5 Inspirational Quotes to Carry With You Through 2020

5 Motivational Quotes to Carry with You Through 2020

Get ready for 2020 with a positive and productive mindset. We can't change the world, but we can control, change and work on ourselves. 

We can all agree that there will always be problems, heartache, and struggles. However, the cosmic duality of yin and yang dictates that the opposite is also true; life is filled with beauty, promise, joy, and love. 

Here are five inspiring quotes to put on the wall, fridge, or store in the notes section of your mobile phone, and carry with you through 2020.

1. "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." - by Buckminster Fuller, 1895-1983, American Architect, Inventor, Author, Designer, Futurist

This is currently my favorite quote. In fact, in my poetry book, "We Will Have Morning Smiles", I reference this quote on the closing page as a message to my own children. These days especially, this quote offers essential advice. When we're having an issue, no matter the nature of it, the best approach is to not focus on solving the issue but to think in terms of building a new path that makes the problem itself obsolete. 

2. "There are two wolves fighting inside all of us; one is evil, the second one is good. Which wolf will win? Answer: The one you feed. - Old Cherokee Saying

This comes from an old Cherokee story of a grandfather teaching his grandson that there is a battle going on within each of us. There's another analysis by the Cherokee grandfather offered and that is feeding them both keeps life balanced and one from overtaking the other. This interpretation says that if you feed them both, you avoid an internal struggle of one or the other working for your attention. You're balanced. I'm not sure how I feel about the second analysis but I do understand the point.  For 2020, feed the wolf seeking the good.

3. "You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore" - by William Faulkner, 1897-1962, American Writer and Nobel Prize Laureate.

This is the ideal 'take-action' quote. If you've been holding back and feel a sense that it's time to get things accomplished, carry these words with you. Simply choose to break those chains, and in 2020 go for it. Personally speaking, this is my primary go-to quote for 2020.

4. "It's amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday." by John Guare, Born 1938, American Playright

When our day or life hasn't proceeded as we thought it could or should have, let's remember what this wise quote says; tomorrow is a new day, and anything is possible. Every day we wake up, is another chance. Let's take advantage of all 365 chances in 2020.

5. "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom" - by Aristotle

Being honest with ourselves about who we are isn't always easy. Only we know the depths of who we are. One of the messages I've delivered to my kids over the years is that lying to yourself is the biggest lie. When we're not honest with ourselves, we only hurt ourselves.  When we've made mistakes, and we all have, we need to forgive ourselves, seek atonement, never repeat them, and move on. So simple, but many of us spin our wheels over this one. Let's make 2020 the year we stop spinning our wheels. You can read more about this approach in a poem I've written called Times Gift.

Let 2020 be your year.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Lego City Airport | Lego City Set #3182

Lego City has grown so much since it's inception in 1969 that it needs an airport like this one -

Lego City Airport from Amazon

This Lego City set includes an airplane, airport terminal along with arrival & departure signs, crew and passengers.   It has a revolving door which is pretty neat, a VIP lounge, a baggage claim area and a check-in area complete with an x-ray machine.

There is even a baggage cart in this set to allow you to transfer the bags from check in to the airplane and from the airplane to the baggage claim area.

There are 5 lego mini figures in this Lego City Airport set and they are a pilot, flight attendant, steward, service man and passanger.

Lego City Airport #3182 on Amazon

The Lego City Airport #3182 set contains 703 pieces and has great playability after the building is completed.   Personally I love all of the little details like the soda machine and the computer behind the ticketing counter.

Now although I feel that this is a great set and would be loved by any Lego fan the biggest disappointment to me is the lack of mini figures.   Honestly if I went to an airport and found I was the only person there to catch a flight , well that's never happened!   Luckily when it comes to passengers you can use mini figures from other sets.

Let's look at airport staff next.   You do have a pilot and stewardess so that's good and I have been on smaller planes where that is all the staff, but in the actual airport?   That's a different matter.   We have one person to do passport control, check baggage, issue tickets, answer any enquiries, work in the control tower etc.   When it comes to outside there is only one person to drive the baggage out to the plan, load the plane, check the engine and fill up the fuel as well as signalling the plan to direct it when taking off and taxi-ing in.

Having said all this about the mini figures I guess it's a great excuse to buy some more!

There are lots of Lego City sets available and I do have to admit that Lego City is by far my favorite theme:

Lego City Fire Station - Reviewing Lego Set #7208
This Lego City set contains 662 pieces and once completed provides hours and hours of fun (much like the rest of the Lego City range). The fire station is fully manned with a whole shift on duty at any given time

Reviewing The Lego City Construction Site Set
Lego City is a hive of activity as new buildings have been approved by council - have you seen everything that's happening on the Lego City Construction Site? It's lots of fun with Lego Rollers, Lego Cranes, Lego Dozers and more 

Check out our other Lego reviews here - Lego Reviews on Review This Reviews.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Captured Bride Book Reviewed

Daughters of the Mayflower - Book 3 in the Series

Every book in the Daughters of the Mayflower series is fabulous!

