Don't tell Tulsans that they're living in the reddest, most socially backwards state in the union! They'll just tell you that it's time for that to change! ROCK ON, TULSA!
One of the things that I hear quite often from people I meet is, "You and Steph are so unique! You're so interesting and creative!" It's true, we are rather unique, however we don't really strive to be different, it's just who and what we are. You see, we're not really concerned about fitting in so much as we are about being ourselves. We're quirky and we like that just fine. We also like quirky people. Steph is often heard saying, "I'm just a collector of human oddities." It's true. Get to know our close circle of friends and you'll know.
I found this article on 10 Ways to Stand Out From the Crowd and I thought I'd share. If you're seeking to be different, these are some great suggestions.
1.Be Creative – This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Case in point: Half the people out there with multiple tattoos and piercings do so to be different, but how does this make them different from all the other millions of people with hoops in their eyebrows? Following a trend doesn’t make you different, creating a trend does.
2.Show, don’t tell – Anyone can write an essay about how great he is. The people who truly stand out are the ones who go beyond mere words. Make a video or stream a radio program instead of a resume or application. Create a press package with a clever promotional idea. The possibilities are endless.
3.Be Daring – Many people are afraid to push the envelope because they don’t want to go overboard or offend. You can still be a little daring – don’t cross the line, but you can get close. Cheeky can be high risk, but it can also me memorable and break down barriers.
4.Be Knowledgeable – Talk about the things that don’t just interest you but fire you up with passion. Don’t pretend to know about things you haven’t a clue. What are your areas of expertise? What are your favorite subjects? What are your hobbies and interests? Take the things that come naturally and use them to get what you want.
5.Be Funny – Sob stories are for Oprah. The reality is hardship tales are a downer. Don’t be a clown, but do be funny. Humor shows creativity, intelligence and personality. The people who count always give points for wit.
6.Be Sure – Nothing is more attractive than someone who is confident. Market yourself in a matter befitting this confidence, but don’t be cocky. There’s a fine line between self assurance and an over-blown ego. Arrogance is offensive, assertiveness is praised.
7.Be a Leader – Look in a crowd, who do you notice first, the leaders or the followers? Set yourself apart from the rest by being a leader. Think about how you lead ,why you lead, and the traits in you that cause others to want to follow - then use that to your advantage.
8.Be Respectful – Even though you’re encouraged to be different, daring and funny, doesn’t mean you should be insulting. Don’t be a suck up, but don’t be disrespectful either. Be careful when and how you let your hair down, and mind your manners.
9.Don’t Seek the Wrong Attention – Taking your clothes off gets you noticed but also gets you noticed by the police. Rudeness does get attention but it’s not the right kind of attention. Aim for people to remember your positive attributes, helpful and intelligent is better than acting the fool.
10.Be Yourself – You really want to stand out in a crowd? Be yourself. There’s no other you. What are your best assets? What are your skills? What are the things that make you successful? Find them, channel them and use them. Complete this sentence “Unlike other __________, I am/do/act/provide _________ which is good because _______”.
Adding your own spin to something that’s been done before is fine, but it won’t win you any awards for being unique. You need to find a way to be original but in a way that adds something valuable, memorable, and something worth talking about.
I'm longing for the day when the arts are prized above mere entertainment.
I'm longing for the day when the word "intellectual" isn't synonymous with "elitist".
I'm longing for the day when the written word is valued, once again.
I'm longing for the day when recognition for great achievement is prized above celebrity.
I'm longing for the day when the quest for knowledge walks hand-in-hand with the quest for truth.
I'm longing for the day when sports celebrate human achievement rather than mimic human conquest.
I'm longing for the day when people are truly color blind.
I'm longing for the day when spirituality takes the place of religion.
I'm longing for the day when war is no longer an option.
I'm longing for the day when reason and enlightenment rise above mere superstition.
I'm longing for the day when love overtakes hate.
I went to work this morning without even giving it a second thought. When I got to work, I saw the school bus go by and it dawned on me that today was the first day of school. And then it hit me--"I didn't take anyone to school today!" With Lauren starting at OU in 10 days and Heather starting at OSU on Monday, (my son lives with his dad in Oklahoma City), I've entered a new phase in my life.
Today I started collecting boxes for Lauren to pack her things in. She's moving out. She now has her own apartment, and in less than two weeks she will be out of the nest. I'm not really sure how I feel about it yet.
