TO BE SURE

THE MALL

 I went to the local mall yesterday. I have only been to this mall a few times in the years I have lived here. I’m not a real mall girl, heck, I’m not much of a leisure shopper. But I had something I needed and to my surprise it was at the local mall. This mall lay out is like so many malls around the country. Owensboro’s Towne Square Mall no longer has any of its original anchor stores. JC Penney’s is gone, Sears is gone, Macys is gone. All that is left is a handful of big name stores and a handful of local shops. 

I was in Franklin, Tennessee a few months ago and went to the Cool Springs Galleria. That spot was magical. I went with a purpose and ended up window shopping at stores I hadn’t been to in years (like Williams Sonoma ♥️).

The mall near my office, Eastland Mall, is still thriving. I have been there a few times, but again only with a purpose. I have noticed that if the restaurants just outside the malls footprint are empty, it is a sure sign of decline.

I think the decline of this very Americana institution, “The Mall”, is very sad. 

As a teen in the 1980s, my boyfriend worked at Paradise Valley Mall. My girlfriends and I would frequent that mall before our regular Saturday night out plans. I remember cruising around MetroCenter in a blue convertible Mustang with Rob and Chris. I still love to walk Biltmore and Scottsdale Fashion Parks when I visit Phoenix. High class and delightful! 

I must admit, I am part of the decline. I do find it easier to shop on line for most things. But perhaps I will make more of an effort to frequent the Malls, I think it would be a shame to lose some of the glorious malls we have nationwide.

I do look forward to visiting the Mall of America in Minnesota!

 🛍🛍🛍

I THINK...

I think that as a nation, we owe it to each other and future generations to build a strong foundation here at home. By showing that every American citizen is a priority. Healthcare, employment, education and the building blocks for a self reliance... These should be the top priorities of our nation. Taking care of our own; those that have served our country, those who build our communities, those who have taken part in the America we love. If we all worked together to ensure that all Americans were a priority, we would be able to show better support to other nations. We can not be “The Most Powerful Nation on Earth” if we don’t have each other’s backs. We have to be one people. By taking care of our own, we will be able to regain the Nation we love. We all need to strive for the greatness that this nation was built on. We need to support each other and remold our government into a well oiled machine that works for the American people. 

TALK TO YOUR HEART

A teacher wrote:

MOVE FORWARD

Your fears aren't always as bad as they seem. 

You can move beyond your fears and create the lifestyle you want 

by setting goals and taking action towards achieving them. 

THIS OR THAT

 I read an article that really hit home for me. 

When someone is dealing with an issue and comes to another family member we should ask...

"Do you want COMFORT or SOLUTIONS?"

or

"Are we LISTENING or PROBLEM SOLVING?" 

YOUR POWER

 "Never underestimate the power you have 

to take your life in a new direction."

Germany Kent

TOP 16

 This is my top listened to list on Spotify for 2020 

MONTERS Shinedown

ELECTRIC WORRY Clutch

SMOOTH Santana

CAN'T HOLD US Macklemore

COMATOSE Skillet

46 and 2 Okeefe Music Foundation

ZOMBIE Bad Wolves

NATURAL Imagine Dragons

APOLOGIZE OneRepublic

HAPPY DOES Kenny Shesney

GLORIOUS Macklemore

A MILLION DREAMS Pink

ALONE I Prevail

DEMONS Imagin Dragons

SECRETS OneRepublic

GET UP Shinedown

FUTURE

CHILLY MORNING

PARKINSON’S LAW

A task will swell in (perceived) importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted for its completion.

FALLING TO SLEEP TO...

 TENNESSEE WHISKY

CHRIS STAPLETON

https://youtu.be/4zAThXFOy2c

Used to spend my nights out in a barroom
Liquor was the only love I've known
But you rescued me from reachin' for the bottom
And brought me back from being too far gone

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
You're as sweet as strawberry wine
You're as warm as a glass of brandy
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

I've looked for love in all the same old places
Found the bottom of a bottle's always dry
But when you poured out your heart I didn't waste it
'Cause there's nothing like your love to get me high

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
You're as sweet as strawberry wine
You're as warm as a glass of brandy
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
You're as sweet as strawberry wine
You're as warm as a glass of brandy
And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey

You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey
Tennessee whiskey

KEEP GOING

WOLF MOON

Tonight is the first full moon of 2021. They call it the Wolf Moon. As I drove home from work, that full moon hung low in the sky. And in that cold, clear sky tonight, that moon was so big and so bright. It was beautiful! 

Here it is from my front porch at 8 o’clock tonight.