I started reading through this series several weeks ago. I wasn't sure how cohesive the series would be since the books were individually written by different authors.  The first book, The Mayflower Bride, was written by Kimberley Woodhouse, a new author to me.  The second book, The Pirate Bride, was written by Kathleen Y'Barbo.  I have read several books by Y'Barbo, therefore I knew it would be a great book.  The subject of today's review, The Captured Bride, was written by Michelle Griep, another new author to me.

Thus far, I have loved every book in this series and I have been thrilled to find new authors (to me) that I can trust to offer excellence in writing without explicit, gory, or less desirable content.  Simply, pure literary entertainment that is well worth reading.

Background on the Daughters of the Mayflower Series

As you may already know, or have guessed, these books are filled with American history references and characters.  The historical accuracy is part of what makes them so fascinating.

Starting at the beginning of American history with the Mayflower, the authors have created a family lineage that carries down through each book.  In the Mayflower Bride, Mary Elizabeth Chapman marries William Lytton, thus the beginning of the subsequent stories.

Each book places a Lytton descendant in a pivotal, or important, place in the history of America.  The characters and plots are all compelling. Even though the series was written by different authors, the books have a cohesive thread.  I can detect a bit of author individual style in the books, but it is not so obvious that it is detracting from the stories. 

The Captured Bride Book Synopsis
1760 - French & Indian War

One could hardly write a series about American history and omit the American Indian heritage.  

 The Captured Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower -
Book 3Check Price Mercy Lytton is the daughter of a Mohawk Indian and a captive white mother.  Because of her mixed race, Mercy has loyalties to both the English and her Native American tribe, which are aligned against the French.  Her keen eyesight and ability to move throughout the woods without detection make her the perfect scout for the English.  For years, Mercy has worked closely with Captain Matthew Prinn.  She scouts and he has her back, always protecting her.  

Mercy and Matthew are assigned to transport gold from one fort to another.  Since it must be moved by wagon, they are to pose as a father, daughter and husband.  However, who is the husband?  Much to Mercy's disdain, her designated "husband" is a prisoner of French heritage.  They are instructed to never give Elias Dubois a gun.  He is simply being transported along with the gold.  

On their journey, it becomes necessary to form a fragile alliance with one another in order to survive, but Matthew & Mercy are hesitant to fully trust Elias.  They hold to their orders and refuse to give him a gun.  However, Elias proves to be a formidable foe without a rifle.  Unbeknownst to them, Elias has his own agenda that, for now, is served well by being aligned with the traveling scouts. 

At least, that is his plan until the unthinkable happens!

My Personal Opinion of "The Captured Bride"

I always love a book that surprises me and holds me captive.  Thus was the case with "The Captured Bride". 

While the name of the book gives some expectation of what must take place, the how, who and why, was still rather unforeseen.  This book takes the reader on a journey of their own, full of adventure, intrigue and completely unexpected events.  

Yes, I was fighting sleep because I simply had to keep reading.  It was a sad moment, yet satisfying, when I realized I had read the last word. 

As I said earlier, this author was previously unknown to me.  However, after reading "The Captured Bride", I will be seeking out more of her books.  As for "The Captured Bride", I highly recommend this book!

The Daughters of the Mayflower Series

 The Mayflower Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - Book 1 (Volume 1)Check Price The Pirate Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - Book 2 (Volume 2)Check Price The Captured Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - book 3 (Volume 3)Check Price The Patriot Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower - book 4 (Volume 4)Check Price

 

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The Captured Bride: Daughters of the Mayflower Book Reviewed by:

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Gratitude

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA.  It is the day we give Thanks for all the blessings we have received. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving Day.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is a good time to look back over the past year and express our thanks for all of our blessings.  In this post I will be showing you through my photographs a few of the many blessings I have experienced during the past year.

God, Family and Church

Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church

God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, two great children and their spouses and four wonderful granddaughters.  For this I am grateful.

I also belong to a church family that has many wonderful supportive members.  They are true blessings.

Photography

I enjoy taking photographs and honing my photography skills.  I belong to a photography club that gives me opportunities to learn more about my hobby and also provides the opportunity for field trips around the area.

Fort Zumwalt Park

Civic Park

St. Louis Riverfront

Nature Photography

I enjoy taking photos of nature, but I am particularly grateful for all the opportunities to take nature photography in my own back yard.  Here are a few of my favorites from the past year.