Yesterday was a big day at our house. Heather graduated from high school and the whole family and a number of our friends were here to help her celebrate her accomplishments. A special thanks goes to Steph who worked hard the entire week on getting the house ready and on the wonderful food for the reception. It was really amazing! Here are a few pictures! (Taken with our brand new digital camera!)
There is not something you are supposed to do. There is not something that you should do. There is only that which you are inspired to do. And how do you get inspired except by the contrast...It is the life experience that gives you the idea of the desire, and then as you focus upon the desire, the Energy flows.
~ Hicks 1998
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
~ Marianne Williamson
When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.
Catherine Ponder
Another quote that sings to me.
We are not sinful, shameful human creatures who have to somehow earnRead more...
Spirituality. We are Spiritual Beings having a human experience.
Most of my life has been spent in the pursuit of approval. From early childhood on, I so needed the approval of my family that I would do, say, and be anything that they dictated, even to the sacrifice of my own wants, desires, dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. It has only been in the last seven to eight years that I have begun the journey of finding myself. It is a difficult process to begin recreating oneself at the age of 40, and now, at the age of 47, I find that there is still so much to create that it is a bit overwhelming at times. I found these words today that express exactly what I have thought and felt through this process.
If I do not want what you want, please try not to tell me that my want is wrong. Or if I believe other than you, at least pause before you correct my view. Or if my emotion is less than yours, or more, given the same circumstances, try not to ask me to feel more strongly or weakly. Or yet, if I act, or fail to act, in the manner of your design for action, let me be. I do not, for the moment at least, ask you to understand me. That will come only when you are willing to give up changing me into a copy of you.
I may be your spouse, your parent, your offspring, your friend, or your colleague. If you will allow me any of my own wants , or emotions, or beliefs, or actions, then you will open yourself, so that some day these ways of mine might not seem so wrong, and might finally appear to you as right--for me. To put up with me is the first step to understanding me. Not that you embrace my ways as right for you, but that you are no longer irritated or disappointed with me for my seeming waywardness. And in understanding me, you might come to prize my differences from you, and far from seeking to change me, preserve and even nurture those differences.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
Read more...I really like this:
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can be great ~ Mark Twain
For you women out there who have gone through labor and delivery, you will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that at this point in my life I feel as if I am in transition labor. It's the shortest, yet most painful part of labor and it is usually the point where you're looking around the room for the person who did this to you so that you can grab them by the throat, rip off their head, and shit down their neck. There is nothing you can do but wait through it. You can't make it stop. You can't change your mind. You can't bear down or push. You just have to lay there, stay as calm as possible, and get through it. People are standing all around you telling you that you're doing great and don't worry, it's almost over and you're thinking to yourself, "Easy for you to say, JERK!" I feel trapped, stuck, uncertain, unable to move. I'm ready for this part to be over!
Today's musical feature is Mozart's Mentre ti lascio, o figlia, aria for bass & orchestra, K. 513
I had to take Liz's car today to run an errand, and she had a CD in her player by a group called Rascal Flatts. Now mind you, I'm not a country music fan by any stretch of the imagination, but the lyrics to one particular song so intrigued me, that I had to post them on my blog.
Something has happened to me. Something deep inside of me has changed, and I can't explain it. Since my return from Austria I have continued to experience a sense of calm and release. Gone are the feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, anger, depression, and all of the accompanying behaviors. There is a new sense of calm that I can't explain. I suppose I could chalk it up to a number of things, not the least being the fact that my body is finally starting to balance out chemically, but it goes deeper than that.
Something happened to me in Vienna, something that permeated my entire being and unlocked the prison door for me. Earlier, I wrote that after the experience I had at the Karinthian Gate in Vienna, my weight started to drop dramatically. I wish I had pictures of me now–just a little over two weeks since we have returned and I'm still dropping weight. The changes are so dramatic that now even my children are noticing. (It's the ultimate compliment when your 13 year-old son exclaims, "Wow Mom! Look at you! You're hot!") What has happened on the inside is manifesting on the outside.
I'm 45 years old now, and I've learned a lot about life. That's not to imply that I have learned everything that there is to know, however I've gone through enough of it to know that life is a learning process and that the best way for us to learn is through our mistakes.
I was married for 18 years before I met Steph, my current partner, and love of my life. I made a lot of mistakes and assumed a lot of things regarding my relationship with my ex-husband. I was young and naive, and I didn't know most of the things that I know now.
I've learned a lot about love and about being in love. Below is a list of what I am learning and what I have learned:
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| Lynette Erwin |
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