A friend was "inspired" enough by my blog to provide some quotes I may like to use which in turn inspired me enough to look through photos and try to put some in to kinda match them...
Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. Benjamin Disraeli
In America there are two classes of travel - first class, and with children. Robert Benchley
Travelers never think that they are the foreigners. Mason Cooley
The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing." Daniel J. Boorstin
There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror. Orson Welles
One of my goals for the year was to do more writing, by more I meant to actually do some! As a result I joined a meetup of the International Women's Writing Guild a rather daunting name for a great group of people. The IWWG, founded in 1976, as a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing and open to all regardless of portfolio. As such, it has established a remarkable record of achievement in the publishing world, as well as in circles where lifelong learning and personal transformation are valued for their own sake. The Guild nurtures and supports holistic thinking by recognizing the logic of the heart--the ability to perceive the subtle interconnections between people, events and emotions- alongside conventional logic. This day was the Big Apple Conference it was held at The National Arts Club in Gramercy Park. A Workshop with Maureen Murdock - Making Meaning form Myth and Memoir: A One-Day Memoir Writing workshop. Bernadette joined me for the day. We caught the R to 23rd street and on the way there we were crossing the road and looking back I got this great view of the Empire State. Thank goodness for the camera in the iphone no moment need go undocumented.
Having found our way there way too early, nasty trait I have, always need to be there in plenty of time. But it gave us time to find a cup of coffee. What a great find this little coffee shop was... and it made the little stroll through the Gramercy Park area truly worthwhile- a great cappuccino that made this little Melbourne coffee drinkers heart beat faster- not just from the caffeine!
Once the day started the presenter Maureen Murdock inspired and had us writing. Searching for mythic themes in our memoirs was such a liberating process.
The venue itself is a work of art. I had been there and I believe blogged about the National Arts Club before, the link takes one on a great digression from my story.
The building itself an the art work
Thanks to the iphone I can get (ghastly) photos of me in situ!
Reading through blogs and message boards and chats with others I have been privy to others' processes for creating New Year Resolutions/ Goals. One aspect I found intriguing was the selection of a word to prompt one through the year.
After much thinking and reflecting (some may be surprised to hear this!) I have decided that SPIRIT is my word for 2010.
"Have you lost the plot Celia!" I can hear some say but no the word has a huge range of foci and meanings, it can mean ....
A vital force that characterizes a living being as being alive
Somebody’s will, sense of self or enthusiasm for living
Somebody’s attitude or state of mind
A sense of enthusiasm and loyalty that somebody feels through belonging to a group
The intention behind something
A prevailing mood or outlook characteristic of a time or place
A strong alcoholic liquor!
An essence
To take somebody away quickly or in secret
Spirit is also synonymous with
Strength
Courage
Character
Strength of mind
Inner self
Attitude
Determination
Heart
Essence
And following on from Chris' and Rinda (Maria)'s inspiration at Get it Scrapped! a few quotes I've found...
"Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.”
Erich Fromm
“Never forget that it is the spirit with which you endow your work that makes it useful or futile”
Adelaide Hasse
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds"
Albert Einstein
"Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand."
Sue Patton Teole
And so this year one of my resolutions is to live my life with SPIRIT!
