encouragement

Life’s Internal Survival Tools … So Handy for Today!

/ Penny L Howe / 2 Comments

I fear change, unless curiosity and anticipation encourage me through a newly opened door of opportunity. I hate what doesn’t agree with me unless my compassion, caring and need to understand takes charge and helps me to greater wisdom.

Reality can definitely seem overwhelming unless/until my imagination takes over and finally, I know sometimes I feel a sense of despair until my hopeful spiritual nature and dreams come forth to guide me to a better place.

Isn’t it a most wonderful thing to know that we (each) have our own internal toolbox of survival tools always available to us. If we remember to use them.

You do … Don’t you?

Be an Encourager. First to yourself and then to others! Thanks for stopping by and have a great new week to come. I wish you well.

*

Most Sincerely,

~ Penny

Be An Encourager … It Will Rebound Back To You!

/ Penny L Howe / 15 Comments
 

Be An Encourager!

“Acknowledge, reward, praise and applaud.
Encouragement – a wonderful gift to receive,
an even better one to give … always!”
~ Penny L Howe, 2013

~*~

We each know how good we feel when someone says something encouraging to us. The day seems a little bit brighter and we feel better about ourselves and what we are trying to accomplish.

It works the other way too. Each time we take just a few extra minutes to be supportive, let another person know we think they’re doing a good job, it brightens their day as well. It can mean so much more than we realize, perhaps even making that important difference in self confidence and determination at a time when really needed. Continue reading →

INK – and Global Scribes.org

/ Penny L Howe / 16 Comments

Escribano

INK

When I think of ink, scribes come to mind. Industrious, hardworking individuals who over the millennium painstakingly wrote down historical happenings for the preservation of events and beliefs of the time. Even today if one thinks about ink (unless you’re a printer) you associate it with the writer and his or her written words.

Originally, every written word laid down by a scribe was a work of art, not just the words themselves but also the beauty of their hand written script and scholarly works of art referred to as illuminated manuscripts.

Ink is life’s blood or liquid essence to writer/artisans. It always has been and always will be. Where would Shakespeare or Mozart have been without ink? Yes ink, containing within its elements the amazing magic to convert creative thoughts and ideas into physical reality. And that’s pretty darn awesome, if you ask me. (writer and an artist)

 

Recently I was contacted by Global Scribes™ (A nonprofit organization which fosters global unity by connecting youth to build cultural understanding and worldwide community through the beauty and the power of the written word). As a result, I have participated in a few creative writing projects for them. Including the short piece you just read “INK”.

If, like myself you are interesting in helping a  nonprofit group that fosters and actively encourages creativity in our youth around this amazing planet of ours, I strongly recommend you become involved as well. Contact them at Global Scribes™ . You won’t regret it. Global Scribes is new, young, flexible and appreciating all of the help they can get growing Awareness and Participation. 

Most sincerely,

Penny L Howe

Ligo Haibun Challenge – Challenge yourself!

/ Penny L Howe / 6 Comments

Summer is a busy time for many us, and with this – can come delays, as has been the case with the crew of the Ligo Haibun Challenge. Thank you for your patience, to those with entries. I have been reading all of the entrants for the past week and will be returning to comment on each.

A quandry, for me, these last few months has been picking honorable mentions – increasingly difficult because, point in fact, there are more than just a few good ones.

It is my opinion that each of you deserve honorable mentions. The very individualistic quality of each entry, the beautiful expressions of some, the unique perspective of others, the close-up realism of still others – while adhering to the haibun and haiku style and criteria, lends itself to (honestly) my personal inability to pick one over the other.

I am pleased that honorable mentions will happen monthly now. This means judging will be based on a body of your work. A new challenge each week, honorable mentions – once a month!

~

There are two words to chose from for this week’s Ligo Haibun Challenge!

“Oblivion” or “Morning Glory” 

I would love to see lots of entrants to this week’s Challenge.

Get started, all you writers out there – I want to enjoy reading more wonderful haibun from all of you. Need more information?  Click here! And don’t forget, we are in the planning stages of putting together a haibun ebook (and with your permission) yours may be in there, too! Being published is always a good thing!

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Good luck, thanks for entering and/or being a dedicated reader of the haibun/haiku writing style and therefore … becoming a Haibuner like myself,

~ Penny

penny

Am I motivated?

/ Penny L Howe / 27 Comments

Yes I am.

My library of motivational books is fairly extensive. Why?

Because over the years, when I needed it most, I would find my own motivation in the words of others who had overcome all manner, shape, form, and substance of adversity.

When I was absolutely sure I couldn’t go on, couldn’t even make it through the day I was in (feeling overwhelmed with life and problems and seeing no way out), I would first wallow in self pity and then I’d pick up a motivational book. I only had a few in the beginning. But over the years the number of motivational books on my shelves grew and grew.

And now these books are my friends, my reminders, to not take myself so seriously, to forgive, to move on, to to give, to care, to live, to love but mostly to believe in myself.

I figured if they could do it then so could I. And every time I doubt myself, I read their words again, or go buy another book and try harder to understand more about my ability to overcome and be all that I could be.

We (all of us) need each other. The written words of those who know and cared enough to pass on their wisdom and encouragement, faith and motivation is a testament to this truth!

~

Stay motivated, search out books, films and people to help you, it does make a difference! Thanks for stopping by,

~ Penny

Do you run towards life …

/ Penny L Howe / 48 Comments

or from it?

running from life

A simple question with a not so simple answer. There are easy days and then there are the hard ones. Some of us run in the hopes that the scarier aspects of life won’t overtake us. Some of us run because we’re sure if we run fast enough we’ll make it. Some of us are afraid to stop … and some of us are afraid to start.

(the film quality isn’t the best of this YouTube video – but the content is!)

~

At the very heart of who we are is the desire to succeed in our endeavors. The thing is we can only make it in life – if we are moving forward. For those of us who have decided the whole prospect seems too overwhelming.

there is a third option ~ try running along with life.

Go with the flow, one day at a time.

Works for me, maybe you too!

~ Penny

plh