The Daily Word for February 28, 2021

 

epiphany - n.- a realization that can be life altering

I don't know about you, but I have always had a penchant for religion and philosophy. For me, the subjects have provided hours of fascination leading to the occasional epiphany. For my birthday in December, a dear friend of mine of the Episcopal faith gifted me Bishop John Spong's Born of a Woman, a nonfiction tome that argues against literal interpretations of the Bible. Although I was brought up to believe in just about everything related in the "Good Book," Spong's profound knowledge of Judaism, Christianity, and history has brought me to the brink of an epiphany: If a human was involved in the writing of anything, the work is not 100% accurate. Why? Everyone is biased, even historians. Ergo, the validity of all written documents is moot. Which is why theologians and sundry believers have been debating Biblical accounts for centuries, and there is still very little in the way of agreement. I can't help but think that God wants it this way. 

I like the word, epiphany. It does have a memorable, pleasant ring to it. Epiphanies or "ah-ha" moments are rare, mainly because most immersed in the status quo don't pay close attention to life as they are living it, and they aren't particularly curious about much of anything. Buddhists are perhaps more attentive to the notion of being present. Do epiphanies come more easily to them? Can a person strive to have one epiphany per day? Or would that be pushing the envelope? Just a few things to contemplate on the last rainy Sunday in February. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 27, 2021

 

scintillating - adjective - sparkling, brilliant

A year ago today, I lost one of my best, most scintillating friends to alcoholism. She and I had been like sisters for over fifty years. I know. This is not a good way to start a blog that is supposed to convey the positivity, the optimism needed to levitate readers from out of their dull drums, but sometimes one is forced to be real. Nonetheless, I can still view the glass as half full in the sense that Suzannie understood the meaning of scintillating mainly because she lived scintillating. As her personality was as effervescent as champagne, she didn't need to imbibe the beverage to bubble. And ironically, as it turned out, had she abstained from drinking it altogether, she'd still be shining brilliantly today. It's memory that immortalizes the deceased, though. The lights that burn so vivaciously are the ones that can never be snuffed out completely, no matter what.

Scintillate on, you "crazy diamonds" but try to stay away from artificial scintillators. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 26, 2021

 

felicity - n. - happiness

Metaphorically, felicity is a commodity that can't be bought or sold albeit there are quite a few out there that insist it can be. The people espousing this point of view are usually those sans the money and material goods that they feel will solve all of their problems. Don't misunderstand me. Money can get you out of hot water and can certainly buy you copious supplies of it, but it isn't going to make you happy if you are not happy to begin with. And I know. This isn't new information. You've heard it before, and the reason why you keep hearing it is because it is true. Case in point: a dear childhood friend of mine, whom I consider a sister, has always swum in the lake of prosperity. She has never wanted for anything monetarily or materially, yet she has never been able to experience elongated periods of felicity. It is as though she possesses a genetic predisposition for misery. No kidding. Unfortunately, she is one tragic soul who is even beyond therapy perhaps. I doubt she will ever be able to embrace felicity wholeheartedly.

Felicity doesn't come easily, especially in today's world. If you feel bereft of joy, reach far inside of yourself and find a memory worthy of reliving. Allow it to cleanse your soul of what you think might be bursting your bubble. Stay in the moment. Hopefully, the high experienced will at least stay with you for the day. However, if it is not there in the morning, repeat the exercise.

Happy Friday! May it be filled with felicity! 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 25, 2021

 

phosphorescent - adjective - luminescence that continues chemically

For whatever reason, I was just thinking about British author William Golding's illuminating narration in his classic Lord of the Flies. If my memory serves me well–no guarantees here–the above adjective is used to describe the look of the waves splashing onto the beach of the deserted island somewhere in the Indian Ocean inhabited only by the castaways–young, British boarding-school boys that manage to survive a plane crash. The word could not be used to describe any of their personalities although Christ-figure Simon possesses a phosphorescent aura even after he is sacrificed. Although Simon is clearly fictive, there are actual humans who shine rather brightly and live to share the light. Can you think of anyone you may know who may be said to have a phosphorescent persona? 

