Every Rough Patch Contains a Seed of Benefit

 

The Core of the Matter; by madlyinlovewithlife

Looking for Seeds of Benefit

A long time ago, I came across this quote:

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

~ Napoleon Hill

The words resonated with me so much that I transcribed them into my quote journal. Some years later, when I was going through a really rough patch, I remembered that quote, dug it out of my journal and copied it onto a small piece of paper which I carried around in my pocket. For weeks, I repeated it to myself often—because, for me, just saying those words brought me inner relief.

Poem: The Special One

 

Goodnight Bunny

The Special One

I pulled up the covers
and had just turned out the light
when she spoke,
her voice soft and sweet:

“Am I special?”

One Fuchsia Flat and Other Digital Dabblings

“I believe in pink.
I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.
I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.
I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.
I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.
I believe that tomorrow is another day
and I believe in miracles.”

~ Audrey Hepburn

My Digital Dabblings

I really should have gone to art school. But, for some strange reason, for a very long time, I didn’t know I was an artist at heart—I only knew that I loved to dabble in creative things. I have no formal art training and I don’t draw especially well, but I have always had a strong innate desire to create and express myself in some visual form.

So a Bee Walks into a Bar…

Delightfully Lame

A jumper cable walks into a bar. The barman says,
“I’ll serve you, but don’t start anything.”

Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar. One says,
“I’ve lost my electron.”
The other says, “Are you sure?”
The first replies, “Yes, I’m positive…”

Ode to Chickens: My Dream Girls

“There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful,
than a woman being unapologetically herself;
comfortable in her perfect imperfection.
To me, that is the true essence of beauty.”

~ Steve Maraboli

 

 

 

 

 

I Dream of Chickens

I love chickens. I think they are beautiful birds. In particular, though, while roosters are undeniably gorgeous, it’s the girls, the hens, I like to spend time woolgathering about. To have my own small flock of girls would be a dream come true. I’ve been infatuated with the idea of keeping a few laying hens for a long time now. But, unlike New York City, Calgary does not allow chickens. So, unless I move away from the city, dreaming about chickens is my only option (and not a bad one either–dreaming about chickens simply makes me happy).

 

Colours, Bunnies & Chocolate Everywhere

The Arrival of Peter and Lillian

Ah… it’s that fun time of year again when Peter and Lillian come around. They generally show up sometime in early spring, I’m never quite sure exactly when they’ll arrive, I just know they always do.

I love seeing them. They stay for a couple of weeks and hide foil-wrapped chocolate eggs all about the place—now that’s my kind of house guest. It’s very fun when they’re around because I never know where I might find a little chocolate treat: in my make-up bag, in the butter-keeper, perched on top of a picture frame or in an empty pot in the cupboard. It takes me a while to find them all, especially as they seem to replenish them often. And they are so good at hiding them that I often find some long after they’ve left.

In Search of a Midnight Morsel: A Short Story

Moonlight Mouse

Moonlight Mouse knew two things for sure: he knew what he wanted and he knew where to find it. The only uncertain part was knowing exactly how he would get it. But Moonlight did not call it uncertainty. He called it fun, he called it an adventure—it was the delicious figuring-it-out-as-you-go part. His best friend, Timothy, did not share his perspective, but no amount of dissuasion could diffuse Moonlight’s stubborn determination to venture into the potentially treacherous kitchen of “The Giant Ones” (as people are known to mice). He’d caught a whiff of something delectable wafting out from there, and now his desire to sample it was powerful.

Moonlight’s olfactory abilities were extraordinary, even for a mouse. He was gifted, to be sure: Moonlight’s nose was so refined that, often, he could accurately identify a scent from just a single molecule. He couldn’t help it that he had such a keen sense of smell and a finely-tuned palate—he simply had to follow the intoxicating scent trail, which he believed (if his incredibly discerning nose was correct), would lead him to a very fine, handcrafted, ten year old aged cheddar. Moonlight Mouse fancied his cheese extra-sharp. “A small nibble”, he thought, “just a wee morsel is all I need for a little midnight snack”.

by madlyinlovewithlife

Tulips on My Windowsill

“Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine,
freedom, and a little flower.

~Hans Christian Andersen

The Joy of Tulips

It’s an utterly amazing thing to me that I can watch brightly coloured orange and yellow tulips (most likely from Holland), unfurling perfectly on my dining room table and my windowsill while we still have snow, or when the snow has finally all melted and we have entered “The Brown Season” of early spring. I often keep tulips around while we await signs of the first dabs of green to appear around the edge of Winter’s sometimes slow retreat. Each year, I marvel that these gorgeous tulips come to me so easily, cheerily gracing my home with their joy and beauty.

Life is Supposed to Be Fun!

“Laugh more. Play more. Joke more. Sing more. Smile more. Dance more. Eat more delicious food. Take more naps. Look for beautiful things all around you. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun!”

~ madlyinlovewithlife

Welcome to my blog.

This is my very first post on my first ever blog. My intentions for carving out this little space on the world wide web are simple: to use it as a mechanism to focus on things that bring me joy and happiness; to follow my heart; to have a lot of fun; and to simply enjoy every step along my journey here. In the process, I hope to offer a place where there is always an inspiring image or an uplifting quote; a place to find something that surprises or delights, a place to find something to laugh or smile about; a place where perhaps one can find something that gives pause for thought.