Author: inspiringmax

Weekly Photo Challenge: Victory

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I celebrate my little victories of life regularly as a way to encourage more positivity in my life. My most  recent interesting victory was getting my head around kissing a frozen cod-fish to take part in Newfoundland and Labrador’s famous Screech-In ceremony.

001 - Trapper Johns

My husband and I choose to be screeched-in at Trapper John’s Pub and Museum, once voted best pub in North America for its fun, food and hospitality. The pub was very interesting however dark which although adding to the ambiance made taking good photos difficult.

015- Trapper Johns - Best pub in North merica

The experience began with the ringing of the Screeching ceremony bell. This alerts all patrons in the pub that someone has requested to be Screeched-In.

005 - The 'Screeching Ceremony' Bell

We choose Sunday 5pm just as the pub was opening for the night for our ceremony. Because of this the pub had limited patrons however all stopped what they were doing, making us feel very welcome as we went through the ritual to become honorary Newfies—Newfoundlanders slang name for themselves.

006 - Michelle in the Ceremony

For more information about the Screech-In ceremony and our experience please visit my earlier post https://www.inspiringmax.com/honarary-newfies/

We loved Newfoundland so much that one day we hope to visit again, next time for several months.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/victory/

CN Tower’s Glass Floor

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For 36 years between 1976 – 2010, CN Tower was the tallest tower in the world at 553 metres in height. So last year when my husband and I visited Toronto, I was excited to reach the top and cross off one of the original things on my bucket list.

From the moment I entered the elevator I was amazed. It takes 58 seconds, yes less than a minute to travel 132 floors. There is also a glass panel in the wall and the floor so you can look out— if you dare.  From the main viewing platform, the views were spectacular as we had chosen a clear winters day.

My favourite part of the CN Tower however is its glass floor. Built in 1994, it was the world’s first glass floor. I had set myself a goal I was going to walk into the middle and look down. Initially, although I knew it was safe—I was petrified. I started with taking a few steps out, sitting and looking down. Determined to not let it beat me, I kept persevering until I could walk across the glass floor. My mindfulness training paid off and I was able to enjoy this unique experience even though our photos don’t show the distance below well.

If ever you visit Toronto, Canada take the time and experience the the joy and challenges of CN Tower.   In 2013, we visited Canton Tower in Ghangzhou, China which in 2010 became the tallest tower in the world however this honour is now changes regularly.

Coffee Catch-up #2

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As it has been six weeks since our first coffee catch-up I think it is time to catch-up again. Due to feedback from our last coffee, this will be a random regular event—a bit like my real life coffee catch-ups. If you missed our first coffee, you can catch-up here.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoyed our trip to the cinema yesterday. My husband and I saw Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks. It wasn’t my first choice for a movie, however it looked okay and it was being shown at a time suitable to us. From the start I was invested and intrigued. Based on true events, Bridge of Spies is a story set during the Cold War. An American lawyer played by Hanks is recruited by the CIA to go to Berlin and negotiated the release of a spy plane pilot shot down over Russia. Produced by Steven Spielberg it is full of drama, has great casting and as expected amazing location photography. If you have a few hours to spare it is definitely worth a look.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about my continuing de-clutter at work. Over the last few weeks I have gone through all the cupboards and drawers, throwing out information that hasn’t been needed for years and organising everything else so it can be found and accessed. I even found some photographs of staff from about 8 years ago and my new staff didn’t always pick the younger version of myself. The new look office is going well and people are taking the time to comment. We have also started a treat roster and everyone is excited to take turns and bring in some special homemade treats to share.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was to carve my first pumpkin last weekend. I had no idea to begin with but with the help of Dr Google I learnt quickly. My daughter helped me with the design and although my pumpkin wasn’t the winner of our Toastmasters Halloween competition it was fun.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I am looking forward to preparing for Christmas which is now less than 8 weeks away. My family has a colour theme and this year it is Berry. All colours that berries come in are welcome. As my favourite colour is purple I will be looking for purple-blue coloured clothes. I am hoping to find something suitable before my work Christmas party to kill two birds with the one stone.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how I am refocusing on completing the editing of my book on eating disorder recovery.  I have about half the book to go and would like to hand it to the editor in Jan 2016 which I think is achievable as long as I keep working at it. Seriously before I began this journey I never realised how much time goes into the editing process of a book. I think I just thought magically happened—definitely not so especially for non-fiction books.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what you have done and how you have been since we last met. Let me know in the comments what you have been up to.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treat

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Treats and indulgences can take many forms. Share yours with us!