No doubt, you have known at least one larger-than-life individual whose smile alone could ignite the candles of an unlit candelabra sans much effort if directed at it or whose laugh could succeed in a succession of hearty guffaws that would echo vibrations enough to dislodge a floor board or two. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but I have met people who have come close to these achieving these hyperboles. People like this are blessed with the uncanny ability to send shockwaves of pleasure without much effort. I have always aspired to be like them. Have you? I think we should work on it. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 24, 2021

 

mea culpa - exclamation - an acknowledgement or acceptance of blame

Often people wonder what path to take in order to achieve peace of mind or even happiness. To prove this to be true, volumes of bestselling, self-help books have been penned for guidance. Yet sometimes the best route to solace and euphoria involves personal responsibility: simply put, mea culpa, the ability to accept blame for our mistakes. 

Clearly, we human beings are flawed entities. We reach for perfection but usually fall short of reaching it. And that is perfectly okay because life is a test, a series of obstacles that we must work our way through and survive. It is the road filled with potholes. Inevitably, we fall into them. When we do, we get up, dust our selves off, mutter, "Mea culpa," and move on: slowly, surely, optimistically. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 23, 2021

 

uplifting - adjective - inspiring, enlivening, hopeful

I don't know just how many words in the English language can be considered to be uplifting.  And I don't know what the proportion of positive to negative words is either. But I do know that one can choose to use a disproportionate number of either as free will grants us that opportunity. Why is it that so many select a vocabulary of hurtful, harmful, harsh words instead of words that can inspire and enliven? I can't answer that. The words one uses does give the listener an idea of the individual's character, though, so one must be very careful if one wants to be judged accurately. 

Think before you speak. Admit butterflies, not flies from your soul via your verbiage. If you do, you stand a chance of changing your listeners lives for the better. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 22, 2021

 

diaphanous - adjective - light, transparent, fine

Diaphanous is another one of my favorite words as I like everything about it: the spelling, the musicality of its pronunciation, its sensical etymology, and positive connotation/denotation. According to Google, the word comes from the Greek, diaphanes: dia = through and phainein = to show. Put them together and you have to show through. 

Diaphanous is the perfect term to describe each snowflake showering down from the heavens this morning. Although some may be growing tired of the winter phenomenon, I can't get enough of it. To be shrouded in white is to be blanketed in light, and we need all the light we can get - at least here in Jersey. Those in Texas might disagree, though. 

Enjoy your Monday!!!!

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 21, 2021

 

euphoria - n. - state of intense elation 

Like many of you, I can't quite remember the last time I was immersed in over-the-top euphoria. It might have been at my retirement party in June of 2019. Perhaps serendipitously, I stepped aside as a teacher of secondary English a few years before most would have, and was one of the last to enjoy a celebration in my honor with many colleagues, friends, and family members present and recognizable as it was pre-COVID-19. No one needed to wear a mask. Ironically, as the theme was the Roaring Twenties, many could have worn any kind of facial covering and would not have been judged as odd. There was quite a bit of freedom back then that we took advantage of unconsciously, resulting in blind euphoria.

Maybe like most of you, I am wondering whether there will ever be a return to "normalcy" or whether the rules have changed permanently. Will we ever be able to experience collective, blind euphoria in large groups again? If we won't, is it possible to feel euphoria under different circumstances? Of course there is. The course to that destination involves modification of one's expectations. For example, euphoria can evolve easily from a one-on-one communication depending on the players and the topics of conversation. As long as there is the potential to laugh, there is the potential for instant euphoria. Lately, I find myself laughing alone at the satirical cartoons in The New Yorker.  So what? I'll take what I can get. Perhaps you can buy a thrill after all. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 20, 2021

 

sublime - adjective - so beautiful that it inspires awe

Last night, during the course of viewing the latest Frances McDormand vehicle, the film "Nomad," I noticed a background actor wearing a T-shirt with the word SUBLIME in calligraphic print scribbled across its front. I hadn't heard or seen the term in awhile but realized it would be the perfect follow-up to yesterday's choice of aesthete for this blog. It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most can agree that there are elements of life that are universally sublime, and one doesn't have to be a follower of Aestheticism to admit that even the mere thought of something truly sublime will catapult a person into a more buoyant state of mind. 

