Thursday, June 19, 2008
Top Five Ways Fail at Virtually Everything (but Especially Writing) (but still win a $20 Amazon.Com Gift Certificate) . . .
5. Don't believe YOU CAN BE MORE. In other words, get good and comfortable with the path of least resistance. If you want to be a literary genius, write a trashy romance because that's what sells. If you want to be a manager, be the best employee in your department. Definitely do not take risks. Don't stretch your muscles--it'll hurt in the morning when you wash between your toes. Take the path of least resistance--believe you are what your boss/parents/husband/popular girl from high school says you are. Don't stand up for yourself. If you get real about what you ARE about, then you can get hurt. Or you could be original. Either/Or.
4. Get preoccupied with your TO DO list. You are too busy to do what you think you should be doing because of the other things you have to do. While this is a totally valid point (and TRUST me, I can meet you BRIEFLY for coffee to discuss the reasons why I don't HAVE TIME to meet you for coffee), when you allow others to dictate the beat you're dancing to you'll just look like a white boy on the dance floor. So decide if you're going to dance to it or PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC your own dang self.
3. Be a HATER. You can't do what you need to do because __________. Blame blame blame. You don't meet your targeted publisher's guidelines. Your wife doesn't understand why you can't help with the dishes. Your husband won't take the crumbsnatchers to McDonald's for one freaking hour while you get your head together. Your boss has unreasonable demands. That agent is an idiot. Pick something and climb aboard. Sometimes there's room for fellow comisserators.
2. AHHHH FREAK OUT. Actually accomplish something. Get the promotion. Lose the weight. Get perfect attendance in Sunday school. Finish your novel. Get an agent. Publish a short story.
Then What?
How can you top that?
Hey, look at the CAT HAIR on those baseboards. . .
What if you can't reproduce the same results? But what if you can? What if you can do better? In the words of Guns 'n Roses, "And take that one to heart."
1. MOVE TO YOUR HOMETOWN ON SATURDAY. Or is that just me?
YES YES YES, everything went through! Tortilla Burgers abound. While we won't have internet for a couple/few, the next time I post it'll be written at Dairyland in Alvin, TX. Praise God in an orange and white AMEN!
* * *
Dudes, LIFE HAPPENS. There's a bunch of noise in web-o-sphere regarding life happening when you are making other plans. I say life IS WHAT IT IS and a lot of it LEAVES YOU BEHIND while you attend to your plans. However, sometimes you inadvertently DISS your friends while your attention is on other things.
Michelle Pendergrass, an awesome writer and friend, had her first short story published in the Dark Harvest anthology (break our your Tide Pen). You can see a trailer here.
That said, the first person to have 10 people leave their name in the comments will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate and an iTunes download of Dr. Seuss's OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO.
Michelle, The Misfits, and Megan DiMaria prayed my family into our new house. I thank God for them and Kevin Coleman, my God-given real estate agent, chauffer, and makeshift contractor.
4. Get preoccupied with your TO DO list. You are too busy to do what you think you should be doing because of the other things you have to do. While this is a totally valid point (and TRUST me, I can meet you BRIEFLY for coffee to discuss the reasons why I don't HAVE TIME to meet you for coffee), when you allow others to dictate the beat you're dancing to you'll just look like a white boy on the dance floor. So decide if you're going to dance to it or PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC your own dang self.
3. Be a HATER. You can't do what you need to do because __________. Blame blame blame. You don't meet your targeted publisher's guidelines. Your wife doesn't understand why you can't help with the dishes. Your husband won't take the crumbsnatchers to McDonald's for one freaking hour while you get your head together. Your boss has unreasonable demands. That agent is an idiot. Pick something and climb aboard. Sometimes there's room for fellow comisserators.
2. AHHHH FREAK OUT. Actually accomplish something. Get the promotion. Lose the weight. Get perfect attendance in Sunday school. Finish your novel. Get an agent. Publish a short story.
Then What?
How can you top that?
Hey, look at the CAT HAIR on those baseboards. . .
What if you can't reproduce the same results? But what if you can? What if you can do better? In the words of Guns 'n Roses, "And take that one to heart."
1. MOVE TO YOUR HOMETOWN ON SATURDAY. Or is that just me?
YES YES YES, everything went through! Tortilla Burgers abound. While we won't have internet for a couple/few, the next time I post it'll be written at Dairyland in Alvin, TX. Praise God in an orange and white AMEN!
* * *
Dudes, LIFE HAPPENS. There's a bunch of noise in web-o-sphere regarding life happening when you are making other plans. I say life IS WHAT IT IS and a lot of it LEAVES YOU BEHIND while you attend to your plans. However, sometimes you inadvertently DISS your friends while your attention is on other things.
Michelle Pendergrass, an awesome writer and friend, had her first short story published in the Dark Harvest anthology (break our your Tide Pen). You can see a trailer here.
That said, the first person to have 10 people leave their name in the comments will receive a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate and an iTunes download of Dr. Seuss's OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO.
Michelle, The Misfits, and Megan DiMaria prayed my family into our new house. I thank God for them and Kevin Coleman, my God-given real estate agent, chauffer, and makeshift contractor.
Labels: Misfit World Domination
Friday, June 13, 2008
Why do we avoid doing what we love . . . ?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Stalking Megan. . .
Drop by for all the dirt.
Labels: Megan DiMaria, Stalking
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Fishtales Zen/Productivity/Get Organized Now
After spending the weekend bloghopping productivity, organization, zen, and similar sites, as well as revisiting my library of books on those subjects, I've decided to write my own book to help others get it all together.
