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.

*** 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 happiness I am experiencing in my life is a marvelous thing!
*** Going where I want, when I want, and seeing wonderful places and people.
But no longer alone, Beth is by my side.)
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** Secrets to unfold and good news!
*** I want to thank my wonderful wife Beth for her superb editing and adding to the blog each week.

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
INTRO TO THIS WEEK >>
For so much of my life juggling was such a passion. I lived for juggling, sleeping only when necessary. Many hours each day were dedicated to the art, my joy. My level in juggling went higher and higher, I could not get enough.

This same passion was driven toward my recovery after my accident. I also knew that the more I helped others the more recovery I would have—so I did.

Still later this same passion was directed toward my fresh salsa business. Did you ever see >>
https://www.summerssalsa.com/

After the second time I was hit by a truck I had to close down my very successful fresh salsa business.

To find passion in your life you need to reach toward something you love.

Here are other suggestions >>

1. SEARCH YOUR OWN MIND.
The questions “How can I be happy?” or “What is my purpose in life?” and “What are my passions” are actually the same – and they have the same answer. See yourself, you can never truly understand how to find your purpose by listening to others’ opinions and seeking outside approval.

Everything you need is in you. The only thing that holds you back is your own limiting beliefs. With each limiting belief you identify and replace with an empowering passion, you develop greater self-awareness. And when you’re in control of your emotions, you are in control of your life.

2. PUT PURPOSE BEFORE YOUR GOALS
If you center only on achieving short-term plans, you will never find your true passion or learn how to find your aim. The plans you work toward must always be based on finding your intent. If they’re not, you’ll only feel a momentary sense of ability, and will soon be seeking more. You won’t be able to see that your life is happening for you instead of to you.

3. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU’VE GOT
Developing a clear mindset is like opening your eyes to life: You will see beauty and goodness all around you, it is there if you look. With this new view, your purpose in life becomes much clearer. As you drive forward you question less and less how to find your purpose because you feel like you have more of the answers and that you are on the path to achieving meaningful achievements.

When we focus on what we have now, fear disappears and abundance appears. You’ll stop living in fear that you’re wasting your life and begin to attract positivity and joy. Finding your purpose becomes an exciting path, rather than a stressful finish.

4. LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR YOU!
True fulfillment comes from designing your own life. This is how you unlock the exceptional. To find your purpose, you must decide what’s truly right, and know it in your whole mind. You must not let yourself be driven by fear or anxiety. A decision made from fear is always the wrong decision.

To truly make this a part of your life, you must stop playing the victim. Realize that every decision in your life is a result of your own plans, not anyone else. When you take responsibility for finding your purpose, instead of blaming others, satisfaction follows.

5. THINK ABOUT WHAT BRINGS “YOU” JOY
Joy must be a part of your life. Look back on your whole life and identify the times when you felt the most joy. Was it when you were connecting with your mate? During a successful presentation at work? Creating art, juggling, or helping others? When you discover what brings you joy, you usually discover where your passions lie.

Joy and passion go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other.

6. DEVELOP YOUR OWN LIFE PLAN
Before you can ask yourself “Why am I here?” you first have to know what an ideal world could be and how you fit into it. Creating a life theme involves identifying what life would look like if everyone were living up to their fullest potential. This will help you develop a roadmap to guide you to your future.

7. DISCOVER WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IN LIFE
When you ask yourself “What is my purpose in life?” you may not even know where to start. If this is you, you may need to examine what you really want in life. Here are the top words to work with—certainty, significance, variety, love/connection, growth, and contribution – these words affect every decision you make.

8. WRITE OUT YOUR STORY
Myself, I’ve written 15 books to help others. Writing will help you organize our thoughts and discover new thoughts you may not even know you had. The benefits are limitless as proven to help you reach goals, improve memory and decrease stress, which are all essential when you are learning how to find your purpose.

Putting your life in words can reveal hidden messages you may not see otherwise. Start with these questions for you: What strengths do you have that helped you get through tough times? How have you helped others? How have others helped you? Write this all down and you’ll begin to see patterns that will help you find your purpose as your text grows and grows.

9. TAKE TIME FOR YOU!
“What is my purpose in life, why am I here?” This is a deep question that takes time and thoughtfulness to answer. When you spend all your time running from one project to another, you often lose direction. Make sure you schedule enough time to reduce the noise and demands of everything and focus on what you want.

