It dawned on me the other day; Opportunity has the market cornered on clever disguises. You know the saying 'opportunity knocks only once...'  well I beg to differ. Opportunity taps gently, knocks steady and keeps coming back, in different shapes, forms and colours.  Often, the opportunity isn't really the opportunity but the prelude to the opportunity. Stepping stones, that is, to the ultimate goal. Let me tell you, I've stepped on a lot of those stones! Haven't quite figured out the mechanics behind it, but I'm guessing it's like boot camp. Gotta sweat. Gotta struggle. Gotta reach, reach, reach... I know it's coming because I believe.  Pretty much sums it up.  So when opportunity knocks and you race to the door to answer, only to find no one standing there, just remember, it's opportunity getting your attention.

This week's blog can be found at McAuley Freelance Writing Imagine by Angela Walker

Is it the things we surround ourselves?
is it the size of our homes or bank accounts?
Is it how often we succeed?
Is it how many times we were right?
Is it coming out a winner?
Is it being smarter? prettier? cooler?

Food for thought...

"The most important things in life ... are not things."

Family
Friendship
Health
Happiness

Stop for a moment ... if you can ... and embrace the non-things in life.

Sometimes I wish I was a superhero.

Fly like Superman.

Climb walls like Spiderman.

Lasso the the truth out of people like Wonder Woman.

Fight crime like Batman.

You get the idea...


Then I think; So many wrongs to right...So little time.

Wonder how many people would step up to the job? Then, after all the novelty wore off, would they stick to it?

These lyrics sum it up:

"Superman never made any money,
from saving the world from Solomon Grundy.
And sometimes I despair the world will never see another man,
like him"

"Sometimes when Supe was stopping crime,
I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit
and turn his back on man,
join Tarzan in the forest"




Maybe that's why superhero's are fantastic, imaginary images of what we aspire to be.

Dig deep, there's probably a superpower in you waiting to surface... to make a difference.

Just remember though,

With great power comes great responsibility.

That I can make a difference ...

When you're head is down and you're hard at work trying to make that positive impact...reach someone ... oh let's not kid ourselves ... reach lots of people ... a tap on the shoulder to get your attention tells you ... that you have.

Feeling really blessed that I have had the pleasure to connect with great people.  Anne McAuley is one.

http://mcauleyfreelancewriting.com/when-social-media-works-they-call-it-monkey-love/

Then there is Charles Jackson  https://www.facebook.com/thecritterverse

Charity Gibson https://www.facebook.com/Ange8889#!/GreenBananaPromos

Kimberly Johnston  https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Just-My-Two-Cents/119021868167368

Ashley Treadwell https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/FamousByNatureInc

Denise St Marie https://www.facebook.com/Ange8889#!/time.and.desire

Stephen @mickeyscouse

Victor aka Origa MiKids https://www.facebook.com/xOrigamiKids

Christopher McGarrity https://www.facebook.com/chris.mcgarrity

Erik Simon https://www.facebook.com/Tongue.in.Public

Rita Ann Mishkin https://www.facebook.com/RockinRita03?ref=pb

Sadie Duarte https://www.facebook.com/sadie.duarte.3

Tiffeni Wilkinson https://www.facebook.com/tiffenni.wilkinson

Angelique Drummond https://www.facebook.com/angelique.drummond


The list goes on ... and so does the journey.

God Bless

Loving what you do is happiness. :)

Ask yourself ...

How many times do you wish a day away?

Hold that thought ...

"Life isn't about the destination.  It's about the journey."


Live.

Love.

Laugh.

Be Grateful.

"The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do."

Live, breathe and BE grateful.

Friends ... who needs them? Everyone. 'nuf said

Life is amazing.  We are all handed the same gift...just packaged differently. We take our existence's and conveniently label them: rich, poor, healthy, sick, happy, unhappy, lucky, unlucky, beautiful, not so beautiful. Instead, why not just say thank you and open ourselves to the abundance that life has to offer. We have the ability to open the door...

I'm grateful that I've opened the door.  Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I can think, decide, create, speak and do ... Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I can witness awesome works of nature ... like a rainbow. Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I can take care of myself ... and others.  Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I can learn something new everyday .. Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I can dream ... Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I have a family ... Thank you :)
I'm grateful that I live in a safe country ... Thank you :)

and you will.