As the purpose of this writing is to convey optimistic thoughts, those who may need inspiration to reach a height of positivity–or maybe just a glimmer of it–may wish to contemplate one of the following sublime portraits: 

1. A sunrise or sunset (either over a range of mountains or water is usually more spectacular, but the location is usually irrelevant)

2. The innocent smile of a child

3. A garden in full bloom

4. Cloud formations (those colored with magenta are my favorite)

5. The ocean or any body of water at any time

Even if you cannot possibly experience any of the above in real time, you can visualize at least one fairly easily. Ergo, if you feel a little darkness creeping up on you for any reason, choose one, find it somewhere in your memory, and meditate on it. You will elevate your mood and will be able to take on the day with fortitude. 

Enjoy! 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 19, 2021

 

aesthete - noun - one who is sensitive to beauty

Like petrichor, aesthete is another term that ranks on BestLife's list of the fifty most beautiful words in the English language. Perhaps Oscar Wilde, the anachronistic Victorian writer, could define aesthete most accurately. He embraced the philosophy of Aestheticism, which simply espouses that anything attractive has the potential to affect the viewer positively. In short, Wilde and his fans claimed that art had the potential of making people happy.

Also an aesthete, I have to agree with him. It is not difficult to find aesthetically pleasing material. You don't have to spend considerable sums of money or effort to locate something that will tantalize your senses and win you a taste of euphoria. During the pandemic, I have noticed that more are taking to the paths of local parks to inhale Nature's bountiful bouquets of beauty. Not only is a walk around the preserve preservative, it is a simplistic, albeit priceless, joy. 

This weekend, pretend you are Oscar and take a walk on the Wilde side! 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 18, 2021

 

petrichor - n. - smell soil exudes after rain 

It is snowing in New Jersey. Eight to ten inches of white manna will fall within the next seventy-two hours, freshening the sullied fifteen already on the ground. Although I adore everything about snow, except for the shoveling, I am one of legions looking ahead to spring and its equivalent precipitation: warm rain, and the petrichor that proceeds it. 

Petrichor is a word that derives from the Greek words for rock and the blood of the mythological gods. Ostensibly, a chemist coined the term in the early 1960s, and it stuck. Perhaps it was the "bling" of the twentieth century? Yet, I am uncertain whether the word is actually beautiful enough to encompass the actual scent, that could result from God's talc that He dusts the earth with after showering it with moisture. 

The snow doesn't produce the same effect as spring rain, but it does produce silence. There is nothing more quiet than the sound-proof booth produced when the sky is raining white and the ground is blanketed, masking petrichor, preserving it until spring. 

If you are a poet, today's word may inspire olfaction and the verbiage to capture it. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 17, 2021

 

mellifluous - adjective - musical and pleasant to the ears

Like yesterday's choice of words, serendipity, mellifluous glides as smoothly over the tongue as a sled down a sleek, snow-blanketed hill. Something that is rarely experienced, its sound defines its meaning. Music has been said to quell the savage beast. I know this to be true because I sing for the aged and abused, and witness the healing powers of song directly. Yet I am a bit concerned as to the future of music because a friend of mine who is thirty told me that only the eighteen to 29 demographic listens to it. No one thirty and over cares to spend time basking in streamed melodies. As a fledging recording artist, whenever I check Spotify Analytics for my EP "Heart Walk," the bar graph tells me that what she said is true: The number of listeners drops off significantly at thirty years of age. This is something I can't fathom. Why would this occur? Is it that at thirty nothing remotely mellifluous is worthy of time? At that particular age does the visual sense obscure the auditory? 