Lighthouse Photography

Over the past 12 years since my retirement, I have enjoyed photographing lighthouses and have photographed over 150 in that time period.  This year I am thankful for the lighthouses I was able to photograph on the east coast.

Photography Near my Home

I live in the St. Louis metro area and have some wonderful opportunities for photography near my home.  Here are a few from the past year.

Art Hill

History Museum

St. Louis Wheel

Bandstand in Forest Park

Sunrise and Sunsets

I find the variety in sunrises and sunsets to be amazing.  I love photographing them at all different times and different weather conditions  The first photo here is a sunrise in Jupiter, Florida and the second is a sunset in Cape Cod Massachusetts.

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How to Encourage Pre-Teens with Angst Issues-A Book Review

Being thankful when your hormones are raging can be down right difficult or near impossible.

Navigating the waters of growing up can be difficult at times.  There will be moments of joy, for sure, but, there will also be times when whatever you say will NOT be the right thing to say, no matter what!

We have all heard the saying "Little Children, Little problems, Big Children, Big Problems".  During this Thanksgiving time, we all look back and remember the good times.  Mixed in with those good times are some of the challenging moments in our lives that we would all like to forget.  Everyone has had their share of both!

When our children are going through their own "tough" times, we look for help to get them through these sometimes painful episodes of growing up.

Getting lost in a book can sometimes be the way to unlock some truths that our preteens and teens need to understand.  To that end I'm going to recommend two books that I feel are great and written especially for this age group.  Middle schoolers (Grades 4 to 8) are just starting to feel their way around life.  Yet there can be curves in the road.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, by Dusti Bowling (she holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Education)   will open up some doors to many situations that children may already be experiencing.  Making friends, being a friend and going through life's experiences with those friends starts in Grade School.  *It actually starts much earlier, but is usually done with parental supervision.*  Grade School is where children start making choices for themselves without the watchful eyes of a parent or guardian.  What you have taught them will come into play when they are out on their own for the first time.   Understanding that everyone is different and accepting those differences will make life for our children much more interesting and exciting.  Learning to see through eyes that accept people for who they are will open doors to friendships that you may never have thought possible.  Today, we are encouraging everyone to include those who are different or have abilities that are unlike our own.  Diversity has always been part of our lives, yet, we have failed many times to celebrate that diversity.  Let's help our children now, by teaching empathy and decency for everyone they come in contact with.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is the first book in a series of 2 books!  Each book stand on it's own merit, but as a series, they are even better.    The second book (Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus), opens up some new life events for our main character "Aven"!  These events throw her for a loop. Moving from Middle School to High School  is never easy.  New friends and new experiences are opening up for everyone!  But when you are Aven, this might not be something to look forward to.  It's like starting all over again!

Explaining yourself over and over again to anyone is no fun.  Aven, our main character was born without arms.  That has not stopped her from doing all kinds of things that we take for granted.  Her adoptive parents are encouraging her all the time to do things for herself, even though it may be different than the way they do things.  Using her feet like arms, Aven does indeed manage to do all the things that able bodied people do. It may take her longer to accomplish some tasks, but she manages anyways. High school though, is a whole new world.  While everyone is trying to learn the ropes of being in High School, our main character finds herself even more alone and struggling to find her place in this new situation.  The only constant in Aven's world right now is her friend who is also "different".  He looks out for Aven and helps her with some daily tasks to make school easier for her.  Aven looks out for him too!  They both know they are different, but are ready to accept each other and others too.    When you are different, you stand out among the crowd.  Teens in High School often do not welcome "standing out" or being different.

Add hormones to the mix and you get a volatile situation at times.  If you are not a strong person to begin with, this can knock you down and send you into a dark place.  Self doubt, and anguish take the place of joy and excitement.  All of a sudden stomach aches, headaches and fear rule the teen's life.  Parents need to be aware that stress in teens can take the form of real pain.

Being able to talk about their anxiety and angst is one of the biggest ways we can help our children.  Giving them books to read with messages of encouragement and acceptance is a way to open doors to discuss their own personal "issues".

Our children (of all ages) need to know that we are supporting them in their everyday experiences and that they can talk to us about anything.  If you want more information on Mental Health Issues in Teens there is a great article by HealthyChildren.org 

Opening doors to communication is the best way to keep our children learning about themselves and their peers.  Whether they are able bodied, disabled, gifted, special needs or just plain awesome, we need to celebrate our Diversity and accept everyone for who they are.

Let's all make pre-teen and teen angst a thing of the past.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, may you celebrate your Similarities and your Diversities with Joy!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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