My friend Mike took this in Fountain Hills, AZ. As the moon rose over the Mazatzal Mountains, in the Tonto National Forest. The Four Peaks are dusted in snow, it sure makes a beautiful picture. 

IN THE GARDEN

I want these in my garden!

TAKING CONTROL OF YOU

 "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

"Success comes to those who become success conscious. Failure comes to those who allow themselves to become failure conscious." Did you know that your brain can be set up for failure or it can be set up for success. It's up to you to choose which one you want to pursue.

The first step toward developing a successful mindset is to achieve desire. A desire that is strong and unwavering, no matter what comes your way. An unwavering desire in regular desire taken a step further. When you harness the power of unwavering desire, you can overcome any obstacle that comes your way. 

If you give up, how can you be sure that you didn't miss out on something amazing?

Create a plan and recite it to yourself throughout your day to create desire at an unwavering level. Tell yourself what you want, the more specific the better, and you create a definite plan to get it. You can write it all down, and read it aloud to yourself throughout your day. Within a short amount of time your desire will grow to levels that cannot be beaten down by roadblocks. 

Autosuggestion can help you program your brain to believe whatever you want to become true. Repetition seeps into the subconscious. You can effectively train your mind. You can tell yourself what you want and demand persistence and action. You need to tell yourself that you're going to develop confidence in yourself and that you aren't going to stop trying until you get what you want. 

You can create anything which the human mind can picture or imagine. Creative imagination allows you to dream up new ideas and plans. To set into place the things you want to happen. Creative imagination is extremely powerful and it is where the brain communicates with infinite intelligence. Infinite intelligence allows you to focus on your end plan, taking you where you want to go. 

Every adversity, every failure, every heartbreak, carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. 

Persistence: Moving forward, Progressing

Traits to developing persistence:

Having a Purpose, Desire, Being Self Reliant, Definite Plans, Seeking Specialized Knowledge, Working with Others who want the same thing you do, Willpower, Create Positive Habits. 

You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be. 

7 Positive Emotions: Desire Faith Love Sex Enthusiasm Romance Hope

By using the 7 positive emotions you can create a positive mindset. It is impossible to be both positive and negative at the same time. one has to override the other. Bu kicking out the negative emotions (fear, jealousy, hatred, revenge, greed, anger and superstition) you can create a more positive subconscious mind. This is called the Law of Habit.  

Fear is one of the primary reasons why people fail. Fear can cause you to delay making a decision or being unsure about it, because you are wrapped up in the doubt and fear, the "what if". Fears are a state of the mind and can be controlled.

You can build a wall of positivity to keep out dangerous and negative thoughts. 

The National Science Foundation estimates that the average human has up to 60,000 thoughts per day, and 80% of those are thought to be negative. You can change this. 

The starting point of all achievement is Desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat. 

Napoleon Hill

LANDSCAPE IN WHITE

 It snowed on my way home from work last nigh. 

Big fat snowflakes. 

There was very little accumulation this morning, 

but it was still lovely to see. 

The white flocking on the evergreens, 

the fields of white, the ice covered ponds. 

Absolutely beautiful! 

SAME GAME/DIFFERENT VIEW

HUMBLE

TRUTHS

MENAGERIE

I love this art!

HAPPY WINTERY DAY

 I love it when it snows! It isn't sticking, 

but that is okay with me, 

since I have to drive home in the dark. 

But I sure love it when it snows! 

It says "HAPPY WINTERY DAY!"

TACO TUESDAY

STORM

They whispered to her

"You Cannot Withstand The Storm"

She answered 

"But I Am The Storm" 

GOAL or DREAM

 

Proper planning is the key to

the flawless execution of any

worthwhile goal.

But without follow through,

it is only a dream.

HABITS

Habit 1: Be Proactive

We need to assume responsibility for our lives and avoid reacting to external circumstances all the time. 

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind

We can cut down on time we spend achieving a goal if we work with a clear goal in mind. A clear mental picture and written steps to achieve our goals make it easier to get there. 

Habit 3: Schedule your priorities

We should learn to identify things that are important to us and focus on working on them. This will reduce the pull of urgent but not important things in our lives. 

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

In negotiations, we need to seek what is beneficial to everyone rather than gaining a substantial advantage over others. The relationship is more important than getting an extra share of pie. 

Habit 5: Seek first to understand then to be understood

Before proffering solutions to problems, we must ensure we listen to others and have a clear picture of the situation, their worldview and emotions. 

Habit 6: Synergize

When we accept help from others, we will achieve goals we would never have been able to achiever alone. Respect for individual differences and self-confidence helps us to achieve synergy. 