If you are thirty or slightly over, please enlighten me here. I'd really like to know. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 16, 2021

 

serendipity - noun - pleasant occurrence happening by accident

Serendipity has always been one of my favorite words in the English language. Other than perhaps being challenging to spell (and we can leave that to spellcheck), there is absolutely nothing repugnant about it. It owns a positive connotation and denotation in addition to a musicality of pronunciation. If I had had a second daughter, her name would have been Serendipity. Although I did not have the opportunity to beget another child, I created a fictitious one, Serendipity, or Sera, the young female protagonist in my middle-grade chapter book, Serendipity and the Dream Catcher. Naturally, Sera experiences much in the way of serendipity, and ironically, so did I during the writing of the book. 

What is most favorable is that the term's meaning embraces optimism. It is a loosely planned albeit successful surprise party encased in five syllables that suggests that something marvelous can come from out of the blue magically. Serendipity can refer to something as commonplace as the sun breaking through the clouds on a day that the weather forecast promised pronounced rain. Or it could be something as preternatural as a writer being in a quandary as to how to close a book and then minutes later, watching the perfect ending play out in real time before her. (Yes, as alluded to, this did happen to me when penning the aforementioned book. Whether it was serendipity or a blatant gift from God, I'll leave that for you to decide.) 

Serendipity flirts with hope as well. It leaves us with possibilities that anything positive can happen at any time. 

May you have a serendipitous Tuesday! 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 15, 2021

 

saccharine - adjective - sentimental or overly so; sugary

Although it is technically Presidents' Day, you may just be feeling a bit hung over from yesterday,  Valentine's Day. Depending how you celebrated, you may or may not be saccharine. If you were able to experience love in a palpable sense, I am guessing that you are. If not, then you may have made the transition into today, an occasional that is for most usually devoid of sentiment–unless you happen to be a distant relation of either George or Abe or are just an ardent admirer of American historical figures. 

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with being saccharine, overly sweet with sentiment like saccharin, the sugar substitute with which dieters sweeten their coffee. Without grandiose emotions, you begin to diffuse like Sweet 'n Low to the bottom of the caffeine-muddied cup of life. And who wants that? 

If you are lucky enough to have the day off today and are looking for something sugary to do, why not make a journal list of everything in life that propels you to feel saccharine. If little less, it might candy and warm your soul. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 14, 2021

 love - n. - an intense feeling of deep affection (Google)

On the calendar, today, Valentine’s Day, February 14th, has been set aside to celebrate love. Love as an abstraction has multiple definitions and types, causing it to be a floral centerpiece for exegesis. Yesterday, one of my closest friends who resides on an island off the coast of Virginia emailed me an article written by a local divorcee, whose life experience has bestowed her with a bit of practical wisdom. According to her, love is not a feeling (sorry, Google) but an action. In other words, you might possess intense feelings of deep affection for someone, but what solidifies love is sacrifice, which puts romantic love in the same category as parental love. 

Having been around the block a few times myself as yet another divorced woman, I would like to broach the theory that love is born an emotion but gradually grows into an action. To clarify, in romantic love, the afflicted falls in love, meaning she or he (or they) becomes immersed in that heady, cross-eyed state wherein the object of affection is viewed as perfect in every sense. This degree of intoxication may or may not persist indefinitely. True, mature love eventually comes (or doesn’t) with the willingness to transcend this superficial stage and commit to making sacrifices for the object of love, beginning with the divine notion of “forsaking all others.” In layman’s terms, if you or your lover cannot engage unselfishly, then most likely your love will not persevere the test of time. 

Case in point: a few years ago, I connected romantically with a man my age who was twice divorced. Unfortunately for me, his adult daughters had a significant hold on his devotion. For my birthday, he, a real estate agent, had slyly commandeered an exquisite Victorian home that was in between buyers, dressed up the parlor with quixotic trimmings that included roses, candlelight and champagne, and served a luscious meal at a private table meant just for the two of us. I was swimming in the light of delight when the mood was rudely interrupted. His smartphone rang. On the other side of the phone was one of his daughters. By accepting the call, which could have waited since there was no emergency, he drowned all possibilities of mature love between us. This may sound harsh, but clearly, there was no way this man was ever going to put me first in his life. We broke up but remain close friends to this day. And yes, his adult daughters still have considerable control over his life. And yes, he is still single.

On this Valentine’s Day, define love however you want to define it, but apply the definition amorously and unselfishly. Happy Hearts’ Day!