Stay focused. Hold on to those beliefs and expect great things to happen.. and then, be grateful.

Appreciate, appreciate, appreciate...

For the butterflies ... a beautiful reminder of the wondrous colours in our world ... Thank you :)

For the roof over our heads ... home ... Thank you :)

For the privilege to choose ... every moment ... Thank you :)

For rainforests ... and every living thing in it ... Thank you :)

For all the inquisitive minds ... and all the things they discover and teach us ... Thank you :)

For the gift of sight ... Thank you :)

my head.

Yup, being human can be precarious at times.  You ride that positive high striving for those dreams, dodging things that try to bring you down...and then one day..you're finding that the hits are more than you can handle. So what do you do? Stop, Ask, Listen and Remember to Remember.  It's a feat that at the time seems insurmountable, but as you talk yourself through it, the edges start to soften and before you realize it, you're back in that zone.  A little battered and bruised, but ready to give it another go.

It's not easy. It takes time; and boy do you have to have a lot of patience, resilience and faith.  

We've all 'been there' and 'done that' so no use in expecting that we are above challenges, disappointments and hurt. It is though about what you do about it, because life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.

So to the universe I say, thank you...

For listening ... I know I will receive... Thank you :)

For answering ... giving me the encouragement to continue ... Thank you :)

For this wondrous, wondrous world ... priceless ... Thank you :)

For the little voice in my head ... connected to the bigger voice ... Thank you :)

For the moments of enlightenment ... and knowing I will have more ... Thank you :)

I have skeletons in my closet ... or what I'd rather refer to as gems.

Once upon a time, when I was knee deep in a situation or facing difficult decisions I found it hard to understand those words of wisdom 'time will heal all wounds' or 'it gets worse before it gets better.' Now, I get it.  I've learned countless lessons in my life. Armed with experience and knowledge, I have a different approach.

Rather than fight it, I embrace it.
Rather than question it, I trust it.
Rather than delve in self pity, I welcome the opportunity to get stronger.

Where does it all come from? Perspective...and at the core is gratitude.

I'm so thankful everyday for so many things, and I am grateful that I can express them...everyday.

For the 'information highway'...which enables me to connect with people globally. Thank you :)

For doing what I love ... writing, creating, sharing.. making a difference.  Thank you :)

For brunch with my family ... laughing, being together, loving each other.  Thank you :)

For my little god daughter ... at a tender age of 5, she has the secret of life .. laughter and loving every second. Thank you :)

For air conditioning ... Thank you :)

For banana popsicles ... delicious, refreshing.  Thank you :)

Everything... and I am grateful to be here today to enjoy...everything.

I am grateful and thankful that I am able :)

For my bike ... being able to explore the wonders of nature ... Thank you :)

For funny movies ... smiling, laughing ... Thank you :)

For artists ... being able to see the world through their eyes ... Thank you :)

For the people who risk their lives to bring us amazing footage of animals and nature ... Thank you :)

For music ... being able to experience a spectrum of emotions ... Thank you :)

Apparently some people ... and now many.

To be thankful is not just saying thanks, but living and breathing it.

Give it a try and do it often, you'll find that it becomes you!

For discovery something new .. in something I looked at a million times .. Thank you :)

For the flip flop feeling in my stomach ... when I get excited ... Thank you :)

For this very second ... this moment that I am so connected with the universe ... Thank you :)

For being able to carry a tune ... and lull a baby to sleep with a melody ... Thank you :)

For photographs ... that bring memories to the surface ... happy moments ... Thank you :)

For flashbacks ... things I did with my brother ... like building a fort out of an appliance box ... Thank you :)

What a time to be alive...and...to be grateful!

For the scar above my lip ... reminds me of a moment that although it hurt at the time, it somehow makes me smile ... Thank you :)

brush off the negativity and focus on gratitude.

It's amazing what this shift in thinking does.

The list of thankfulness continues...

For the long walks and holding my husbands hand, feeling that extra squeeze telling me how much he loves me ... Thank you :)

To offer a smile. 

To say thank you :)

We live in a world of abundance. In all its splendor let's always acknowledge and be grateful.

For the teachers ... who inspire and motivate ... Thank you :)