Courage

During the time of my former husband’s, illness, I found a metal cutout of the word courage at one of the hobby stores.  I bought it thinking this was a good word for me and I placed it on my desk to see it often.

Little did I know at the time that I would need the reminder of courage as life continued for me.

Another note I have on my desk reads, “Write a happy ending to your story.”  I realized today that I needed to write a happy ending to every one of my days, weeks, months and years.  In order to write a happy ending, there needs to be activity and usually, it mean, “new” activity. 

It takes courage to have a daily event of new activity of any kind.  It takes courage to step out of a comfort zone and allow something new and different to be presented.  It takes courage to be positive about how wonderful life is and all that it means. 

Maybe courage is really a gift of grace - gift of possibility and greater rewards.  Courage isn’t needed when one is in a comfort zone.  But it is needed just to think about something new and different. 

The beauty of something new and different is that the reward of having the courage to step out results in fascinating and equally wondrous results.  I have discovered that the greater the risk, the greater the result. 

Writing a happy ending to “a” story is as easy now as imagining the biggest, greatest, most outrageous way that life can show up for me.  I want all of the benefits that life has including fun, easy ways, peace, love, and money. 

How much fun would it be to have all of our dreams fulfilled?

How We Influence Each Other

At the Asilomar Conference Center, located on the Pacific Rim in California, while attending a religious gathering, I remember having had a meal with a colleague and she introduced me to the wonders of a fountain pen for writing.  Rev. Jennie was using a Waterman Fountain Pen. 

I don’t remember how many years ago that has been but what reminded me of that experience is that I am still using my original Waterman I bought shortly after using her pen. 

Actually, I consider my Waterman “just broken in.”  It writes beautifully with a very smooth nib on all kinds of surfaces.  I didn’t know that the more you use the nib, the better it gets as it “gets” use to the way you write and the pressure you use, etc.

Since that time, I have learned how to turn my own pens.  What I really wanted was a Mont Blanc pen, but couldn’t afford it, so learned how to make my own as I could easily afford a “Cindy Flor.” 

Using what I have created is an experience in itself and wanted to give credit to Jennie for creating a new path for me in not only writing, but also journal writing all these years.  Now, I buy inks from all over and when the mood hits, I mix and match different shades to be able to experience more of what I have. 

Since that time, I received a Mont Blanc as a gift.  The joy of journal writing now is choosing which pen, what color ink, and not playing favorites with my collection of fountain pens. 

Thanks, Jennie, for opening a whole new experience for me.  I love my pen collection and the luxury of choice every day when I sit down to write.