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

Word of the Day for February 13, 2021

 

quixotic - adj. - hugely idealistic, romantic

I adore the image connected to the adjective quixotic: Quixotic Don Quixote, Cervantes' protagonist, chasing the impossible dream or just waving a sword and screaming, "On guard" to defenseless windmills pretty much clarifies the term. 

As you know, tomorrow is Valentine's Day, an occasion of dread for those of us who are single. But it doesn't have to be. For one, it doesn't have to be about romantic love. It can be about any kind: friendship, stewardship of a pet, parental devotion, etc. Valentine's Day is made for anyone who aspires to become a chivalrous knight with someone special in mind. It could even be a goldfish. And the best part is that you can be as foolish or quixotic as you want. Valentine's Day is for the vulnerable and/or the creative at heart. 

Today, pick an object of affection and plan on doing something Don Quixote might have done for Dulcinea, his true crush, tomorrow before you hit the concrete base of Presidents' Day head-on and find you've missed the opportunity. You'll be glad that you did.

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 12, 2021

 

grace - noun - elegance or courtesy shown by goodwill

Although abstract, grace comes in different sizes and colors. For instance, at the apex, there is divine grace, enormous in stature and phosphorescent with white light. Then there is grace under pressure, corpulent as Hemingway himself and again, like Hemingway, ruddy in complexion. At the base, there is just grace itself, or hmmm, let's say Princess Grace (to be punny) donning purple velvet. These times call for Grace under Pressure. 

Since I am pretty much already there, what comes to mind relative to grace under pressure is Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. In case you did not read the novella in middle school, a threadbare Cuban fisherman, protagonist Santiago (Christ figure) decides to have one more go at catching the biggest fish in the Caribbean before he hangs up the rod forever. Although he inevitably fails to preserve the trophy, he never loses his equilibrium in the battle to obtain the prize. In short, there is an elegance to his tenacious composure: grace under pressure. 

Currently, grace (any form of it) is not easy to achieve. Some believe that complacence and selfishness have replaced refinement and affability. I disagree to an extent. We all have the capability to embrace what was once highly valued in the past. It just takes the desire and effort to do so. Maybe we can make grace trendy again? It's worth a try. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 11, 2021

 

Perhaps this blog is starting to seep into my subconscious as last night I dreamt I was playing soccer on a British team (this is laughable because I'm far too old to reach this height and am American to boot), and I found myself in a conflict with another player over the meaning of a word:

lolly - British, informal - noun. 1. a lollipop or Popsicle. 2. money.

My contrary teammate argued that lolly simply means lollipop, whereas I insisted it is an abbreviated form of loiter, or "hanging out." For example, "I like to lolly about the back end of the convenience store with my mates in summer," Oddly enough, I think I even gave this example to my colleague in the dream. Inadvertently, I probably invented a neologism, or made-up term. I understand where the British theme came from because just before bed, my daughter and I were watching the series "Howard's End" on Starz, but the origin of "lolly" in the dream is a mystery. Hmmm. 

How does lolly fit into the purpose of this inspirational blog? Well, lollipops, Popsicles, and money are all optimistic images as all satiate the soul on some level. Right? Hold onto that thought, grab yourself a lollipop, some money, and enjoy your Thursday! 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 10, 2021

 

geniality - noun - the quality of cheerfulness, friendliness

As you may already know, a word has two levels of meaning: the denotation or the dictionary's definition and the connotation, or the implied meaning. Even though a word might have a tepid denotation, its connotation could lean toward the scalding. Geniality is not one of those paradoxical words as its denotation and connotation are as warm and inviting as Caribbean waters. 

If someone refers to you as genial, you are in good shape. But how can you as a flawed being (a human) achieve consistent geniality in a stormy climate? Attitude. Decide what about this life makes you happy and concentrate on it. Keep the thought in your head as you approach the day and the other people that punctuate it. After all, there is an immediate reward that can be reaped if you are affable and altruistic toward others. You simply are returned the kindness. That in itself is something to smile about. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word for February 9, 2021 #inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers

 

ebullient - adjective - enthusiastic, energetic, cheerful

For obvious reasons, life in the time of COVID-19 begs to be ebullient. When you find it a challenge to distinguish what day of the week it is upon waking, it is hard to muster the appropriate amount of energy, no less mirth, to get through the day and into the night. Yet like most aspects of the day to day, it is not impossible to hug enthusiasm, energy and cheer. All you have to do initially is latch onto the motivation to do it. 