When you feel depleted searching for meaning in life, take a deep breath and start again. Take time for self-care, whether that’s a juggling day or reading a book in the park. It’s by looking within that you’re able to identify your values and beliefs – the things you hold most dear as a guiding force in life. You won’t understand how to find your purpose without first taking a step back and relaxing.

10. ACCEPT ACCEPTANCE
Part of finding your purpose is accepting your own limitations. Instead of getting frustrated and upset with yourself, give yourself a break. Get to know yourself bit by bit, taking the role of observer of you. As you practice self-compassion while building self-awareness, you’re able to find you and the meaning you’re seeking.

Self-compassion means being patient with yourself. Feeling lost in life can be a very confusing feeling. You may feel frustrated, but be gentle with yourself. Everyone who has ever asked themselves “What is my purpose?” began from a place of uncertainty.

11. FIND YOUR OWN GROUP
Finding your purpose in life is often about discovering where “you” fit in. When we meet our “people,” we feel like we are at home: relaxed and at ease, able to truly be ourselves. Your group can often help you discover how to find your purpose or to live your purpose once you’ve found it.

To find your group, follow your passions. Join a volunteer group. Juggle with others. Take a class to develop a skill you enjoy. Seek out support online. Find others who enjoy the same things you like – music, books or plays. The saying “You are who your friends are” is true – and when you find the right group – that’s a good thing.

12. BE ABLE TO CHANGE
One of the hardest parts of learning how to find your purpose is letting go of the old you and the interests that no longer serve you. Yet, it’s something that must be done. Your purpose in life is also likely to grow and change, as you grow and change. You must be willing to be supple and to listen to your inner wants and needs.

LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?

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

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 our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with 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.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way 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 own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, 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 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 you can do 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.
Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

********************
Quotes holding Passion >>

1. “To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes a reality.” Anita Roddick

2. “Money will never replace happiness. Life is too short to work at something you do not have a passion for, something that does not excite you.” – Catherine Pulsifer

3. “It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.” – Mae Jemison

4. “You should enjoy your work, so pursue something you find interesting, and if you work hard at it, it will turn into a passion.” – Cary Bergeron

5. “Passion is the genesis of genius.” – Anthony Robbins

6. “Let your love be your guide. Let your courage be your driver, and let your passion be your road to enjoy this magnificent life to the fullest.” – Debasish Mridha

7. “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” – George Hegel

8. “Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.” – Maya Angelou

9. “Our passion is our strength.” – Billie Joe Armstrong

10. “Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart, and success will come to you.” – Oprah Winfrey

11. “If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion.” – Mia Hamm

12. “Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures.” – Joseph Campbell

13. “Happiness is the key to success. If you are truly passionate with what you are doing and are relentless in overcoming any obstacle that will come your way, you will be wildly successful.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour

14. “Happiness is an attitude, a passion that you alone own and create – you cannot buy it, rent it, or steal it from another.” – Byron Pulsifer

15. “Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up.” – Isabelle Lafleche

16. “Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you can wait.” – Maya Angelou

17. “Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

18. “Nothing is as important as passion. No matter what you want to do with your life, be passionate.” – Jon Bon Jovi

19. “With a strong mind, you can realize most anything. Only you can determine what you desire most or what your deepest passion is in life.” – Dale L. Roberts

20. “Passion is your joy, it is the essence of who you are. You have to unwrap it and find it.” – Jackie St. Onge

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

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

4/1—Today I went https://atlantajugglers.org/schedule-and-cost. It was a marvelous juggling convention, but I don’t feel like I fit in anymore. Saw a few old friends there, witnessed some superb juggling, did some coaching. It just didn’t feel right.

Looking across the room I saw someone throwing 6 clubs, and pretty well at that. My new friend, Dan Brown, is an accomplished juggler, and, as I found out, a good lawyer, too. See him here >> sanchezbrown.com

Did you ever see my juggling before the accident?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZALVajgH6Q&t=218s

The juggling you will see in this video was taken many months before my accident, my juggling actually improved much after this video and before the accident.

And, here is about my “first” accident >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr8QFnD1yGc&t=133s

Juggling will always be a big part of my life, though. I remember going to juggling conventions back when the skill was my passion before my accident. People would gather in large crowds to watch me do a 4 tennis racket routine, throw 5 clubs behind my back, or keep 7 clubs up in the air. Different now.

4/2—Saturday, the big day of the festival.

