Author: insidedianeslife

Tangent: RVing

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(Have you ever taken off on a long RV trip or want to go RVing?)

I have so many things I am trying to do right now.  My main focus is that I want to be RVing.  Not just a week but weeks or a month at a time.  I want to see our great United States.  I have wanted to explore the US as long as I could remember.  There are a few places I would like to see outside the US like: Egypt (the pyramids), Mexico (The Mayan Ruins), and Australia (koala bears, my favorite animal).  I have never really wanted to visit Paris, London, or France.  I would much rather see and experience my own country.

I stumbled across videos of people that have sold their homes and are currently traveling the world in RVs.  So, now I  want an RV.  The problem, besides not being able to afford one at this moment, is that I am working at a job that is not able to be done on the road. That means I need to find a new career that will allow me to travel.

I go back to YouTube to research options on how to make money online. My top 4 choices is: opening an ecommerce affiliate store, trading stocks as a swing trader (I have been wanting to do this for about a decade), youtube videos, and blogging.  I do not know a whole lot about any of these, though I do know more than I did about 6 months ago.  I have started working on an ecommerce store and played with my phone to do videos.  I am jumping in carefully and since I don’t have much capital to back it up I am going slow and inexpensively.

The open road is calling me though.  I must push on and get these new income earners up and running.

Have you ever taken off on a long RV trip or want to go RVing?

Verse: Matthew 12:36 – 37

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Verse: Matthew 12:36-37

(Tell me what this verse means to you.)

36. I tell you on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.  37. for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Wow… can you imagine if we only said nice things to friends, family, and the strangers we meet?  How much happier and friendly we would be around each other?

My Mother-in-law and I were talking just the day before I got this scripture.  She told me a story about her and a lady in her bible class.  Weekly when this lady came to bible class she would answer the study questions wrong and just didn’t seem to care to study for the class.  After a couple of months my mother-in-law went up to her and said something like, ‘So, don’t you read the books or study for these classes?’

After that statement the lady told her about the car accident she was in and that it left her with brain damage.  When she reads it is very hard for her to remember anything. Though she did enjoy coming to the bible study and listening to everyone discuss the scriptures.

That was the last day the lady came to bible study.  My mother-in-law didn’t mean to hurt her feelings.  Though she did accuse her of not studying because it was obvious to my mother-in-law that she wasn’t taking the time to learn the answers.  Now my mother-in-law feels so bad and is going to try to find her to apologize.

What if we never said anything that would hurt someone’s feelings?  What if we never said anything that we needed to apologize for?  What if you didn’t think the worse of a person or situation?  What if we just said things that lifted people up and made them stronger and happier people?

I do not believe in lying, though there are many things that we really don’t need to say.  We may think the person may need to hear the information but many times it is just us wanting to point something out.  Just telling someone that something is wrong about them is usually not helpful to the person.

Maybe when you want to tell someone something that is critical or upsetting. First, ask questions and see if you can find out why this is happening.  Then if you feel you still need to say it, then have a solution lined up for them.

Example:    Your neighbor has a car that is run down and it is not looking good in the neighborhood.  Instead of just saying, ‘You need to get a newer car because this one is a real eye sore.’  Find out about the car.

You: ‘So how long have you had this car?’
Neighbor: ‘This was my dad’s car.  When he died 3 years ago it became mine.’
You: ‘It sounds like it has a lot of sentimental value.  Are you trying to fix it up?
Neighbor: ‘Yes, I have been working on the engine and transmission. That is now running well.  Next I need to save up for the body work.’

So at this point you can tell him about being upset, though just saying. ‘Fix up the body soon because it is an eye sore.’ will not be helpful. Though if you had a helpful solution like. ‘Hey my cousin does body work and painting.  I can probably get you a discount.  Let me call and check it out.’

Can you imagine what our world would be like if we talked and found out the person’s situation before jumping to conclusions.  And then helping to come up with solutions. That is the world I think God would be very proud of.

Tell me what this verse means to you.

Technology: Google on the Cell Phone

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(Tell me what is the last question you’ve Googled and what did you learn?)

I am NOT a techie and I always seem behind on new technology.  One of the features we have had for a while is Google Search on our smart phones.  It has taken me a couple of years to start using it consistently.  I would often joke with my husband, “If only we had a handheld device that I could look up that information.”  He would respond, “We do!”
The last half of this year I have been using Google Search on my phone much more than before.  Previously I would have a question, but by the time I got to my computer I would have forgotten what it was.  Now that I can check right away, I am learning so much and loving it.

The question I had tonight was, ‘How much oxygen does a tree make?’

