Hope. Wish. Dream. Be.

I really should be packing for my trip to Washington D.C. I leave tomorrow morning. I am flying into D.C. I am going to the Kennedy Center’s National Seminar for Teaching Artists. I am a professional teaching artist. If you are looking for a writing workshop for your school, business, organization, or group, check out the workshops I offer. I can tailor workshops to meet your needs too.

I spent the day cleaning, which is what I do when I need to be doing other things.

And here I am creating when I should be packing. I don’t like packing because it involves so many decisions. I am not very fond of decisions. Call me indecisive. Call me an Aries. I short circuit.

So, I am creating and this is what I created. I have made a commitment to watermarking my photos no matter how long it takes me. I do feel it takes away from the photo. I am still learning so much professionally.

Well, better get to packing. I hope you like the flower.

I host brain tumor patient profiles on my blog on Thursdays (Brain Tumor Thursday). My mom had benign brain tumors — one in her cerebellum and one on her brain stem.  She was diagnosed in 2000.  She passed away on Christmas Eve, 2012. Her funeral was July 1.  I plan on visiting her grave (urn cubby as I call it) while I am in D.C. this week. My parents are buried (inurned) in the same place. So I will visit both of them. I feel it will be less heavy on my heart as the funeral is over.  That was intense. But beautiful. I do plan on writing a post about it soon. I am writing a piece now which I will present at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference in November.  I am the chair of the Creative Nonfiction panel.

This is the template.

I hope…
I wish…
I dream…
I am…

I am going to fill out the template really fast and not worry about the need to elaborate. Just a quick fill in the blank.

I hope… to publish several books.

I wish… I didn’t worry so much.

I dream… of being on a talk show taking about my book.

I am… a writer.

3 Things about me…

• I am a mom; my son is three.
• I consider myself to be highly right-brained.
• My favorite color is blue, especially the blue hue of my mother’s eyes.

Feel free to fill out the template and email me at memomuse@gmail.com. I will post it on my blog.

You don’t have to have a brain tumor to submit your profile. If you do have a brain tumor or are a family member of someone who has/had one, please submit your profile and I will post it on a Thursday.

Either way, fill out: I hope, I wish, I dream, I am and share three things about yourself and a photo if you would like. The 3 things and the photo are optional.

This is the house where I lived since I was fifteen years old. This is the house where I got married. This is the house where my father died. This is the house that I knew for fifteen plus years. This is my home even though my parents and I don’t live there anymore. My parents rest now at Arlington National Cemetery.

Cheers.
Hope. Wish. Dream. Be.
Journal Your Journey

memomuse

Hope. Wish. Dream. Be.

 

Spring is in the air! Hope. Wish. Dream. Be.

Plant a seed (a wish, a dream, a hope) this spring and nurture it with fertile soil (plant it with love and only invite supportive people to your garden) and water (kindness to yourself). Sunshine (the magic) will do the rest.  Make sure you bask in whatever is your magic daily. 

There is no limit to what you can do when you believe in yourself.  Now, as a good friend I adore says, “Trust” — I know it isn’t that easy with the voice of the inner critic loud in your head.  I have a horrible inner critic.  Some days I kick her scrawny little ass. Other days, well, she beats me up pretty good.  I listen to country music a lot — that is part of my magic.  The lyrics make me happy.  Then that inner critic doesn’t have the volume control — I do.  So I bust a move and jam out to country music and look at how my toddler smiles at me.  That is my one-two punch. 
* Weed that garden too if need be. 

Please comment here or post back here @memomuse on facebook in a couple days, weeks, months, and let us know how your garden is growing. Feel free to post a picture here.

This is an angel at my sister's farm. It truly is a magical place. My family's (mom, dad, sister, nephew, niece) love is there. (c) Megan Oteri

I am planting a seed of creativity.  I am making it a priority in my life to pursue a career as a creative (writing, photography, education, creativity advocate).  I know in my heart it is what I am supposed to do. 

Thank you stopping by the memomuse cafe.  I hope you had some hope tea and wish soup.   Come on back now ya hear. 

I am going to leave you with some links to some YouTube videos of inspirational stuff.

http://youtu.be/OSYtQy9EqTA (I love this video by Lisa Gerrard)

http://youtu.be/d6wRkzCW5qI (40 inspirational speeches in 2 minutes).  I love this video! It starts with Brave Heart.

“As we let our light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.”  Marianne Williamson

Turn that light on and let it reflect on and off of others. You are beautiful, brilliant, wonderful, and strong.

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, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson quotes Surround yourself with people that give you wind to soar. Sometimes it may just be you - but always believe you can fly (c) Megan Oteri ~ Rights Reserved

All photos and written work belong to Megan Oteri. If you want to share this post or parts of it, please link back to this page and include my name and website please with hope and wishes on top. Thank you.

If you are new here and want to get caught up to speed, see the last post, “Connection.”  I am actually waiting on hearing back if I won a photo contest I entered.  I am going to enjoy the day with my son and husband and not worry if I “won.”  It is in the act of creating where I feel my most enlightened and beautiful.  So I am not going to worry about that today.  Have a great day.

The Original Journal Video

Untitled Project.

I created a video with images from The Original Journal.  Click on the link above that says, “Untitled Project” or the hyper link “video.”

How tall are your dreams? Dare to dream, dare to wish, dare to hope, dare to be…

Be…

bold

brave

beautiful

be you…

Photo Credit: http://www.unblogindue.it/?p=441 (beautiful B & W photos on this website)

I am meeting with two literary agents this weekend at the South Carolina Writers Conference.  Both of the agents, Bernadette Baker-Baughman and Sorche Fairbanks) I am meeting with are looking for gift books.  So I am really excited.  I feel that the time is right for The Original Journal.

I really believe everyone has a story to tell – a journey to journal…

If you like the video, please take an extra minute to like it on facebook (see the side panel on my website). 

Journal Your Journey ~ memomuse

PS – Hope. Wish. Dream. Be.

hope wish dream be copyright Megan Oteri 2011

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