After a few hours, it was the return drive back to Beth and my new life. Juggling has been such a big part of my life, yet I no longer juggle for fun or have the passion for it as I once did. So, I stayed overnight and for a few hours helped some people with their juggling, then I headed home to Beth, whom I missed.

4/3—Anniversary day.

It was on this date in 1982 – I was struck by a truck and went through a 37-day coma. There is so much loss from going through what I did, but I gained much, too. I believe it is how you see things and the future you set up for yourself.

It is “always” the life you put together for yourself. Things change, but you must learn to change with the changes.

4/4—Back home with Beth. There is a big storm forecast for tomorrow, so I am putting things safe and getting ready.

Had to use poles to hold up our tent from filling with rainwater.

4/5—The big storm struck today. As usual, it was not as dramatic as was forecast. The weather people always seem to suggest the worst things could become. So often things do not end up as bad as said.

Jemma lapping up rainwater from the stream in our backyard.

4/7—Woke at 1 am and could not get back to sleep. This has happened in the past, a number of times. My mind just clicks on and I cannot turn it off. So, I got on my computer to spend time.

And, I am continuing to work on our raised gardens. 

********************
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
“Go fly a kite” (not a kit)
When was the last time you sent something into the air on a string?
This week, fly a kite and bring back good memories.
********************
NEXT BLOG >>
Working on our house more and more.
You will see results. 

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.

*** 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 life 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.

*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

*** I want to thank my wonderful wife Beth for her superb editing and adding to the blog each week.

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

********************
INTRO TO THIS WEEK >>
With this blog, I am including a few photos of my past travels. I loved being on the road and always seeing new and different experiences. You have to remember, it is experiences that make a good life, not “things”. It may take changes to see a better life.

Change is a good thing, but so many fight against it. There is good change and there is bad change. When you are going through bad change, you may not be able to control the outcome, but, you can and must control how you react to it. 

Not much happened this week. I hope you enjoy the photos from past travels. So many changes in my life, all through it. My latest, teaming up with Beth to live our life together, was one of the better changes I have gone through.

LIFE IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME – ARE YOU KEEPING UP?
********************
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 our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with 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.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way 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 own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, 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 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 you can do 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.
Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.
********************

VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE.
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS INSPIRE YOU >>

1—The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. – Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy, the greatest humanist, put these words in General Kutuzov’s mouth. And, actually, it is a combination of two quotes.

2—Time is money. – Benjamin Franklin.
Probably, the most famous quote about time by Benjamin Franklin, a person known for his productivity and various talents. In his 84 years, he became not only a prominent politician and diplomat, but also an actor, musician, inventor, and satirist.

3—Time waits for no one. – Folklore.
The earliest record of this phrase is dated 1225 – before English was shaped in the modern form. The origin is uncertain, so it’s considered to be proverbial wisdom. It means that no man has enough power to stop time or to change its course.

4—Better 3 hours too soon than a minute too late. – William Shakespeare.
Better spend time waiting for the opportunity to take an action than miss the chance. In Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, the phrase is said by a character who suspects his wife’s infidelity, but in fact, it can be applied to any situation when you need to take a chance to change things.

5—Lost time is never found again. – Benjamin Franklin.
You can’t keep today’s hour for tomorrow – we all know that, but still tend to procrastinate. Benjamin Franklin warns that time is a scarce resource, and if it’s wasted, it cannot be recovered later. This is why mindful planning and work on productivity are so important.

6—Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. – Theophrastus.
Ancient Greek philosophy is known for its combination of merely theoretical thoughts and practical approaches. Theophrastus understood time as an accident of motion that cannot be stopped or reversed, and he said that waste of time is the most extravagant and costly of all expenses.

7—Time is the wisest counselor of all. – Pericles.
Pericles, the influential ancient Greek statesman and general, was a rationalist and knew the value of time. His famous phrase was said as a warning for Tolmides, the young Athenian general who intended to invade Boeotia. Eventually, Tolmides failed to listen to Pericles’ words, his army suffered a heavy defeat and he died in the battle. This quote is a warning against premature decisions and poor judgment caused by the lack of time.

8—The key is in not spending time, but in investing it. – Stephen R. Covey.
A quote by Stephen R. Covey, the author of the famous time management matrix. You can spend time on useful and useless things, but if you call it “investing”, you’ll definitely invest it in something that has value and importance for you. So choose your goals wisely so that time you spend on them becomes an investment, not an expense.

