Monday, September 8, 2008

Hi There


Well, here I go. I'm just holding my breath and jumping in.
My first blog post.

I suppose I should start with the customary explanation of my blog's title and purpose. Isn't that how we introduce ourselves? Give our name and why we are here (often reciting our connection to others)?

Life is Beautiful was my motto in high school. My friends labeled me "the optomist" when it became clear that I always found the good in things. Some considered me naive-- they were watching in anticipation for the day to arrive that I would become jaded and cynical (just to prove that they weren't missing something in life, I believe....) One even teased me that I was the only person he knew who could find a reason to celebrate nuclear war, such as the idea that it would end world hunger (bet you can't guess which decade I was a teenager).

But I never questioned my outlook, because I knew that they were missing something. The ability to not just adapt, but to thrive. And they didn't understand the power of humanity: choice. We can choose how to label things around us. We can choose how we behave. We are not bound by instinctual reactions. I choose to focus on positives, and that creates happiness.

Why a blog? The usual: to share ideas, connect with others, gather my thoughts in one place so that I can read them again when my memory declines with age....

Oh, and my connection to others. My husband has been the Twilightkeeper over at The Clarity of Night for three years now. He brought me into this crazy blogosphere. Blame him. ;)

Phew! That wasn't so hard. To those of you who have read this far: Thank you! and Welcome! I hope you'll stay a while to enjoy sharing ideas.

And I hope you leave with a smile, because, after all-- life is beautiful!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

An exciting beginning! Already, the blog has a presence, a feel, and a tone.

I hope it's the first splash in the water of what will become a deep dive. :)

Sarah Hina said...

I'm happier just reading this entry. :)

And I'm a little in awe that you've maintained that spark, that positive belief, for as long as you have. It says something about your strength and commitment, I think, that you can follow that thread back to high school.

I'm so thrilled you're out here, Aine! Making the world a little more beautiful. And I can't wait to see what comes next. :)

Aine said...

Thanks, Jason! I'm still holding my breath. So far, so good! Your support means the world to me.
:)

Sarah, it takes one to know one-- you've got one of the brightest sparks in the blogosphere. Thanks for returning the smile!
:)

SzélsőFa said...

What an inspiring beginning!
I'll be sure to visit to visit this site for your valued thoughts, Aine.

Sameera Ansari said...

Good luck for the new journey :)

You are an OT,nice to know that!

Vesper said...

Life is beautiful, Aine. And this is a beautiful way to start a blog - tremendously uplifting. I'm very much looking forward to reading more.

Geraldine said...

Oh Aine, how exciting! I wish you much enjoyment and success with your new blog. Your dear husband gave me the incentive to start my blog, after I participated in one of his excellent writing contests.

This is looking good....

PS: Will add you to my blogroll today.

Hugs, G

www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com

Geraldine said...

PS: Stop by over at MPP when you can....start spreading the word!!!

:<)

www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com

Unknown said...

Yay! More beauty in this dreary digital realm!

Aine said...

Szelsofa~ thanks! I've got so many great bloggers to learn from. I hope I can stand up with the rest of you someday! :)

Sameera~ Thank you for stopping by! Though I've been in the profession for 14 years, I'm still surprised and excited when someone knows what OT is. (Er, I hope that "nice to know that" is a good thing...)
;)

Vesper~ I sense that you are well practiced at seeing the beauty in things. Perhaps another idealist?
:)

Geraldine~ Yay! Thanks for the link! I'm so happy to add you to my blogroll too. And I will be by much more often now that I'll be spending more time in blogland!
:)

EOH~ I am so happy to see you! I will do my best to add to the decor.

Liane Spicer said...

This brings back memories of starting my own blog just over a year ago. I have to say it's been all positive so far and my early trepidation seems downright funny now.

The world needs more optimists - we've got enough of the jaded amongst us. Perspective is everything.

Pirate Princess said...

Here from Geraldine's. Congrats on a new blog! My name is Aine too, so I had to stop in and say "hello".

BTW - I'm a personality type BLUE, not from the color code, but from mysuccessfullife.com. Which I understand is pretty much the same thing, but I felt I should clarify. It's nice to see others studying and talking about the personalities too. :)

Bernita said...

Aine, you've just added one more beautiful thing to our lives.

Aine said...

Wordtryst~ Thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad to hear that there's nothing to fear! I hope that there are plenty of us, but the pessimists are just louder. (But maybe that's just my optomism speaking- ha!)

texasblu~ Welcome, Aine!! :)
I'll have to check out those personality assessments. I know that my Myers-Briggs type is associated with the color blue, but I don't know if there is any correllation.

Bernita~ And you've just added a beautiful presence to my blog! I am thrilled to see you!

Chris Eldin said...

I'm soo happy you finally took the plunge to blog. I always wanted to learn more about you...your postings/comments always strike a chord with me.

Welcome!!!
:-)

Aine said...

Thank you, Chris! I've felt a resonance with you also. You remind me strongly of an old friend of mine. :)

I'm really excited about starting this blog. It's about time I have a voice beyond The Clarity of Night.
:)

Hoodie said...

Yay! Your own blog was long overdue, methinks.

Can't wait to become a "regular."

Aine said...

Hi Hoodie! Yes, it was overdue. I'm so glad you stopped by! I would be thrilled to consider you a "regular".
:)

JaneyV said...

I couldn't agree with you more- life is beautiful and it teaches us wonderful lessons every day. I'm forever encouraging my husband and children to look for the positive. (Hubby's family have a gloom gene - but I'm winning the battle with it I think - mostly!)

I'm so glad that you're doing this. I just went back to work recently and it is eating into my blogging ability. I haven't a clue how Jason manages to be so prolific. This looks and feels great - best of luck with it.

Oh and the daisy - is beautiful. Like Life.

Aine said...

Janey~ Good to see you!! Thanks for your comment! I've always sensed that you are an optomist, too. "Gloom gene"-- I like that! :D

I'm still a stay-at-home mom, so I figured I'd better do this now while I can.... (about Jason-- he amazes me,too! He must be another species. I don't know how he manages to accomplish it all.)
:)

Sameera Ansari said...

Lol!It is a good thing as I am a PT myself :)