 Here are three recommendations for those of you who wish to embrace ebullience effectively:

1. Upon opening your eyes in the morning, withstand the initial impulse to check your phone on that nightstand. If you do, most likely you'll see something negative, i.e. the temperature outside (if you are experiencing winter weather), a stock market report in red (providing you own stocks), a Tweet of the total number of people who have died from COVID (there is little worse than that), or even a text from your sister who is planning on landing on your front steps mask-less within the hour. Instead, stay in the moment (in bed) and enjoy the sensory experience, meaning feel the thickness and warm of the comforter, smell the scent of fabric softener...you get the idea. 

2. Once you have succeeded in accomplishing #1, make a concerted effort to get out of bed, take a trip to the nearest window, and peer out between the blinds. Find one aspect of the natural world outside to be thankful for. Actually, find one thing, period, to be thankful for. For example, if you live in an urban area, if your car is still parked outside, is in one piece, and doesn't have a ticket resting beneath one of the window blades, that is something for which you should be ebullient. 

3. Take hold of the positive experiences from the above and consider them foreshadowing, meaning view them as omens of good luck. Yes, you are convincing yourself that absolutely nothing bad will bombard you throughout the day. If you are exceptionally talented in doing this, you will leave your bedroom and start the day ebullient.

Good luck! Carpe diem! 

The Daily Word

for February 8, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

ethereal - adjective - heavenly, spiritual, immaterial

Everyone reaches for that which is ethereal, something beyond this realm, something beyond reach, something close to perfection. Just think about the allusions that point to that which is ethereal. A popular one is “angel.” How many times have we heard a man or a woman refer to his or her significant other as “my angel”? Perhaps a plethora of times. Whether the object of adoration actually deserves the moniker is another question, but it is there, proving that somehow we all ascribe to reach the ethereal plateau in some sense even if it is once removed. And why not? To what else do we earthbound humans have to aspire?

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes by the timely genius, Oscar Wilde: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Now there was a man who truly understood the paradoxical nature of life. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

 

 

The Daily Word

for February 7, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

enlighten - verb - to give greater knowledge

Inside “enlighten” is the word “light.” When I think of “light,” or “to light,” to illuminate and brighten come to mind. At this very moment, I am gazing out of my window, mesmerized by the white light of snowflakes, like a brilliant storm of confetti, scurrying, dancing through the air. Nature can be enlightening because it provokes curiosity, which is the impetus to higher knowledge. True enlightenment comes when the light of reason begins to burn within the mind of the individual. 

Yet enlightenment also embraces understanding, the knowledge that one has limited control over the universe. On this Super Bowl Sunday, I am reminded of my limitations and realize that there is wisdom (enlightenment) in simple words, such as “Let Go and Let God.” No matter what you believe spiritually, believe that there is love from a greater source, a greater good. Trust that this path that we travel will lead us to a positive end. 

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word

for February 5, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

bliss - noun - complete and utter happiness

It used to be that bliss was associated with marriage albeit since divorce statistics tend to be staggering, the headiness of romantic union can now be proven to be confined to the wedding reception. Sorry for the cynicism, but divorce can do that to a person. 

Years ago when I was internet dating, I met a New York musician who appeared to be fixated on the word "bliss." I recall that he kept telling me that he was looking for bliss with a romantic partner and that he was willing to work toward achieving a euphoric consciousness that was blissful with this illusory person, whom he intended to meet online. Apparently, I was not that person as after two rather blissful dates, he dropped me flat, using the excuse that we would have probably broken up anyway somewhere down the line. It was the perfect cue for "Iris," the GooGoo Dolls hit that features the truism "everything is meant to be broken." 

