Let's Talk About Words

    "Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you had everything to do, and you've done it," according to Margaret Thatcher. I am  satisfied when I have had a day with my daughters or following my dreams and passions . As I near the age of fifty, I am more determined than ever to spend my days doing things that make me happy . I still will do stuff that my loved ones enjoy at times because that makes me happy too, but I refuse to spend each and every day making others happy instead of myself. I chose to be satisfied today. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"To a quick question, give a slow answer." -Italian Proverb     In school, it is important to raise your hand and answer  questions quickly, but in life, much thought should be given before you answer. Sometimes my first instinct especially with my children, ends up not being the answer that I give after thinking about it. Think about your answers. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

    Vince Lombardi said, "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up." This quote could not have come at a better time. There are numerous areas in my life that I am currently struggling in and need to "get back up". I need learn to be resilient. Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

"Good advice is always certainty be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it." -Agatha Christie     I can give the best advice to others, yet sometimes I have a difficult time accepting their guidance. I have an even more difficult time, listening to myself. I often wish that I would or even could take my own advice . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

    "Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly," according to M.F. K. Fisher. I would agree with this idea of placing value on eating together . Since my girls were young, we always ate together at the table. Even now with my older daughters at college, my youngest daughter and I still eat at the table together when she is home. It would be easy to start sitting in front of the television, but I appreciate eating together . Author Susan Marie Schulhof http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

Author Susan Marie Schulhof

"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced; live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." -White Elk     This will be a short post, but an important one...just think about your own legacy. I am writing stories that hopefully will live on after my death. How will you be remembered? What will you leave the world? http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Marie-Schulhof/e/B00IBPFHV8 Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

Author Susan Marie Schulhof

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one." -George Washington     When I recently received a ticket for driving on the shoulder to pass a car that was turning left (come on we all do it!), I thought of going to court to fight it. Then I decided that I was wrong; I made the mistake so I should take the consequences. Too often we try to get out of things that we did wrong or even try to blame others. I say, "Take responsibility; make no excuses ." Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl Riding Waves is the story of Harper Johnson, a typical teenage girl, as she learns to navigate the joys as well as the trials of growing up, falling in love and going to college. It appears that Harper’s life is heading in the direction of her dreams as she graduates from high school and begins to date her best friend’s charismatic older brother, Dan. As she struggles to balance her own needs with the demands of being in a relationship, she loses her best friend and is in danger of losing herself. She has some hard decisions to make when her choices lead her only to confusion and pain. While on vacation in Florida, she writes a poem comparing her own life to how she feels when body surfing. She realizes that just like in body surfing, she must decide which waves will take her to shore and towards her dreams, and which choices might take her under and cause her only pain.

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture and, if possible, speak a few reasonable words." -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe     In Chicago , where I live, there are numerous museums that a person can visit, like the Art Museum , Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium just to name a few. We also have access to numerous sporting events and concerts . Obviously, they all cost money to park and for admission, yet there are days that are free at some of the places. We save up money to go out to dinner or to a movie, but what about for a museum ? We should understand the world we live in. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

     Lewis Mumford said, " Humor is our way of defending ourselves from life's absurdities by thinking absurdly about them." When we feel stressed about something that has happened, we can physically make ourselves ill. Stress has been linked to a number of ailments, as well as, it just makes us feel horrible. We cannot control everything that happens in life, but we can determine our response. Find the lesson in whatever is causing you stress , or try and find the humor in it. Stress is a negative emotion. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

"One kind word can warm three winter months." -Japanese Proverb    The old saying about sticks and stones breaking my bones, but words not hurting me is not true. We have seen, unfortunately, with bullying that words can indeed hurt others. We are careful not to injure other people, yet we often say whatever is on our mind without much thought. We should use care though because words can hurt and do become reality. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

      Buddha says, "There is only one time when it is essential to awaken. That time is now." Many people go through life without even thinking about why we are here or what the purpose of living is. I can't even imagine a life without purpose and meaning. It is unfathomable to me that my life would just be about being born, getting older and then dying. I  believe that there is more; I choose to become aware of life around me. http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Marie-Schulhof/e/B00IBPFHV8 https://twitter.com/SchulhofSusan Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

"The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises." -Leo Buscaglia      We are obviously connected to our family and friends, yet we are all related to one another in other ways as well. My daughter is studying in London with her college, but she is visiting some of the places that her father and I saw 23 years ago when we vacationed there.  While living, we can encounter the same events as other people have; we can travel to s imilar locations, and we can experience the same feelings and emotions as others.  If we choose to see each of us as separate, we miss out on that common experience of living here on earth . I believe that we are all connected . Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at          ...

