself.

******************

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK > >

This week start building that garden that will be desperately needed in your future. And, do this with no fear. You know what is required, but you just have to start. Please let me know about your progress. Plan to feed and take care of yourself.

My blog is not just words sent from me to you. This is a dialog, so let me know about the building of your garden. And if you have any questions, please write >>
kitsummers@gmail.com

Do something new, daily, then keep doing it for the rest of your life.

*******************
NEXT BLOG
You will read more about the paradise I am creating in our yards.
*******************

THIS WEEK,
MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN
WRITE ABOUT!

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With my words, I hope to throw some oblique light upon your life.
I want to inspire you to see life in a different and/or better way.

*** 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, please, befriend me.
*** Thanks, my wife, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I was hit by two different trucks, one involving a 37-day coma.
*** The happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK >>

This blog post is coming to you earlier because I am leaving later today to attend >>
https://atlantajugglers.org/aja-media/events/105-2023-ghfest
It should be a fun time. I will be presenting three workshops while there to help jugglers advance.

You might know, juggling is as much mental as it is physical. Your mind controls all you think and all you do. After my accident and 37-day coma, I had to drive myself forward, knowing that my mind could heal, sending actions of juggling down different pathways and nerves.
You see, our incredible minds can do amazing things, whether we go through a brain injury or not. See the changes, then, with a smile on your face, go forward toward your eventual goal and the outcome that you expect.

A constant choice to see the good or see the bad. Through even the worst incidences, you must take control of your mind, smile, and do what you need to heal and then achieve the outcome that you are looking for.
===============
Hope for the best; expect the worst.
Some drink wine and some die of thirst.
No way of knowing which way you‘re going.
Hope for the best; expect the worst!

Hope for the best; expect the worst.
This world’s a stage; we’re unrehearsed.
Some reach to be top friends, while others drop friends.
Hope for the best; expect the worst!

I knew a man who saved a brilliant fortune.
Then he died the day he planned to go and spend his wealth.
Shouting, “Live while you’re alive! No one will survive!”
Life can be sorrowful—here today and gone tomorrow.
Live while you are alive; no one will survive—there’s no guarantee.

Hope for the best; expect the worst.
You could be Tolstoy or Agatha Christie. 
So take your chances; there are no answers.
Hope for the best; expect the worst!

Hope for the best; expect the worst.
The rich are favored; the poor are cursed.
That is a fact, friends; the deck is stacked.
Hope for the best; expect the worst.
===============
Always expect the best, then you will find more of it.

What new stories are you ready to write?

********************
WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU! >>
Inspirational quotes and motivational sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thinking.

I find them so interesting, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to get our focus back, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion.

I hope to inspire you with my words.
Words have power.

Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible for you, determines everything that happens in your life. It all derives from your quality of thinking.

When you improve 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 amusing quote can make someone laugh, your 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 keep your motivation, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it!

Self-talk is so essential—THINK RIGHT!
Motivational words, yes, they’re just words.
But they’re positive words; they will keep you on track.

EVEN IF YOU START LATE, ARE UNCERTAIN,
OR ARE DIFFERENT –
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement.
REMEMBER, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.

********************
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>
“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”
― Bruce Lee

“If you expect nothing from somebody, you are never disappointed.”
― Sylvia Plath

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”
― Alexander Pope

“Expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.”
― Brandon Sanderson

“If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you were? What if the face you showed the world turned out to be a mask… with nothing beneath it?”
― Jodi Picoult

“You are most powerful when you are most silent. People never expect silence. They expect words, motion, defense, offense, and back and forth. They expect to leap into the fray. They are ready, fists up, words hanging, leaping from their mouths. Silence? No.”
― Alison McGhee

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
And time seems to be going faster all the time.
Do you keep track of what you do each day?
Do this for a few weeks, and you will see your time differently.

1/28—I had to relax from writing the blog. Of course, I love to get these words off to you, so I did not relax for too long. Jemma is such a great pooch; we played and had fun today.

1/29—Once again, we did not attend church this Sunday, as many Americans do. Although Beth’s friend, Wendy, has invited us to attend her church on a future Sunday. We are planning to go; I am still excited about the idea of meeting this God, but right now, I do not believe in any of the gods that humans have created. 

1/30—Back to the gardens. I purchased many different kinds of vegetable seeds that needed first to get started in smaller contains to get started before I put them into the garden table. There are some seeds I will plant directly into their place in the garden.

I had about 20 six-cell containers to start seeds. I planted the different seed into each six-cell container. I used masking tape to label each.

The problem I had, on masking tape, I used a green marker pen to list the seed. With the rain, each of the masking tape ink was smeared, and I could not read. I grabbed a couple before they got ruined and marked them correctly. I will have to wait until they emerge from the soil and then figure out which plant is.

1/31—Off to see the doctor who did my hand surgery for a recheck. He was that everything was alright. So nice not to have the intermittent pain in my hand anymore.

2/1—Fixed a few things on the rabbit’s hutches for Bethie. Two more rabbits are leaving Sunday, but three more, beautiful Holland Lops, are currently pregnant; we won’t know how many will come out of the mommas; we will see.

2/2—With time, things like shelving got damaged in my van; there were a couple of things that needed repair. These are significant things in the van that I built some time ago. I had no idea how I was going to accomplish what I needed to.

The thing is, once I started, things turned out even better than they were. That’s the thing, once you start something, you have doubts and things that hold you back. Once you start, then things can go smoothly, and things turn out well.

2/3—Driving to the juggling festival in Atlanta, Georgia, today, a good two-hour drive. I have not been on the road in quite a while. Looking forward to the drive. Then I will be there until Sunday when the festival concludes.

Is it time to “make” things happen and live a fuller life?
“Make” a great week for yourself.

******************

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK > >

When is the last time you got out to the wilderness or a local park? This week is the week. Figure out a good place to get back to the wilderness.

Do something new, daily, then keep doing it for the rest of your life.

*******************
NEXT BLOG
Leaving today to go to this >>
https://atlantajugglers.org/aja-media/events/105-2023-ghfest
You will find out details on my visit.
*******************

THIS WEEK,
MAKE YOUR LIFE
SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN
WRITE ABOUT!

 

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