I love Disney so going to Disneyland is my favourite treat. Unfortunate, living in Australia means it is many years between my indulgences. I hope you enjoy these photos taken at Hong Kong Disney in 2012. They brought a smile back to my face.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/treat/

Resilience

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What’s your most prized possession?

My most prized possession is my ability to cope with what ever comes my way. My life has been an interesting miss mash of experiences that have helped me developed my personal resilience. At times, I laughing joke that resilience is the one thing that I have achieved a high distinction in. Seriously however—personal resilience is no laughing matter. Although, it is the corner-stone of emotional intelligence. The following acrostic poem  describes some of the values my personal resilience has taught me.

Resourcefulness

Encouragement

Sincerity

Intuition

Logic

Integrity

Empowerment

Nurturance

Clarity

Empathy

To help you develop your personal resilience, look into the lessons your tough times have taught you. Moving forward they can turn into powerful tools that you can use to support yourself and others in times of need.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/pride-and-joy/

Share Your World – 2015 Week 41

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What genre of music do you like?

I like multiple genres of music. The determining factor for me is that the music must have meaningful words. I don’t like music styles without words such as classical, nor do I like heavy metal or songs that repeat the same words over again.  The more meaning and motivation behind the song the better. One of my favourite songs, Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman has motivated me over many decades.

What is the worst thing you ate this last week?

I rarely eat takeaway food however last Friday my husband and I shared some fresh, yummy, crispy hand battered potato scallops. Many years ago good potato scallops were everywhere however these days prepackaged frozen ones have taken over and in my opinion they are not worth eating.

Photo Credit: Google Images

Photo Credit: Google Images

Would you like to be famous?  In what way?

I don’t wish to be famous in a way that my life is directed by others. However as a writer, when I publish my book next year I would like to be well known and respected for my expertise and if this leads to fame I will enjoy the journey.

Complete this sentence:  This sandwich could really use some …

Rocket and chilli sauce as it needs spicing up.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Last week I was grateful to perform well enough at my Area Table topics competition for Toastmasters to come 3rd. In the coming week I am looking forward to having some me time as life has been very busy lately.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/10/12/share-your-world-2015-week-41/

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Extra)ordinary

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I love this clever use for old toilets at the entrance to the local sewerage works at Dorrigo, New South Wales.  It brought a smile to my face but I am not sure if it is because of  my Australian sense of humour.

Let me know your thoughts and any other unusual ways you have seen old toilets used.

Lava Tree

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/extraordinary/

Some Say Love, It Is A Razor

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Take the third line of the last song you heard, make it your post title, and write for a maximum of 15 minutes. GO!

Bette Midler’s The Rose is my favouirte empowerment song. I love to lie on the floor, in the dark and listen to it played—loud and proud. This song motivates me and reminds me risks are worth taking and growth takes time and nurturing.

As one of the opening lines of The Rose, the third line “some say love, it is a razor” uses vivid powerful imagery. A razor like love can be a positive or a negative experience. It can

  • Tidy new hair growth
  • Trim a mustache or beard
  • Transform faces, legs and other body parts
  • Terminate a life

The secret is to trust the the person in control of the razor—yourself included.

If you are scared of ever bleeding from a razor cut—you will never know the freedom and beauty that comes from feeling your freshly shaven, clean subtle skin.  “Feel my skin, it feels so soft” are words often used by many of us to share our experience with others. This invitation increases the intimacy between us and often leads to love.

 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/cant-drive-55/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Boundaries

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The most amazing physical boundaries and divides I have explored are high in the Taihang Mountains, China. The Guoliang Tunnel shown in the photos below was carved by hand to allow Guoliang village people access to the outside world. To be even more inspired by this amazing part of China and learn more about the Guoliang Tunnel please visit my previous post https://www.inspiringmax.com/guoliang-tunnel/

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/boundaries/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Change

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Change can happen in many ways. As I considered my options for this challenge, nothing was connecting with me. Then I remembered some historical museums my husband and I had found on our recent trip to country New South Wales. What better place to see change, look for inspiration and remember its impact on our lives. One item that grabbed my attention was a 1930’s Drip Safe.

In Australia these were one of the first versions of the modern day refrigerator. The Drip Safe was lined with charcoal and stored on the front or back verandah of the house. The food inside the safe was kept cool by evaporation as water from the rainwater tank above was dripped over the charcoal. I was fascinated as I had never seen one before and I instantly thought about how this item would have changed people’s lives for the better especially over the long hot Australian summers.

 

Drip Safe

 

Drip Safe rear

Personally I am very grateful for the change refrigerators have made to our lifestyle.  I rarely find it difficult to fill two refrigerators, even if one mostly contains drinks.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/change-2015/