9—It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
If we truly love something, we spend (or invest?) time in it. As time is a valuable resource, when invested, it makes the person, goal, or activity even more important for us. But there’s a negative side too. Sometimes we hold on to the past and to irrelevant goals just because we already spent too much time on them.

10. Punctuality is the thief of time. – Oscar Wilde.
The phrase that looks like a joke for most of us, is the truth of a complete hedonist. Oscar Wilde is being at his best: the meaning of his quote is that when you invest effort in someone else’s comfort (like hurrying because someone is waiting), you sacrifice your own time that you could spend on much more pleasant things.

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

********************
MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

3/27—Our friend, Nancy, has a big forest of bamboo, looks quite nice. There is an area on our land that I am hoping to make the view less obvious, so I will be starting a bamboo forest of my own to block seeing in.

Bamboo grows very abundantly, so I got some younger shoots and will plant them soon. You will see photos in the future. This is an amazing material, so strong. So much could be done with Bamboo. 

3/28—As you might know, I designed my van so that I can take everything out and then be able to use the big empty van to transport things. We needed more wood for the fire, so I removed stuff to make room, then went today to pick up a big group of wood. 

I will be driving to the juggling festival in Atlanta, so today I put all back into the van. For about six years I lived in my van and traveled, which I like very much. I do have wonderful memories, but great to be with Beth now.

For a change, Beth asked me to shave my face today. I do still have a mustache, but a clean face. Feels different for me, looks antithetic, too.

3/29—The wood has to go somewhere, so I built a rack to hold it. When I have a project I strive for perfection. Not sure where I derived this effort, but I always have it. I had no idea how to go about building this structure but started with minor ideas, and the rack came to be. 

Once this rack was full, I needed another, so I built one around the side. There were some problems with this one, but I kept at it until it was the excellence that I desire. You see, I aim for excellence in all that I do, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.

This aim has become a habit that I use in an unthinking way. And, this is a habit that you can and should aim for, too. We always have a choice, to aim for mediocrity or aim for excellence, the choice is always up to you – choose right.

3/30—Today we planted our small tomato and pepper plants. As they reach a bigger stage, they will be planted in the garden. As I wrote before, I am building 4 large above-ground gardens, which should be nice later – you will see. Is your garden started yet?

I built this above-ground garden with free pallets. 
The plants will be put into the garden later.
Jemma, our dog, helped as I built. 

3/31—Rain most of the day. Good for the plants, not good for projects.

********************
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>

As I am typing this, I am looking out the window and seeing trees, big ones.
When is the last time you made the time to safely climb a tree?
Remember when you were a youth and loved the climb?

This week, find a tree to climb and do, is a safe way, of course.
I know I will be doing just that.
Let me know how high you got on the tree.
********************
NEXT BLOG >>
Tomorrow I will be going to >>
https://atlantajugglers.org/festivals/upcoming-festival
I will let you know how it went.

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.

*** 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 life is a marvelous thing!

*** I want to thank my wonderful wife Beth for her superb editing and adding to the blog each week.

*** Going where I want, when I want, and seeing wonderful places and people.

*** 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!

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

INTRO TO THIS WEEK >>
Life has been much better in being with Beth and building a life together. As you know, for five years I was on the road living in my van and going to national parks and wilderness areas.

Like you, I have gone through painful times and experiences that changed my life.

From getting hit by a truck and going through a 37-day coma, to falling from a bike and breaking my shoulder, to getting hit by a second truck and having much of my body broken. I have had to develop strategies to go on and continue to find joy how I could. I hope these ideas help you, too >>

1 – Positive thinking.

When we have pain, we often become fixated on what we are “not” able to do, toward the negative. It’s a thinking change that you have to make. Retraining your focus on what you “can” do, instead of what you can’t, will give you a more accurate view of yourself and your world. Much pain might be brought on by your brain and thinking.

I suggest you keep a journal in which you list all the things you appreciate each day. This can help you to get into a better frame of mind. Also, I find that I often compare myself to others, which is really bad. Only compare yourself to you. We may have limitations we have or make, but that doesn’t mean we are not still a complete human being.

2 – Drugs (careful)

Drugs are very good at getting rid of pain, but they sometimes have bitter, and even dangerous, side effects. If you have arthritis, a backache, or other chronic pain that interferes with you in daily life, you may be looking for a way to relieve discomfort that doesn’t involve drugs. Some age-old techniques—including meditation and yoga—as well as newer variations, may help reduce your need for pain medication.