Habit 7: Sharpen the saw

To sustain our effectiveness, we need to take time out to recharge and reflect on our values. 

_____________________________

There are four dimensions to our lives as humans which need to be kept sharp. 

They are the physical, spiritual, mental and social (emotional) dimensions. 

Physically, we need to mind what we eat, engage in regular exercises and allow only a healthy dose of stress in our lives. 

Spiritually, mindfulness exercises, prayer, reflecting on our values, mission statement and paradigms are essential practices. 

Mentally, we need to engage our hobbies more and read good books. Cut down the time we spend watching TV and create something useful. Journaling, writing poems or letters are some examples. We can also be involved in planning and organizing events to keep our minds active. 

Socially, we can make efforts to build healthy relationships. Participate in activities that involve other people and show genuine love to them. Make efforts to live peaceably with everyone. 

Have a pleasant charm. 

S.R. Covey

THRIVE

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style. Maya Angelou 

Do it with style, do it with grace and most of all do it with a smile! 

COOL

Today in Owensboro, license plate ZOINKS

TODAYS ADVENTURE

ACORNS

I gathered these on my visit to the Hoosier National Forest in the rain this morning. Acorns make me happy.

My daughter said I’m a squirrel 

SEWING/CRAFT ROOM

It’s time to set things straight! 

So the creative vibes can flow! 

MYSTERY KEYS

I found this pretty little box hiding in a box of this and that. I remember the sea shells from a visit to the Train Museum in Hawesville, and I remember the gun shells from shooting in the woods. But the keys... I can’t quite remember the keys. I will keep them, one day I am sure I will remember. 

DANCE WITH ME

PC

In the kitchen, the woods or the bedroom.

GATHER

I need to gather more acorns. I love them. 

WORDS

 Myopia: lack of imagination or intellectual    insight

Flummoxed: bewildered or perplexed 

DING DONG

Frozen!

FAT HAPPY COWS

My drive to and from work is lovely. I am blessed with a beautiful drive no matter what path I take. I love the woods, the farms and the wild life. I love to see the chickens in the yards, the horses and cows in the fields, the hawks in the trees and the occasional wild thing in the woods. On my drive to work today, I happened to look over and see that the cows, that are usually on the hill, had escaped their pasture and were munching along down the dirt path toward the road. I was sure the farmer would herd them back up the hill shortly, but I was so tickled that they were out to greet me this morning, I couldn’t contain my happy! Those footloose cows totally lifted my spirits!  

NEW

SUCCESS

 "Success takes a vivid imagination and a dream, and I believe in dreaming big."

Gordon "Butch" Stewart

INDIRECT INSPIRATION

 "Art is Theft" said by Pablo Picasso

Means that art is a subtle imitation of another work of art. Call it indirect inspiration. 

Or fake it until you make it!

BLAME

 It is easy to think that where you where raised, how your parents treated you, or what school you went to is all that determines your future. 

It’s easy to blame your lot in life on some outside force, to stop trying because you believe fate is against you.  

Great people are defined by how they deal with life’s unfairness. 

W H McRaven

PADDLE

It takes a team of good people to get you to your destination in life. You can’t paddle your boat alone. Find someone to share your life with. 

W H McRaven

SMALL APPLIANCE

My favorite small appliance died the other day. I loved it, it worked beautifully every time. No matter what I used it for. 

So tonight I went onto Amazon to order a replacement. When I had scrolled through several pages I finally came upon the one I wanted... Wait! WHAT?

Since when did this become vintage?  I bought my last one, back in the day, I’m sure I paid less $20. I need a new one, however I need stay in my small appliance budget. I also know that shopping for anything on line from bed, in the middle of the night is probably very unwise. Gosh darn it!

CONTAGIOUS

CYCLE

A-Z

The A-Z guild to a richer life. Deepak Chopra

A – All Possibilities, Absolute, Abundance, Affluence

B – Better and Best 

C – Carefreeness and Charity 

D – Demand and Supply, Dharma 

E – Exulting in the Success of Other, Expecting the Best

F – Failure is the Seed to Success

G – Gratitude, Generosity, God, Gap and Goal

H – Happiness and Humanity

J – Judgment is Unnecessary 

K – Knowledge Contains Organizing Power 

L – Love and Luxury 

M – Making Money for Others, Motivating Others

N – Say No to Negativity 

O – Life Exists in Opposites, Opportunity, Open and Honest Communication

P – Purpose in Life and Pure Potentiality 

Q – To Question 

R – Receiving is as Necessary as Giving 

S- Spending and Service 

T – Transcendence, Timeless Awareness, Talent Bank, Tithing

U – Understanding the Unity Behind All Diversity

V – Values 

W – Wealth Consciousness Without Worries 

X – Expressing Honest Appreciation and Thanks to All Who Help Us

Y – Youthful Vigor 

Z – Zest for Life

5 4 3 2 1

 “ Overthinking makes things worse 

Because you focus on the negative 

And your mind talks you out of it.”

