(This is Main Street by Angie, who is working on art goals here on the blog!)
This has been a personal project to blog every day for a school year on goals and dreams. My hope was that I could find a group of people to work with me.
I was lucky enough to find a small, but sincere group of inspirational people to keep me company. We've been using Walt Disney's philosophies or creations as inspiration.
I am no longer blogging daily, but I am notified if comments are posted, and I'll be happy to keep the discussion going!
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art by A.Daley
Please join us and introduce yourself here.
46 More Blog Days to Goal Met Time!!!!!!!!! My biggest lesson!
"It's something that will never be finished. Something that I can keep developing...and adding to."
Walt Disney
208 days of blogging down (with one day missed for technical difficulties.)
46 days until I've finished my goal to blog for a school year (using the college's calendar.)
Sometimes it helps me to take inventory of where I am in a goal, especially a long-term goal.
I'm one of those who crosses off the months of my year-at-a-glance with a highlighter, just to see how far I've come.
Since I tend to run my year-ticker by a school schedule, I start with the new appointment book that I get in the summer and start crossing off each month.
Somehow, since I've been doing this blog project, I feel a little more of a sense of accomplishment at the end of each month. I am not just ticking time, I'm marking days when I've followed through with something I committed to do.
I'm thinking back to a while back when I was asking myself why I was doing this? What would happen if I just decided to stop? How about it I switched my promise to myself to blog every other day? How about every other week?
Some people asked why I was doing this when there was no money in it? Actually, there is no money in alot of the things I do. I like to have enough to get me by, but, the truth is, my most important goals are not at all motivated by money.
I had to face the question that seems to haunt most blogs with a small following. "Who do you think you are that anyone would care what you have to say?" That is a fair question and I most often asked it of myself. To that, I found the answer that, if one person cares enough that it makes a difference to them, then it is worth it for me. Besides, I care!
One of the biggest problems was my promise to myself to be "in the moment" with each blog entry. That meant no "back-up" blogs when I'm busy, uninspired, or just not in the mood. You learn alot about yourself as far as day-to-day changes. Some days, the whole Suzy Sunshine thing was too much. Still, I found that trying to stick to the topic of goals and dreams, especially when I tried to relate it to Walt Disney, seemed to create a mind-set that turned things around.
And that, I think, is my most important lesson to date. Setting aside time for a daily prayer, meditation, or journaling still left the door open for periods of aimless wandering, self-pity, or general negativity...or at least the way I'd set-up those activities.
In my life, while I tend to be optimistic, I had not figured out how important it was to SQUEEZE just some small amount of gratitude, bright-side thinking, or problem-solving out of whatever my day has brought.
I have to say that, while it is sometimes a stretch and sometimes it was hard to feel authentic, by the end of the thought process, I had some positive thinking neurons working and some of the negative thinking neurons gave up.
I decided to push through and keep going. (By the way, thanks so much to those who supported me through that decision!) I think that decision has somehow changed me in a good way.
What I'm trying to say is that I really think I've learned a lesson from this. I think I may have created a habit of turning my thoughts towards hope and growth much more quickly than before this experience because I had to try and do just that every day. It feels real on a much deeper level, and less like a bumper-sticker slogan with a smiley face.
Walt Disney had his REAL deadlines where lots of people REALLY depended on his ability to keep going. I imagine that this, in part, was how he developed the ability to accomplish the improbable and raise the bar with the next project.
I may have only had a few people following, but I'm no Walt Disney, so a few people following a blog is about all I can manage.
I'm not saying that a blog is anything like the real-life obligations that Walt had, but, since a few paragraphs a day for a few people is about all I can handle, I think I must have been just as challenged!
And pushing forward in the face of challenges is the way to get to the place where the same level of challenge becomes easy!
Those are just the thoughts going through my head right now.
And here is today's blog entry!
Quote from:
http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/quotes/
Walt Disney
208 days of blogging down (with one day missed for technical difficulties.)
46 days until I've finished my goal to blog for a school year (using the college's calendar.)
Sometimes it helps me to take inventory of where I am in a goal, especially a long-term goal.
I'm one of those who crosses off the months of my year-at-a-glance with a highlighter, just to see how far I've come.
Since I tend to run my year-ticker by a school schedule, I start with the new appointment book that I get in the summer and start crossing off each month.
Somehow, since I've been doing this blog project, I feel a little more of a sense of accomplishment at the end of each month. I am not just ticking time, I'm marking days when I've followed through with something I committed to do.
I'm thinking back to a while back when I was asking myself why I was doing this? What would happen if I just decided to stop? How about it I switched my promise to myself to blog every other day? How about every other week?