Doctors often go the easy route and just prescribe medication for any pain. To me, a brain change can often relinquish the pain you have. Change your mindset and you can often change your pain levels.

3 – Deep breathing.

It’s central to all the methods in life, deep breathing is the one first to try. Inhale deeply, hold for a few seconds, and exhale. Center your mind on good things. To help you focus, you can use a word or phrase to guide you. For example, you may want to breathe in “peacefulness” and breathe out “stress.” Relax your body and try different positions as you breathe.

Begin deep breathing, paying attention to each breath. Then listen to calming music or imagine being in a restful situation. If you find your mind wandering, say “refresh,” then relax and call the image back into focus.

4 – Learn meditation to help you relax.

Deep breathing and meditation are techniques that help your body relax, which may ease the pain. Tension and tightness seep from muscles as they receive a quiet message to relax. There are many places to learn techniques for this, the internet is just one.

5 – Find ways to distract yourself from pain.

All your life, you are the one who directs your thinking. When you focus on pain, it makes it worse rather than better. Instead, figure out something you enjoy—perhaps an activity that keeps you busy thinking about things besides your pain. You might not be able to avoid pain, but you can take control of your thinking and your life.

6 – Eat a healthy diet.

A well-balanced diet can be important for you in many ways—helping your digestive process, reducing any heart disease risk, keeping weight in check, and improving blood sugar levels. To eat a low-fat, low-sodium diet, choose from these: fresh fruits and vegetables; cooked dried beans and peas; whole-grain bread and cereals; low-fat cheese, milk, and yogurt; and lean meats. You know how to eat right, start doing it.

7 – Track your pain level and in activities every day.

Keeping a log or journal of notes and your daily “pain score” will help you track your pain. At the end of each day, note your pain level on the 1 to 10 (1 being comfortable.) Also, note the activities you did that day. Use this book to help you keep track of improvements in what you are trying.

8 – Join a support group.

Like you, others have pain, too. Meet with others who are also going through pain as you are. When you’re with people who have chronic pain and understand what you’re going through, you feel less alone. You also benefit from their wisdom in coping with their own pain.

Also, get help when you need. Anyone can develop depression if they are going through chronic pain. Getting guidance can help you learn to cope better and help you avoid negative thoughts that can make pain worse—so you have a more positive attitude. Remember, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

9 – Reduce stress in your life.

As you might know, stress intensifies chronic pain. Also, negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger can increase the body’s sensitivity to pain. By learning to take power over your stress, you may find some relief from some of your chronic pain.

Several techniques can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Listening to soothing and calming music can lift your mood, and this will make living with chronic pain more bearable. There are even specially designed relaxation tapes or CDs for this. Mental image1ry relaxation (also called guided imagery) is a form of mental escape that can help you feel peaceful. It involves creating calming, peaceful images in your mind. Progressive muscle relaxation is another technique that promotes relaxation.

10 – Meditate

Although, over time, there are many ways to meditate. Focusing on your breathing, ignoring bad thoughts, or repeating a word or phrase—a mantra—can cause your body to relax. While you can learn to meditate on your own, it can help to take a class.

Life is happening all the time – are you keeping up?

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

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 our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with 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.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way 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 own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, 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 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 you can do 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.
Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

Very little is needed to make a great life.
I hope these words I pick do help you.

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

BE INSPIRED BY THESE WORDS >>

If possible, get up and move. This will help with any pain or depression that you may be going through.

It’s been proven that taking walks outdoors and doing exercise is more effective in treating mild to moderate depression than medicine. This will exercise your body and your mind, and if done in the right way, will help with any pain you might have, too. Keep your thoughts off of any pain you may be going through.

Moving your body releases endorphins – the body’s feel-good chemical. Exercise will also combat stagnation of your blood and keep your energy flow going smoothly. Plus, deep breaths of fresh air can actually cure headaches.

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

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

MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

3/18—Because of a forecast of much rain, we made sure all the animals and things are in place to handle the deluge. Animals will be kept safe, as well as Kit and Bethy.

3/19—In the past, the wood for the fire was placed on the ground in a stack. I decided it needed a wood stack rack to put it on, so I did. You will see photos. As you can see from past words, I love projects, the more, the better.

3/20—The location of our wood is right next to the bunny hutch. It needed a new tarp over the top if it, so I did. I arranged the inside better, too. It looks good, I could tell by the smiles that the bunnies had on their mugs.