When you have a goal and come close to anything that would make it realizable for you, part of your brain shows you the instinct to act.

You must trust your instincts and ignore your habits. Moving forward with your instinct will propel you to make life changes and break out of habits, ruts and poor life choices. Trusting your instinct and being able to step beyond the habitual routine will open up opportunities and a fresh start. 

Count 5 4 3 2 1 and move forward. 

This is a tool. Use it. It will inspire strength and confidence. The 5 second rule helps you stop overthinking. It prompts you to DO. It helps you have courage. It lets you empower yourself. 

We feel before we think or act. It we wait until we feel like it. We will never get around to doing it. If you don’t learn how to untangle your feelings from your actions, you will never unlock your potential. 

Activation energy = the energy required to get things moving. Is more intense that the energy to do standard tasks. It is needed when you want follow through on any plan. 

5 4 3 2 1 Go

This process will help you to end procrastination. Stop thinking about how you feel and concentrate on what you want to accomplish. This will help you get past the point that has been holding back from the life you want. 

Productivity centers around focus. Tune into your focus by eliminating the things that cause you to be sidetracked from your goal. Procrastination will kill your goal progress. 

Stop worrying about the things you can not control. 5 4 3 2 1... stop thinking about the negatives and refocus on the positives. You have to learn to beat fear go you can enjoy life. Fear will make you miss out on things you should be enjoying, and leave you feeling miserable. To beat your fear you need to focus on the thoughts of what you want, where your positive actions will take you. Positive thoughts of what you are looking forward to, will help you get past the fear and move forward. 

Building your conference, by over powering the fear with excitement for something new, will help you build a happier you. 

You may only get one chance to become who you want to be, where you want to be, doing what you want to do. You are the only one who can make the change. 5 4 3 2 1...Go. Don’t think, just do. You are the best reason for making a life change. 

The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins

DISCLAIMER

I wanted to say a bit about the content of my blog. When I started writing this blog over a decade ago, I did it strictly as a therapeutic medium to add some sanity to my life. 

Chocolate Serendipity has grown into my personal journal, scrapbook and to do list. The content I put on this consists of things that make me happy, things I have read and want to implement in my life, and a view of my life currently. At no time do I wish to impose my views on anyone nor do I think that what is good for me, is good for anyone else. 

If you choose to view my blog, please do it with a sense of humor, a sense of wellbeing and a love of life. I hope that in the years to come I will keep entertaining myself and others. I also hope to leave a bit of me behind for my children, grandchildren and those that love me. 

BE EXTRAORDINARY

 

Ordinary people believe only in the possible. Extraordinary people visualize not what is possible or probable, but rather what is impossible. And by visualizing the impossible, they begin to see it as possible

Cherie Carter-Scott

AFFIRMATION

Affirmation

1. Write down what you really want. [Why do you want this? To know and understand who you are and want to become as well as the things you want to achieve]
2. Repeat your affirmations to yourself, out loud, every day. [Think if it as a mental success exercise that strengthens your life daily as you constantly move forward along your life path]

SAVERS

 S. Silence = reduces stress, take time each morning to calmly go through you daily agenda. (Meditation, Prayer, Deep-breathing, Gratitude)

A. Affirmations = a tool that will help you become the person you want to be, and a vocal mode to achieving your goals in life. (Thoughts, beliefs, focus) 

V. Visualization = mental rehearsal: seeking to generate positive results in your outer world. The more vivid (using all your scenes) you make your visualization, the more compelled you will be to take the steps to achieving your goals. Visualize who you will need to become to achieve these goals. Visualize all the steps you will take for goal success. 

E. Exercise = learn and practice the exercise practices that will help you be more energetic and healthy. Yoga, chakra alignment, tapping, deep breathing, classic exercise, tai chi)

R. Reading = read what you want to achieve in your life. If you read only 10 pages each day for a year, you will read 3650 pages. Read wisely

S. Scribing = Journaling, each day with purpose, will help you make more progress in your goal oriented life. 

REEVALUATE YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCERS

Research has shown that we virtually become like the average of five people we spend the most time with. Who you spend time with may determine the person you become and your quality of life. The people you choose to be around and the environment you choose to live in will determine the person you will end up becoming. We need to up our level of personal development. Success is something we attract, by who we become.