Google answered, “On average one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.  Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four….”
Then farther down the page it says, “Explain to students that rainforest are responsible for roughly one-third (28%) of the Earth’s oxygen but most (70%) of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by marine plants.  The remaining 2 percent of the Earth’s oxygen comes from other sources”

I have had this question come to my mind many times over the past decade. I finally have an answer.  Now, I know it is really important to keep the planet’s marine plants healthy.

Tell me what is the last question you’ve Googled and what did you learn?

Going on a Tangent

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(What is the current tangent that you want to follow?)

At times my brain goes a million miles an hour.  It is thinking of 3-5 different things at a time.  This may explain why I have a hard time focusing and getting a task done.  Even though this may sound like a disadvantage, I love the creativeness that comes from my random thoughts.  These thoughts will lead to activities (tangents) I want to try.

I decided to look up the definition of this word. Tangent:
a completely different line of thought or action:
                    “he quickly went off on a tangent about wrestling”

My thoughts often go off on tangents.  In the post titled “Missed Opportunities and Adventures” I called following these tangents as following your passion.  Whatever you decide to call them: Tangents, passions, rabbit trails… start following them.

As of 5 months ago I have really tried to follow all the interesting tangents that I think up and I plan to start sharing the multitude of tangents with you in upcoming post.

What is the current tangent that you want to follow?

Working Toward Goals

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(What would you choose for your morning affirmations?)

I will not achieve my goals if I don’t work toward them.  It is very common for me to do easy activities rather than tackle my more challenging goals.  So, I have been trying to watch videos that will help me reach the goals I know I can reach if I will just spend time moving toward them.

I wanted to share this video…

I am doing most of the things that Stefen mentions in the video.  In the morning before I get out of the bed I smile, stretch and say a few things I am grateful for.   I then get up and do my affirmations while I am doing simple exercises. This takes less than 5 mins. Before eating breakfast and getting ready for work I do my deep breathing and drink water.

Being grateful and reading my affirmations out loud is really helping me stay motivated and feeling more ready to face the day.

Here are my affirmations:  I think I took one from the video, but most were ones I made up.  I started with 5, but have added 2 more since starting 2 weeks ago.

– Failure doesn’t mean I should give up.  Keep trying!

– Nothing taste as good as being healthy and strong feels.

– I can use other activities rather than eating food when bored or upset.

(These next 4 are my favorite so far)

– I will spread happiness (not sadness or anger) today.

– I am smart and I can figure things out.

– Laziness may appear attractive but work gives satisfaction. (Anne Frank)

– I have a purpose for being on this planet, even if at times I don’t see it.

God has a purpose for me.

Starting each morning with these activities is making my mornings better.

What would you choose for your morning affirmations?

Advice: Missing Pictures

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(Have you had this problem?)

I have gone back to look through some past blog post and found that my pictures are not showing anymore.  This has happened to me 3 times so far.  All of my pictures are gone except for the last one I posted with pictures.  This post was from 4 months ago.    Strange!

It is now going to take me quite a while to go back through all my photos and find the ones I used on the different posts.

My advice:  Put your all your pictures that you use for your blog into a  Blog folder on your computer.  That way if there is any problem you can go back and quickly find them and insert them again.

I have been trying to find why this keeps happening.  So far no luck.

Have you had this problem?  What is the fix or am I doing something wrong?

 

Introduction

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I am currently not a church goer or have I read through the Bible yet.  I deeply believe in God.  I have been watched over and protected too often to have any doubt.

I am trying to read through the Bible, but it is very slow going.  I have a Bible app on my phone that will send me a scripture everyday.  On this page I will share the ones that makes me think, inspire me, or lifts up my spirits.  I hope you will get meaning out of the scriptures also.

Share your favorite with me and tell me how the scripture touches you.

My New Plan: The Library

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(Do you have an area in your life you are struggling with?  How many plans have you implemented to solve it?  Did you finally come up with one that worked?)

Well, the School Plan as gone to the waste side.  The good side with me failing to come up with a plan that I can stick with is that all of you who are reading this will have many plans to try. Hopefully one will work for you.

One of my problems is that when I get home I get distracted and not get done what I say is important to me. I will even write me a to do list and after 3 days notice that I hardly looked at it.

My new plan is that I go to the library for a minimum of one hour Monday – Friday after my first job. I go straight there for if I stop by my house most likely I will not leave.

I have filled a backpack with paper for a to do list, journal, class planner, my story notebook, a couple of books I have been wanting to read about a topic I want to learn.  I did not have all of these from the beginning. The first two days I walked in with a book, my future to do list and my journal.

That first day I did pretty well. I did some journaling, worked on my to do list, worked on class stuff and found a book on the library shelf that will help me learn the new topic I have been trying to learn for about 3 years now.  I was very proud of myself, though the last 15 minutes went slow because I started to get tired and hungry.  I am now bringing a snack and water for me.