3/21—Nancy Baschnagel is our friend up the street. She has a large grove of bamboo growing tall. Bamboo is such an interesting material, I know there is much that can be done with it. Today I used some to make juggling/devil/flower sticks for our friend, Tomara.

Bamboo grows quickly and is a great plant for privacy. I will be digging up some small bamboo plants to start our bamboo forest. I will let you know how it turns out.

3/22—Our one-month anniversary of Beth and I being wed. We are both quite happy and see a great future.

3/23—The storm came and went, no damage and not much rain. We were prepared (after all, I was a boy scout), but not much occurred. Seems that most TV news forecasts the very worst that weather might be, but often is not.

3/25—Every year Beth goes to https://delahowe.sc.gov/, a school where the students grow plants and then, at the beginning of spring, they are available for purchase. So we bought some to start on our garden for the year.

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

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>

Are you going through any pain or depression? Many of us do. Write down and make a list of all ailments you may be dealing with.

From this list, go through each one and write down things you think will help you in dealing with the pain (with a smile on your face, of course.) Perhaps, even share this with your doctor to get other ideas.

Let me know how this helps and any progress.

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

NEXT BLOG >>

Stay tuned, we found a place to view eagles in the wild. I will let you know next 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.

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

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

INTRO TO THIS WEEK >>

Not much happened this week, projects in the house to take care of and enjoying my time with Beth. As you know, we married recently, a big change for each of us – but the right thing for us to do.

In life, we make time for what is important to us.

These things are important to me, so I made the time.

Here are some ideas for you to follow if you need to find things to do, yourself >>

We get so busy, and there seems to be this big rush to the finish line. Just remember that on the way to the finish line, there is a beautiful view—open your eyes and see it.
———————-
These are just a few ideas for you, I’m sure you can think of more. Let me know your ideas, please.

Life is happening all the time – are you keeping up?

********************
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 our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with 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.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way 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 own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, 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 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 you can do 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.
Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.
Very little is needed to make a great life.
I hope these words I pick do help you.

********************
BE INSPIRED BY THESE WORDS >>
“The question is, what are we busy about?” — Henry David Thoreau
“The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” — Stephen R. Covey

“Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.” – Winston Churchill

“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.” – Jim Rohn

“The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time.” – Mozart

“Better to be three hours too soon, than a minute too late.” – William Shakespeare

“Yesterday is gone.
Tomorrow has not yet come.
We have only today.
Let us begin.” – Mother Teresa

“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.” — Charles Richards

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” – Abraham Lincoln

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

“The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.” — Shoppenhauer

“Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves.” – Lord Chesterfield

“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!” — Tony Robbins

“To do two things at once is to do neither.” — Publius Syrus

“He who know most grieves most for wasted time.” — Dante

“Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.” — Thomas Edison

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent, and not enough time on what is important.” – Steven Covey

“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” – Anonymous

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” — Michael Altshuler

“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” – Abraham Lincoln

“I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.” – Golda Meir

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.

YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

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

MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

3/13—Today I made some juggling/flower sticks for our friend, Tomara. She took photos at our wedding (they came out great). She asked me if I would make her a set of juggling/devil sticks, and I did. I like to make things and to make them so that they turn out excellent. That is a choice in everything you do, to make it mediocre or go for excellence. Do right.

Also, because we have two male bunnies already, we got a lady with the long ears. Yes, we will be putting them together later, I will let you know what occurs.

Here is our new one, Fern.

3/14—For the fireplace, we had purchased a bunch of wood chopped up for us. But, to start a fire you need to use smaller wood, kindling it is. So, off I went in search of small wood.

You might have found us on the ground today. It is, at times, called “Earthing”. Felt good to lay in the sun with Jemma and Beth. Healing, perhaps.

3/15—When we got the rabbits we initially kept them in the house with us. After a few days I discovered I am deathly allergic to the cute little bunnies. We had them inside because it was still cold at night. But, they had to go out – I could not breathe and my allergies were horrendous. So, out they went to their bunny-hutch.

3/16—I could not take it anymore! So, off I went to the doc about my allergies. I was prescribed three different medications. Now I just have to wait until the meds are mailed to me – until then I will have to go through agony – yikes!

To add to our zoo, today Beth bought us a turtle, very nice. We also purchased a tank, the only home this little shelled creature will ever know. I can’t feel bad for this little one, if she has nothing to compare it to and knows nothing else.

How about you, do you want more to your world? Also, we got the turtle because I will not be allergic to the little terrapin.