REAR VIEW MIRROR SYNDROME

“ Who you were is not who you are. “

You must live facing forward, always working toward the new and improving you.

TONIGHT

Me in my jammies, watching Discovery+ on my phone tonight. Girl time with Martha Steward and Joanna Gaines! 

♥️

MY FAVORITE

I think this is my favorite selfy ever! 

CAN’T HOLD US

 https://youtu.be/2zNSgSzhBfM

WONDERFUL THOUGHT

 What a wonderful thought it is 

that some of the BEST days of our lives 

haven't even happened yet.

I love this so so so much!

THINKING

REPEATEDLY

We are what we repeatedly do

Excellence then

Is not an act 

But a habit 

Aristotle 

CONTROL

“ We may not be able to have controls over our emotions, but we can control out actions every day. “

Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

HONK

DAY 13

IKIGAI

I wrote about Ikigai first in November 2019, then I touched on it again in July of 2020.

I am currently reading: IKIGAI The Japanese Secret to A Long and Happy Life 

By Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

Ikigai is seen as the convergence of four primary elements:

• What you love (your passion)
• What the world needs (your mission)
• What you are good at (your vocation)
• What you can get paid for (your profession)

To find your Ikigai you need to ask yourself the following four questions:

1. What do I love?
2. What am I good at?
3. What can I be paid for now — or something that could transform into my future hustle?
4. What does the world need?

In their book Ikigai The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles break down the ten rules that can help anyone find their own ikigai.

1. Stay active and don’t retire
2. Leave urgency behind and adopt a slower pace of life
3. Only eat until you are 80 per cent full
4. Surround yourself with good friends
5. Get in shape through daily, gentle exercise
6. Smile and acknowledge people around you
7. Reconnect with the nature
8. Be grateful for everything, especially things that brightens our day and makes you feel alive
9. Live in the moment
10. Follow your ikigai

Millions of people still struggle to find what they are meant to do. What excites them. What makes them lose the sense of time. What brings out the best in them.

https://japanahome.com/journal/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-a-happy-life/

Tee Hee Hee

Nana Nana Nana Nana BATMAN

MORE FLUIDS IN

I’m really working on my intake of liquids! 

Two down, working on my third!

LIFE SPENT

 A Life spent making mistakes

is not only more honorable

but more useful than

a life spent in doing nothing. 

George Bernard Shaw

CURIOSITY

 

Don’t think about why you question, simply don’t stop questioning. Don’t worry about what you can’t answer, and don’t try to explain what you can’t know. Curiosity is its own reason. Aren’t you in awe when you contemplate the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure behind reality? And this is the miracle of the human mind — to use its constructions, concepts, and formulas as tools to explain what man sees, feels and touches. Try to comprehend a little more each day. Have holy curiosity.

Albert Einstein

TODAY IS 1/13/2021

National Rubber Ducky Day

So snuggly!

IMPEACH

 What does it mean to impeach a president?

The process is started by a two-thirds majority vote of the Parliament to impeach the president, whereupon the Constitutional Court decides whether the President is guilty of the crime of which he is charged. If he is found guilty, he is removed from power.

SOMETIMES

  Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason. 

I took a road I cross occasionally today, thinking I would end up at a specific location... I turned on my blinker on and went on an adventure. The adventure only lasted about a mile. Then the black top road turned into gravel and I could see in the distance that the road turned the wrong direction for my commute. So, I turned around in a dirt drive that led to an empty barn in an old corn field. In one of the bare trees near the barn there was a bright shiny star balloon. I figure that must have been my reward for taking the road less traveled. 

Now I know, that road goes nowhere. But if I had not taken it, I would have always wondered. And I got the proverbial pot of gold (star balloon) at the end. 

It Is Always Better To Take The Road Less Traveled... Even If You Need To Turn Around And Go Back A Bit... It Is Better To Have The Adventure Than Always Wonder !

 

MAIN CHARACTER

Be the main character 

in your life story 

Not just the supporting 

character

If you don’t play the part                 

you will get lost in 

the background

It’s never too later 

to rewrite your story

Add a plot twist 

start a new chapter or 

move on to the next Volume 

STEPS

PLANNER

My daughter in law is the best thing since 100 layer donuts! This lady is crafty and classy and delightful! For Christmas she made me a Day Planner/Journal. I giver her credit because I know my son would too. I’m so grateful he found the perfect girl for him, and I’m even more grateful that I adore her!!!

Tonight I’m adding pages to my book. 

I forgot how fun this is. I’m so grateful for Amanda’s creativity and thoughtfulness! ♥️