Some people asked why I was doing this when there was no money in it? Actually, there is no money in alot of the things I do. I like to have enough to get me by, but, the truth is, my most important goals are not at all motivated by money.
I had to face the question that seems to haunt most blogs with a small following. "Who do you think you are that anyone would care what you have to say?" That is a fair question and I most often asked it of myself. To that, I found the answer that, if one person cares enough that it makes a difference to them, then it is worth it for me. Besides, I care!
One of the biggest problems was my promise to myself to be "in the moment" with each blog entry. That meant no "back-up" blogs when I'm busy, uninspired, or just not in the mood. You learn alot about yourself as far as day-to-day changes. Some days, the whole Suzy Sunshine thing was too much. Still, I found that trying to stick to the topic of goals and dreams, especially when I tried to relate it to Walt Disney, seemed to create a mind-set that turned things around.
And that, I think, is my most important lesson to date. Setting aside time for a daily prayer, meditation, or journaling still left the door open for periods of aimless wandering, self-pity, or general negativity...or at least the way I'd set-up those activities.
In my life, while I tend to be optimistic, I had not figured out how important it was to SQUEEZE just some small amount of gratitude, bright-side thinking, or problem-solving out of whatever my day has brought.
I have to say that, while it is sometimes a stretch and sometimes it was hard to feel authentic, by the end of the thought process, I had some positive thinking neurons working and some of the negative thinking neurons gave up.
I decided to push through and keep going. (By the way, thanks so much to those who supported me through that decision!) I think that decision has somehow changed me in a good way.
What I'm trying to say is that I really think I've learned a lesson from this. I think I may have created a habit of turning my thoughts towards hope and growth much more quickly than before this experience because I had to try and do just that every day. It feels real on a much deeper level, and less like a bumper-sticker slogan with a smiley face.
Walt Disney had his REAL deadlines where lots of people REALLY depended on his ability to keep going. I imagine that this, in part, was how he developed the ability to accomplish the improbable and raise the bar with the next project.
I may have only had a few people following, but I'm no Walt Disney, so a few people following a blog is about all I can manage.
I'm not saying that a blog is anything like the real-life obligations that Walt had, but, since a few paragraphs a day for a few people is about all I can handle, I think I must have been just as challenged!
And pushing forward in the face of challenges is the way to get to the place where the same level of challenge becomes easy!
Those are just the thoughts going through my head right now.
And here is today's blog entry!
Quote from:
http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/quotes/
0 Pixie Dust
Tags: blog, growth, learning, sandra bostwick
Total Comments 4
Comments
-
But look at what you have done for us few... You made us get off our duffs and set goals, big and small...and actually put the pedal to the metal..... So whether it's inspiring thousands or just a few - if one person has been helped, changed, inspired.... Thank you... and a job well done!!0 Pixie Dust
Posted 03-29-2010 at 10:37 AM by orionchika -
I came into this late but I've really appreciated it. I tend to read your blog at night and it sets my mind in a good way for the following day and incidentally, I care what you have to say! You are intelligent and kind and I respect your opinion. That "in the moment" thing was very, very Buddhist btw. It's very hard to stay in the moment but I do try very hard to do this when I'm spending time with the kids b/c time goes by way too fast.0 Pixie Dust
Posted 03-30-2010 at 08:19 PM by Christine43 -
Orionchika said:
But look at what you have done for us few... You made us get off our duffs and set goals, big and small...and actually put the pedal to the metal..... So whether it's inspiring thousands or just a few - if one person has been helped, changed, inspired.... Thank you... and a job well done!!
Posted Yesterday at 10:37 AM by orionchika
Here's me:
Thank you so much! When I sign on and see comments, I always feel inspired. I really think all of you who comment are such a blessing!0 Pixie Dust
Posted 03-30-2010 at 08:46 PM by Sandra Bostwick -
Christine said:
I came into this late but I've really appreciated it. I tend to read your blog at night and it sets my mind in a good way for the following day and incidentally, I care what you have to say! You are intelligent and kind and I respect your opinion. That "in the moment" thing was very, very Buddhist btw. It's very hard to stay in the moment but I do try very hard to do this when I'm spending time with the kids b/c time goes by way too fast.
Posted Today at 08:19 PM by Christine43
I agree with how important it can be to be Zen-or in the moment. The fascinating thing that I learned from this blog is that, if you go through the effort (and sometimes it REALLY is effort) to try and turn you negative moments into positive moments, it can really be good for turning blah moments into bright ones.
Now don't think I can do it easily, but somehow this blog has helped it to become easier!0 Pixie Dust
Posted 03-30-2010 at 08:51 PM by Sandra Bostwick
Updated 03-30-2010 at 08:54 PM by Sandra Bostwick