Included in our zoo are the horses across the road out front. There was just one there, I started calling and all four made their appearance. What a nice thing we have so close to us.

********************
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>

Are you taking the time to invest in little things?
Take time this week to walk in nature, to feel a leaf, to lay on the grass.

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

NEXT BLOG >>

Hoping the medications work and I am feeling a lot better.
I will let you know.

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.

*** 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 life 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.

*** Secrets to unfold and good news!

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME

ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

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

INTRO TO THIS WEEK >>

That person you think of as “yourself” exists only for you, and even you don’t really know who the person is. Every other person you meet, have a relationship with, or make eye contact with on the street, creates a version of “you” in their heads, which is different for each. This, as you see each person in a different way.

Remember, you are different. You’re not the same person to your mom, your dad, your siblings, as you are to your coworkers, your neighbors, your friends, or anyone else.

There are a thousand different versions of yourself out there, in people’s minds. A different “you” exists in each version, and yet your “you”, “yourself”, isn’t really a “someone” at all. This makes you special, of course.

Your vision of yourself should have beauty a part of. Can you see yourself in that light, as a beautiful person? You must have the confidence to see yourself in this light. As you have beauty, Rabbits have a beauty all their own.

1.”Get up every morning, tell yourself you are beautiful and gear up to win!”

– Manushi Chhillar.

2. “How dare the world define beauty. God defined beauty when he made you! You are beautiful, you are a true beauty just the way you are!”

– Rachel Hamilton.

3. “By choosing healthy over skinny you are choosing self-love over self-judgment. You are beautiful!”

-Steve Maraboli.

4. “You are worthy of love and respect.
You are beautiful, gifted, and intelligent.
Don’t let the storm make you forget it.”

– Russell T Davies.

5. “Every single thing about you is beautiful.”

– James Frey.

6. “You are beautiful because of the light you carry inside you. You are beautiful because you say you are, and you hold yourself that way.”

– Mary Lambert.

7. “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”

– Sophia Loren.

8. “You are beautiful and your beauty is in your optimistic attitude towards life, in your generous heart and in honest thoughts.”

– Unknown.*

9. “I just want everyone to know you are beautiful in your own skin”

– Cheryl Burke.

10. “You are beautiful.
You are strong.
You are worth it.
You are loved.”

– Macaile Hutt.

=============

Beth wrote this of our rabbits >>

THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF MARRIAGE IS ALL ABOUT THE RABBITS

For Kit’s 63rd birthday I bought us 2 little Lionshead bunnies. He was very excited about getting them and fixing up the old chicken coop to house them.

I wanted a double-sided long hutch to put under the bathroom window so I could hear if anything tried to get into the yard to harm them.

Less worry for me. But Kit has his own ideas and he enjoys having a project to work on. And so, the nightmare begins?

One little bunny had 3 black dots on his face, the name, “Juggles”, fit quite well. Of course, a juggler needs a magician, so named the other, “Merlin”, or course.

He went about planning how to rewire the bottom of the 10×10 dog yard to keep the rabbits safe when they ran around. Kit has an issue with anything being shut in, locked up, or closed off.

He has removed the bathroom door and the pantry door in the house and he rarely remembers to close a door behind him, which provides me with some exercise going behind him to shut them.

The wooden coop inside the dog kennel is large enough to house the rabbits comfortably without letting them run loose, but Kit had a plan. He built them a ramp using sand and paint so their little paws wouldn’t slip when they would go in and out of their house. He reinforced most of the bottom third of the wire with smaller wire. He told me there is no way they can escape. He let the rabbits loose.

I looked out to check on them and saw the tiny white bunny, Juggles, running free in our yard!!! Panic! I screamed, and we both ran outside to corner the bunny but we couldn’t find it. He got Jemma on her leash to hopefully track it down and point it out so we could catch it.

Kit said, “A rabbit will not run far from his home, we don’t have a lot to worry about.” Although, these words were not too calming for me.

Jemma stood by the car wagging her tail so we thought that Juggles must be under my car. (Later we realized that Jemma thought she was going for a ride and was merely excited.) Kit ran Jemma back into the house as I went around the car looking for Juggles.

Mind you, I had been to the doctor for excruciating pain in my neck and shoulder, and I was trying to save our bunny and keep my arm still at the same time.

We could not see Juggles anywhere.

I looked over towards the hutch and there he was back inside the kennel. How??? Kit figured he slipped out through the tiny opening at the bottom corner of the door. I didn’t see how he could have gotten back in because the wire was bent into the kennel.