All cynicism and realism aside, I, as the consummate optimist, do believe that bliss is possible. But it is not something that can be forced. In other words, bliss should never be connected with work since the two are fundamentally opposites. It should come naturally. It should grow up and out of the individual. Of course, external events can motivate bliss, but true bliss, like true love, is never superficial. 

Have a blissful Saturday!

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

The Daily Word

for February 5, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

transmogrify - verb - to segue vastly from one state of being to another

In the interim between book club selections, I am reading Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, a brief yet profound fairy tale as intellectuals have chosen to interpret it on several levels. Years ago, when my command of the language was more proficient, I read the first few pages in German, found it a bit too bizarre and picked up Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle instead. I am, at present, enjoying Kafka's work especially since it can be considered an opportune allegory. In case you have never read The Metamorphosis, the protagonist, Gregor inexplicably transmogrifies from an eager-to-please salesman into a caterpillar overnight, leaving his parents, sister, maid, and boss in a state of horror and stupefaction at his unlikely evolution. 

Kafka's story, written in the early 1900s before the Spanish flu, has contemporary relevance: Like Gregor's transfiguration, the entire pandemic has been transformative as it has changed the way we live our lives overnight. But also like Gregor, the caterpillar, who is able to muster tenacity, adjusting to his new body and even delighting in some of his new abilities, such as crawling upside down on the ceiling, we have made concessions, and some of us have not given up the struggle to latch on to a degree of normalcy. We, Gregor included, have refused to be vanquished because we are human and insist on self-preservation. However, unlike Gregor who has not gotten to this point quite yet, we are learning that the preservation of others' lives is just as important. 

I'll leave you with words to the wise: Transmogrify your attitude if it needs conversion. 

Enjoy the weekend!

#inspirationalthoughts, #inspiration, #inspirationalwords, #wordsofwisdom, #affirmation, #optimism, #poetsandwriters, #writerscommunity, #writers, #readers 

 

The Daily Word

for February 4, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

undaunted - adjective - without fear

Fear is responsible for many of our problems. As FDR once pronounced, it itself should be our only fear. And there is so much to be fearful of in the present tense. I don’t have to remind anyone of the particulars. That being noted, optimism is the antidote to fear as it instills hope in the heart, assuaging the anxiety and filling the bearer with solace. 

Here’s something you may carry around with you today and everyday: Optimism stands undaunted in the face of fear. 

#inspirationalwords. #inspiration. #affirmation. #words. #vocabulary #poets. #writers. #readers.

The Daily Word

for February 3, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

waft - verb - to pass easily as if through the air

If one is truly optimist, he or she has the ability to waft through even the most difficult situations since he or she cannot be anchored in negativity. It is as though the individual is indomitable, incapable of being vanquished. If thought of like this, optimism is elevated to the position of a super power, something all superheroes should possess. 

Try optimism on for size and start wafting through your problems!

#inspiration #word-power #vocabulary #writers #readers 

The Daily Word 

for February 2, 2021

by Gwyn English Nielsen

manna - noun - food from God

Years ago, I read a poem written by a luminous poet. In it, manna was used metaphorically to refer to snow. As I was shoveling the twenty inches that has fallen since Sunday here in New Jersey, I couldn’t help but recall the reference along with a more literal image of the distant past: one of me eating snow as a child. Although I wouldn’t brave it today, the metaphor is certainly apt. Snow, pure and white, is a natural wonder and is probably the closest thing we have to manna. 

Just something small to smile about today. 

#inspiration. #words. #poets. #writers. #readers. #vocabulary 

 

 

The Daily Word for February 1, 2021

forgiveness - n. - ability to walk away sans resentment/anger

The above definition is my own, but it has been gleaned from repeated trips to a number of denotations. As flawed humans, forgiveness is at the top of the list in terms of being difficult to dole out with a degree of finesse to the wrongdoer.  It is tough to forgive, yet still, you have to try because the weightless existence requires it. And often true love boils down to it. Now if you could only manage to forget after you forgive, then you’ve achieved human perfection, total enlightenment. It’s worth a try, isn’t it? 

#inspiration. #words. #vocabulary #writers. #poets  #readers