But rather than spend years writing, editing, pitching, and the like, I will now give that book away free here in this very post. Ready?
How to Get the Life You Want While Being Productive and Extremely Organized
by Angie Poole
#
Chapter One
Pick out what you want out of life
#
Chapter Two
Do the stuff it takes to get it
#
The End
#
Discussion Questions
1. What do you want?
2. What stuff will you have to do to get it?
#
Note: If this has helped you in any way at all, please email the author
Labels: Get it together, GTD, Organization, Personal Productivity, Sanity
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Everyone's a comedian. . .
Dan Cummins doesn’t like to be interrupted when using public bathrooms. (Who does?) So when people keep jiggling the handle and knocking on the door of a locked, single-occupancy restroom, Cummins has a plan. “I want to take off all my clothes except for my underwear and then answer the door confused,” Cummins says. “Can I help you? I think you got the wrong house, buddy. Now, get off my porch!”
Read the rest here.
Labels: Comedians
Rainbow Connection
Sunday Prayer
Teacher's Prayer
I want to teach my students how to live this life on earth,
to face its struggles and its strife and improve their worth,
not just the lesson in a book or how the rivers flow,
but how to choose the proper path wherever they may go,
to understand eternal truth and know the right from wrong,
and gather all the beauty of a flower and a song,
for if I help the world to grow in wisdom and in grace,
then I shall feel that I have won and I have filled my place.
And so I ask your guidance, God, that I may do my part,
for character and confidence and happiness of heart.
(While not all of us are teachers by profession, somehow we all seem to pick it up as a part-time gig. Thought this applied.)
I want to teach my students how to live this life on earth,
to face its struggles and its strife and improve their worth,
not just the lesson in a book or how the rivers flow,
but how to choose the proper path wherever they may go,
to understand eternal truth and know the right from wrong,
and gather all the beauty of a flower and a song,
for if I help the world to grow in wisdom and in grace,
then I shall feel that I have won and I have filled my place.
And so I ask your guidance, God, that I may do my part,
for character and confidence and happiness of heart.
(While not all of us are teachers by profession, somehow we all seem to pick it up as a part-time gig. Thought this applied.)
Labels: Sunday Prayer
Yet another gadget I want. . .
Life Changing Decision. . .
I, Angie Poole, will no longer acquire a book unless it comes in the form of e-books, free books, or library books. So help me God.
(This affirmation/solemn pledge is a result of packing.)
Labels: Organization
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Best Prayer Ever. . .
This is the nightly bedtime ritual for the six year old and I: the bedtime story is usually The Gift of Nothing, Where the Wild Things Are, Oh the Places You'll Go, The Mouse that Jack Built or I tell a story about when I was little, my mother was little, or my grandmother was little. Then we settle in for bedtime prayers. I always ask what she'd like me to pray for, then I begin to pray aloud, and then she chimes in to fill in all the gaps I leave in the interpretation.
Tonight she began her prayer with this: "Lord, I hope you like this prayer. It's the best prayer ever!" Then she proceeded to tell Him how much she enjoyed today, her teacher, her family, our supper, her friends, her favorite pink kitty t-shirt, the dogs, and even her pet mice--Sharla and Ratpatoonie.
Now, while I am always sure to give thanks for meals, friends, family, etc., I do not ever remember asking God to get stoked for THE BEST PRAYER EVER and expressing not only gratitude, but enjoyment, for every mundane thing that I take for granted while I wait for God to deliver world peace, the Lotto, or whatever into my sweaty little palm.
My daughter's excitement reminded me of when I get someone the PERFECT gift. How I can not wait to give it to them just to see their reaction! It made me wonder if God gives us the gift of today because he wants to hear our excitement.
That just might be the case.
And possibly, my six year old actually prayed the best prayer ever. Move over David Allan Coe.
Side note : Why do they make the old people Moms? We should get old and then have a Mom. Maybe we do, we get to have the real Mom to teach us obedience and stuff, then when we get old we get kids to indulge all the things we forgot, missed, or ignored.
Labels: Prayer
Monday, May 26, 2008
Can we say F L A K E ?
You never know how much crap you have until you start packing for a move.
O M G.
It's bad enough when you're not sure whether to label a box "LIVING ROOM" or "OFFICE" but when you can clearly see how your emotions have propelled you into ten years of stupid purchases it can be your undoing. Really, how many halloween lights does one family need? I've got the scary blinking skeletons, the safe jack-o-lanterns, AND the conservative "autumn" lights. Oh let's go on, shall we? Yep, got the yard flags for every holiday. I have probably 100 strands of Christmas lights--blinking, non-blinking, white, colored, small bulbs, large bulbs, NS hot oil bubble bulbs. Easter Egg lights (and He is Risen Flags) ? And, yes, God Bless the USA apple pie/flag/basket flag. Just name a holiday, I got it.
Can we say F L A K E ?
If everything goes as planned (OH don't get me started on the what-if's), my first plan of action is to SELL ALL THIS STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stuff. Just Stuff. Just stuff that nags at me for not hanging it out on time, or dusting it, or pruning it, or watering it, or whatever!
I will tell you this--this Age of Stuff is over. SO, if you'd like a set of magnolia dishes, a set of sunflower dishes, a set of Christmas holly dishes, a set of china just like my parents' when they got married, or a set of my wedding china--make me an offer and I will SO mail it to you.
Honestly, I will probably do one of those WAITING TO EXHALE $1 sales sometime in July.
New rule: If I have to care for it, dust it, water it, store it--then I do not NEED it!
Labels: Stuff