I started this about 6 days ago.  I forgot how much I love the library. One of my fantasies is to get locked in a library for a day or two.  I love books!

The library has so much more to offer than the last time I was regularly using it, which was about 6-10 years ago. I am so glad the library is still there and it is being used.

Since I have started going I have been reading to learn, journaling, working on class items, and have even worked on my story that I started about 2 years ago.  In addition to that story I wrote a storyline for a children’s story which I would like to make into a series of stories.

I am feeling more productive than I have for a while.  I have a friend that recently went to a coffee shop with a pile of papers that needed to be dealt with.  She said she was surprised how much she got done without distractions.  I guess it isn’t where you go, but that the distractions are minimal.

I hope this works for me.  It is just sticking to it and making myself do it!

Do you have an area in your life you are struggling with? How many plans have you implemented to solve it? Did you finally come up with one that worked?

My Newest Strategy – School?

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(What 6 things would you like to be working on or learning?)

I have read several books on bettering myself, procrastinating, how to stop the negative thoughts in my head and how to get organized.  They all have good advice in them.  I try to follow their advice, though nothing substantial has stuck.  I have learned a little from each book and at times I think back to my favorites, but I am still looking for that magical strategy that will work for me.

I have been journaling in my notebook so I can figure out what I am going to do with the rest of my life.  Right now I am working 4 jobs and volunteering a few hours at a Senior Center.  When you put these all together I am working 7 days a week.  If that wasn’t bad enough I am not breaking the 40 hours a week mark.  That could be a good thing, though with 4 jobs you would think I would be making extra money by working over 40 hours.

So one of the several things I am trying to work out is what jobs am I going to have coming September and how I am going to accomplished what I (keep telling myself I) want.

As I write in my journal I vent and then tried to problem solve.  I started thinking about High School.  During school I was taking 6 classes and doing homework for these classes.  I liked learning new things.  What if I treat all these ‘wants’ as classes.  As long as I fit some homework in every week then eventually I would get to my goals.

I have more than 6 things I want to work on, though I decided to pick the top 6 to start with.  Here is my list:

  • PE  (I need to get exercise back into my day.)
  • Blogging about decluttering  (This way I can cover decluttering and blogging in the same class.  I do plan to do other blogging topics also.)
  • Make $ on the internet  (I want to learn how to make money from home and try to learn about passive income.)
  • Making furniture   (We are going to build a loft in one of our bedrooms… I need to figure out a plan for this, the materials we will need, and how to actually build it.)
  • Planting, gardening, yard work  (Since all of these are outside in the yard… I just grouped them together.  I am not sure I am ready to garden, but I want to grow food.  I have blackberries, a plum tree, a pot of strawberries, and I just got me a raspberry plant.  I am hoping to get blueberries next.  I want to utilize them this year… in years past many went to waste.)
  • Swing Trading  (I have looked into this some but then stalled out.  I feel like this would be a good fit for me, though I need to learn more about it.)

These are my six classes that I want to spend time doing homework for.  I hope this strategy will work for me.  If not, I am not sure how many more ideas are out there for me to try.

I look forward to completing these classes or better yet having them become a habit or future job.  Then I can go onto my next 6 classes.

What 6 things would you like to be working on or learning?

I Begin Again: Decuttering

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(Do you have shoes to go through?  After you do tell me how many you tossed/donated?)

Well, I am finally back.  I have hardly done any decluttering.  That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking and planning.  I have been working extra hours at one of my jobs, then went on a week vacation with my family.  Though mostly I just couldn’t get myself to do anything.

My plan was for me to get my jobs situated and work a little less during the summer so I can work on projects.  One of those projects is to declutter.  I have less work hours right now SO….

Here I go!  My first project is to go through our shoes and declutter/minimize.

I forgot to take a picture before I started.  This picture is when I have already taken some out of the wood shoe shelving.  Also to the left of the wood shelf is our black rolling shoe rack that usually hides behind the cat tree.

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I ended up throwing away 8 pairs of shoes.  I think I could have done 2 more, though did not have the constitution to do it.  8 pairs in the garbage may sound like a lot to you, because I know it does to me.  Let me tell you how I deal with my shoes.  I buy a new pair of shoes when my old ones develop holes.  I will keep the shoes I am replacing just in case my feet get sore in the new ones or in case something happens to my new shoes.  Well, I have been doing that for the last 7 pairs of shoes without getting rid of the extra pair.  I was happy that even though I threw a lot away I was able to donate 3 pairs.  YEA!

Here is what the final product looks like.  Outside the wood shoe tower there were consistently 4-6 pairs of shoes on the floor.  Now only flip flops.  The black shoe rack is now back behind the cat tree.  This time just full of shoes we plan to use.

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I feel pretty good about this project.

Do you have shoes to go through?  After you do tell me how many you tossed/donated?