It just was not possible. But my dear husband said it was, so we will go with that. Kit fixed the space and assured me that they can’t escape.

The next day, Kit went out to play with the rabbits and let them loose and came into the house with that scary voice, “Beth, I can’t find the rabbits. They’re gone.”

I thought he was playing with me but the tone of his voice was serious. Out we go to the kennel. I looked inside the coop and there sat the larger bunny, Merlin, eating his timothy hay. Because of his coloring, Kit didn’t see him. We looked over every inch of the whole kennel and then outside in the yard when I spotted Juggles inside the coop.

How did he do that?He had to have been hiding really well. Once again, Kit went around the whole kennel checking for any openings they could have slid through. He told me there is no way they can escape.

For my own mental health, I hung medium-sized crafting bells every few feet around the entire bottom of the kennel, and hung a few on the top. If anything got in or out I should be able to hear the bells from the house.

The next morning, Kit spent time in the kennel watching the rabbits while I was still in the process of waking up. I heard him fly into the house saying that Juggles got loose. Many swear words went through my head but I kept them in there.

He put Jemma on her leash to lead us to wherever our bunny might be and I saw Juggles running around my car. Kit took Jemma inside and I chased Juggles but that little bugger ran under the woodpile and right back inside the kennel!

How in the world did he do that?

We may have named them wrong. Juggles is more like Merlin the magician. We examined the side of the kennel where Juggles reentered, and there was a small gap. How in the world did he know this? Once again, Kit got out the wire and reinforced the kennel and said to me, there is no way they can escape now.

My new husband will be the reason I may be committed to a mental institution one day. And there will be no way I can escape.

==================

Beth and I are enjoying the bunnies. Their home is completely secure now, no worries about any escape.

When my daughters, Jasmine and April, were young, we had a big rabbit hutch; the rabbits were quite a delight. How about you, have you ever had one of these fun and furry little creatures?

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

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 our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves as well as others.

Inspirational quotes and ideas provide us with 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.

At any age, you can (and should) make changes to make your life better.

You see, the way 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 own thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control!

In fact, 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 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 you can do 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.

Remember, you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind.

Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive and always reaching for advancement.

Very little is needed to make a great life.

I hope these words I pick do help you.

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

BE INSPIRED BY THESE WORDS >>

From my book series, “Beyond Your Potential”

Sometimes you need a drastic change in your life to advance, a kick to get you moving again. And yet, there are losses that a kick will do nothing for, such as the death of someone close. We have all had the loss of someone close to us.

When you experience the loss of a loved one, it can really help if you take time to write a letter to this person describing how you feel about them and that you are sad they died. Describe your feelings in detail. Read this letter to yourself every day out loud with a smile on your face and it can really comfort you as you go through the stages of grief.

The six stages of grief we have to go through after a change or loss—denial, isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and ϐinally, acceptance. Getting through each stage can be difficult. Take the time you need, work on getting through each stage and back to life as soon as you can.

In each of my life changes, I remember taking the time to go through each of these stages as I was recovering. Each stage takes its own time to go through. Tears may show, yelling can occur, sadness will be there. Always keep in mind that the grief will not be forever.

As you are getting through your grief, help others through theirs. The more you can help others through their difficulties and change, the sooner you will find your way back to happiness. Understand, though, that you will never be the same after change.

WE MUST SURRENDER TO THE CHANGE,
AND THEN LEARN TO USE IT FOR OUR FUTURE.

Surrendering allows us to move through the change and learn from it. It does not mean giving up; it simply means accepting the change as is.

Yes, this acceptance of change can be a terribly hard thing to do, but it must be done in order to move forward. You must look toward the future and think of what has to change to make your life even better than it currently is.

Find the power in yourself and don’t give it away by holding onto negative factors from any change. As we go through changes, we have to focus on them at the time, but don’t hold on too long—move your focus to your positive future as soon as you can.

COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.

YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!

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

MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>

Not much to write of this week.
I am enjoying life, much.
How about you?

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

YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>

We all see beauty in a different way. This week, pick three different people you think have beauty and tell them, “I think you’re a beautiful person, this is not a pick-up line, I just wanted to let you know”.

==========

NEXT BLOG >>

Technology can ruin a relationship.
Learn more next week.

THIS WEEK, MAKE YOUR LIFE SOMETHING

THAT YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT!

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