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WritersNotes.Net: Helping Writers Follow Their Dreams Through Information, Inspiration, and Encouragement!
End-of-Year Assessment
As the New Year approaches, our thoughts turn to goals. We ponder the progress we’ve made over the past year. We assess our achievements…study our setbacks…and mull over the lessons we’ve learned from both. And we begin thinking about how we might turn those lessons into new and greater successes in the coming year.
Discover Your Deepest Aspirations
To inspire us to reach for lofty goals, I’d like to post a link to a list found on a very intriguing blog called To-Do List Blog, which posts scanned copies of actual handwritten to-do lists created by various people. This particular list might be considered more of a “to-accomplish list,” as it expresses the many and varied things its author hopes to achieve during the remainder of his life. My hope is that the enthusiastic optimism of its author will be contagious and that the refreshing spontaneity and almost wild abandon with which he approaches life will inspire you to search deep within yourself to discover who you really are and develop a new understanding of your true heart’s desires.
A Truly Inspiring List of Life Goals
Here’s a link to the list:
Things to do before I die . This is the enlarged version, which is the only one that's actually readable. If you'd like to see the list in its original post, though, you'll find it here: 110 Things To Do Before He Dies (written 1998).
Check it out. If this list of 115 items doesn’t spark your imagination and inspire you to reach for all that you’ve always wanted to do and be, nothing will!
As 2007 comes to a close, may you truly get in touch with the things that mean the most to you, and may your deepest aspirations be realized in 2008 and beyond!
To your future success!
Jeanne
P.S. #1: This list is part of To-Do List Blog's Craziest Lists Contest. (Details can be found on the blog.)
P.S. #2: Along the lines of our topic, To-Do List Blog has published a post called How to Take the Self-Flagellation Out of New Year's Resolutions, which makes some great points.
P.S. #3: Discovered To-Do List Blog while reading a post on another blog recently, but can't remember which blog it was. If you are the blogger who "referred" me to this most intriguing blog, please step forward and let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!
This is not a sponsored post.
Did you enjoy this post? Has it inspired you? Have any of your own inspirational thoughts to share? We'd love to hear them!
September 16th 2007 22:00
Artistic Self-Expression: The Writer's Goal
Writing is an art, as well as a means of creative expression--two characteristics it certainly shares with music. Within all writers resides that creative spark which, almost magically, transforms our thoughts into words that feed the mind, touch the heart, and please the ear. Like music, writing can be rhythmic, flowing, lilting, or lively--gifting its reader with a satisfying sense of beauty.
Many Writers Have Multiple Creative Talents
Yet, as much as we relish expressing ourselves through the written word, many of us also carry a desire, a dream--perhaps even a need--to express ourselves through music. As many writers are multi-talented, expressing their creativity through drawing, painting, or photography--in addition to writing--so, many also seek a musical outlet for their creative energies. Are you one of them? Or, would you like to be?
Free Piano Lessons at The Piano Chords Blog
Whether you've ever had prior musical experience or not, and whether you perhaps don't even know for certain that you possess the talent it takes to play a musical instrument; if you are one of those people who yearn to express themselves through music--or at least would like to try your hand at it--you have the opportunity to learn the piano for free online at Piano Chords Blog. Even if you already play another instrument, you'll have the opportunity to learn a little music theory--which is generally taught on the piano, anyway.
Express Yourself Through Music--as Well as Words
The Piano Chords Blog will not only teach you piano chords and songs, via video clips and explanations, but it will also inspire and encourage you along the road to realizing your dream of adding music to your list of creative talents.
Why not visit the Piano Chords Blog, and try your hand at the piano. You may just discover a talent you never knew you had!
Happy playing!
Jeanne
This post sponsored by PayPerPost.
Did you enjoy this post? Was it helpful? Have any questions, ideas? Feel free to comment!
A Truly Thought-ful Blogger
Just a Thought! is a fascinating compilation of David Woon's musings on life and truth. "And who is David Woon?" you may ask. That's a very fair question.
David Woon is an unusually insightful young man who possesses an uncanny ability to cut right to the heart of a topic and thoroughly probe its depths. But there's more. He also has the rare skill to do so with a minimum of words--a skill which rarely goes hand-in-hand with an in-depth look at a topic. This natural-born philosopher/blogger presents his words of wisdom via concise blog entries that get right to the point, discuss it briefly, using some truly original and fascinating metaphors, and then get out. There is absolutely no rambling on this blog, which I admire.