        Antoine de Saint-Exupery was quoted as saying, "A goal without a plan is just a wish ." As little children we wish upon a star , or make one when blowing out our birthday candles, but how often do those wishes come true simply by wishing? As we grow up, we come to understand that to reach for your dreams , we must make a plan and then take steps towards achieving it. Wishing is enjoyable, and we should continue to do it, but to make your desires a reality though, you must turn that wish into a goal . Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

"Life is an adventure in forgiveness." -Norman Cousins     I have known many people that constantly bring up the past ; they retell the same stories of who treated them bad and hurt them. They can't let go of the pain and hurt. It mars the present when we let the past affect today. I choose to feel the pain and move on; I want to forgive because I do not want grudges to control my life. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

     Oscar Wild said, "Who, being loved, is poor?" We count how much money we have; we count how many cars we have; we measure how big our house is. We count calories and steps that we take in a day. The list could go on and on, but do we ever count how many people that we love or how many people love us? That is what truly matters in life. Just say I love you. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at            https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

     "Friendship makes p rosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it," according to Cicero. I have been lucky in my life to really never have went without. My parents married young and they tell stories of not having enough money, but I don't remember that. I moved to Florida once with my brother and his wife, and had to work 60-70 hours at two jobs to pay the bills, but I had a roof over my head and food in my stomach. I often wish for more prosperity , but not so that I can buy a big mansion or travel the world. I desire money mostly so that I can give my children more, do more with them and help others in need . Prosperity is better shared with others. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at                                              https://www.fa...

     Abraham Lincoln said, " Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." As many others, I had been raised to think that my level of happiness is contingent on the circumstances that I am experiencing. It is true that you can't control how other's are treating you, yet you can decide how you will respond. We might not be able to control what we encounter, but we can determine our own experience and meaning of it. I  still sometimes have a difficult time separating the two, but I try every day.   Choose happiness and peace no matter what life is sending your way because your mind creates . Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at                                              https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

"We need men who can dream of things that never were." -John F. Kennedy     Look at your life and decide what you can create and build . Can you write a song? Can you create a story? Can you design a building? Can you invent something that makes the world a better place? Do you just go through the motions of life or do you dream? I am a dreamer; dreamers create and build. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at                                              https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

    Aristotle said, "The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain ." When I am confronted with situations or people that cause me pain , I try over and over to see if I can stop the it. When the same response continues to happen then I have a decision to make. Do I continue on this path that is leading me to pain or do I choose differently? As much as I want the one direction to produce a different outcome, it won't. Repeated attempts create the same results. I am not sure why that is a hard lesson to learn because pain can teach us. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at                                              https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

"The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action." -John Dewey   As I have written before, I have always wanted to be a mother . To me, raising my daughters is the most important job that I will ever have. As they grow up though, I am discovering that being a mother changes. They no longer need me to take care of them and meet their needs, yet hopefully they will continue to want me in their lives. I hope that I can be an adviser, a companion and a confidant to all three of them. No matter what my role will be in my daughter's lives, my family defines me. Read my words and see my quotes  at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com or follow my page at                                              https://www.facebook.com/susanmarie.schulhof.7?ref=hl  

Riding Waves is a YA Fiction Novel about learning to navigate the joys, as well as, the trials of growing up, falling in love and going to college. It appears that Harper’s life is heading in the direction of her dreams as she graduates from high school and begins to date her best friend’s charismatic older brother, Dan. As she struggles to balance her own needs with the demands of being in a relationship, she loses her best friend and is in danger of losing herself. She has some hard decisions to make when her choices lead her only to confusion and pain. While on vacation in Florida, she writes a poem comparing her own life to how she feels when body surfing. She realizes that just like in body surfing, she must decide which waves will take her to shore and towards her dreams, and which choices might take her under and cause her only pain . Can Harper ride the waves of life or will they take her under? https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/susan-marie-schulhof...