A Truly Purposeful Blog
David states the following about Just a Thought: "The blog contains my short reflections about Life in general which I hope would, in one way or another, serve as a source of inspiration for you..." He also hopes his musings might trigger "some thoughts of your own in the contemplation of the mystery that is Life." His ultimate goal for his blog is to create an atmosphere of mutual sharing between him and his readers, as he puts it, "so that we can all learn and grow together as we strive to leave this world a better place than what it was before our humble existence." What a lofty goal!
Truly Intriguing Ideas
Many readers--as well as bloggers--will be able to relate to his thoroughly altruistic aspirations, since we feel very much the same way he does. These readers will enjoy reading his entries about such topics as spending money wisely by designating certain percentages to each spending category, including donating to charity; enjoying better communication with others by using the "Golden Assumption," "backing up your life" in the minds and hearts of those you've touched and influenced, and becoming a better person through becoming "nobody-centric," rather than "self-centric."
David Woon shares some truly intriguing ideas at http://www.davidwoon.com/blog/, and anyone who will dig back into his archives (which go back to November 2004) will find a great many more philosophical treasures buried there!
Happy digging!
Jeanne
This post sponsored by ReviewMe.
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Join the Party!
Hello, there, fellow readers and writers! Come on in and join the party! This is Writer's Notes' 100th post, and I'll be serving up a luscious list of literary links to help spark the celebration.
Over the past day or so, I've been scouring the internet for especially sagacious 100-lists, in preparation for the party. So, take a seat, grab a tall, cool drink, and prepare to tantalize your intellectual tastebuds with this scrumptious spread of literary 100-lists, specially designed to satisfy your voracious literary appetite!
Links to Luscious Literary 100-Lists
Here they are, in no particular order:
From The Absolutely Weird Bookshelf/Stranger Books:
David Pringle's 100 Best Science Fiction Novels (through 1984)
David Pringle's 100 Best Fantasy Novels (to 1987)
From TIME Magazine:
100 All-TIME Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to the Present (2005)
From the BBC (British Broadcasting Company):
The Big Read: The UK's Top 100 Best-Loved Novels (2003)
From the MWA (Mystery Writers Association):
Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time (PDF)
From Guardian Unlimited:
The Top 100 Books of All Time (2002)
From the NEA (National Education Association):
Educators' Top 100 Children's Books (2007)
From Modern Library (Random House):
100 Best Novels (The Board's List & The Readers' List)
100 Best Nonfiction (The Board's List & The Readers' List)
Radcliffe's Rival 100 Best Novels List
From the National Review:
100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the Century
From Madison Public Library:
100 Best Works by Women Writers
From Martin Seymour-Smith:
100 Most Influential Books Ever Written (1998)
From the Independent Mystery Booksellers' Association (IMBA):
The 100 Favorite Mysteries of the 20th Century
From Sci-Fi Lists:
Top 100 Sci-Fi Books
From Columbia University Libraries:
Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century (2002)
From National Geographic:
Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time (2004)
From Spirituality & Health:
100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century
From Everything2:
Top 100 Works of Journalism in the United States in the 20th Century (2002)
From Mount Mercy College:
Webliography: The Literary 100: Children's Authors
Beneficial Blog & Book Links
Hope you've enjoyed meeting and mingling with all the literary and journalistic geniuses we've invited to this party--including all the famous ones you've met in the lists above! But the gathering wouldn't be complete without including a fellow blogger who generously offers advice to other bloggers on how making top 100 lists can help simplify and improve our blogging and our blogs.
From Productivity 501 blog:
Productive Blogger: Make a Top 100 List
And for all of us writers, whether or not we blog, the following book, available at Amazon.Com, can give us a whole slew of ways--100, to be exact (how appropriate is that?)--to help make our writing everything it can be.
From Amazon Online Reader:
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing, by Gary Provost (book)
Hope you've enjoyed the party! Thanks so much for helping me celebrate my 100th post at WritersNotes.Net! It's been so much fun!
Thanks again for dropping by!
Jeanne
Did you enjoy this post? Don't leave me lonely--Please comment!
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