WQ- Midpoint— What are my goals?

WQ #22: May 31: MIDPOINT/WRITER’S CHOICE/DOUBLE DIP CHALLENGES

Logo by Donna @ Retirement Reflections

It’s not like I did set definite goals for myself this year

I like to be flexible and go with the flow as I age

Promising myself to be better than yesterday is an easy one to pledge

But extremely hard one to achieve as it encompasses a lot

Always striving to do better, to be kinder, to be stronger

Making an effort, always to delete the negatives and enhance the positives

These are my goals for now and till the day I live

And I’ll keep on working on them irrespective of time, date, and year

A commitment given to me by me should be honored

For if I can’t fulfill a promise made to myself, who else deserves it more?

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In response to; WQ- Midpoint/ Writers choice, hosted by Marsha

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One Liner- When things are bleak!

One Liner

There is a general air of depression around us, in my beloved country where the rights of people are being usurped by those in power. We are feeling like caged birds, our wings clipped and our imagination trapped. This is to remind me and everyone to stay strong.

In response to Linda’s One Liner Wednesday

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Learning by doing – Blogging and writing

” Learn to write by doing it. Read widely and wisely. Increase your word power. Find your individual voice through practising constantly. Go through the world with your eyes and ears open and learn to express that experience in words.”

P. D. James.

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The best way of learning how to do something is by doing it. Writing and reading are the best way to improve your writing skills.

When I started writing for my blog, I had very limited writing experience, having never written regularly except for what I needed to do for my academics. The more I wrote, the easier it became for me. The fact that I’m an avid reader helped me because I had words at my disposal.

In blogging, one needs new ideas for blog posts and life around us is a rich source of new ideas. For my Sunday poser, I harvest ideas from what’s going around me in real life and also from reading blogs of my friends. So keeping our eyes open and observing pays dividends when it comes to getting ideas of what to write about. In fact, most writers would agree that all the seeds of fiction are born out of real life situations and experiences.

I agree with this very wise quote; It’s all that we need to hone our skills as a writer- read, write, and observe the life around us! What are your thoughts about this quote?

In response to: Blogging Insights-3.0 # 11, hosted by Tanya

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Honorable- What we strive for?

Logo by Donna @ Retirement Reflections

WQ #21: May 24: HONORABLE

This quote reflects my feelings 100%. I too think that being honorable, kind, and helpful are the goals that we should strive for in life. Living to be the person that others admire and look up to would make not only our lives fulfilling but also make us a person who inspires others.

The road to success is paved with hard work, long hours, honorable intentions, and a humble heart. When you lose your humility, life becomes a steady decline from dreams to nightmares.

Carlos Wallace

Standing up for what’s right

Giving up your time to do the honorable thing

Working hard to achieve humility and kindness

These are the goals worth pursuing in life

Not everyone thinks like we do

No everyone has the same values as we do

We often feel let down, disappointed

When those we trust, betray our trust

Guard against this feeling of betrayal

Cultivate your own values deep within

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In response to; WQ #21: Being Honorable –, hosted by Marsha

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Heritage and museums, Pakistan, Türkiye and Washington state

Logo by Donna @ Retirement Reflections

Don’t go to a museum with a destination. Museums are wormholes to other worlds. They are ecstasy machines. Follow your eyes to wherever they lead you…and the world should begin to change for you.”
– Jerry Saltz

As a kid I thought museums were boring. As an adult I find them mesmerizing. History preserved through objects, art and other mementos is just fascinating to explore.

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When we own our culture and heritage, we admit to having roots that reach deep into the portals of time and connect us to several centuries of what we were, where we came from and in a way it shows us where we will go from here.

Lahore fort and Badshahi mosque. You can see a miniature model of Taj Mahal handcrafted by a local artist.

Relics of Buddhist culture in Taxila Museum near Rawalpindi.

AyaSofia in Istanbul, the famous blue mosque, and the topkapi palace museum in Türkiye. ( Previously known as Turkey)

A few pictures of historic places visited in the USA. A few shots of art in Port Angeles, Washington state, Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC, and Lady Liberty, New York.

In response to; WQ #20: May 17: HERITAGE/INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DAY, hosted by Marsha

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Mothers are precious- Happy Mother’s Day

WQ #19: May 10: MOTHER’S DAY/ROYAL PURPLE

Logo by Donna @ Retirement Reflections

Sweet mother

I remember

Your scent vaguely

Your face dimly

Yet in my heart

You’ll always stay

Forever young

Forever present

I am that mother

Always ready to impart wisdom

My daughters are wonderful moms

Yet they listen to my advice with patience

They may follow their own inclinations

But they do recognize that I’ve been a mother longer

Want to share – go to mom

Want to learn- go to mom

Want a hot meal- go to mom

Want a shoulder to cry on- go to mom

Want to have fun- go to mom

Mom is always there to give support

She can be whatever you need at the time

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In response to;WQ #19: How Appropriate is Royal Purple for Mothers?, hosted by Marsha

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One Liner- What a mess!!!!

“The people all over the world are amazed at the incompetence of their governments, the insensitivity of their elected representatives and the power-hungry politicians ( in our country, the army is playing a negative role too); When will this end?”

©️Sadje

In Pakistan we are facing another crisis and the reason is that the illegal government doesn’t wants to hold elections. This is going too far.

One Liner

In response to Linda’s One Liner Wednesday

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When we grow

WEDNESDAY QUOTES Logo by Donna @ Retirement Reflections

Growing;

  • (of a living thing) undergoing natural development by increasing in size and changing physically.
  • becoming greater or increasing in prevalence, popularity, or influence
  • of, relating to, or being the period during which something (such as a plant) grows or matures

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Grow up

Grow bigger

Grow taller

Grow in wisdom

Grow in numbers

Just keep on growing as long as you live

We all grow older as time passes, ( that’s if we still live ) but not everyone matures or attains a wiser perspective. Maturity is recognizing that we really cannot/ do not, control everything that happens to us in life. Maturity is the wisdom to accept things as they are because we can’t change them.

In the wise words of Maya Angelou, we need to grow in wisdom as we age. Otherwise, it’s just aging, without harnessing the benefits of growing old. In my personal experience, growing older brings liberation from the shackles of following everyone. It makes us rise above the common opinions, latest trends, and expectations that people have of us.

In response to; WQ #18: May 3: GROWING, hosted by Marsha

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Art

WQ #17: April 26: ABSTRACT/WRITER’S CHOICE/DOUBLE DIP CHALLENGES

Logo by Donna @ Retirement Reflections

Art is the expression of the thoughts

The artist paints what they want us to see

The observer sees not what the artist wants

But what their mind perceives in that work

Abstract or realistic, art is what we make of it!

Every image, every sculpture, and every photograph

When presented to any viewer to view, access, and evaluate

Invokes a set of feelings, emotions quite distinct in each individual

The definition of art is what and how it’s projected

Beauty and its meaning always lie in the eyes of the beholder

Abstraction is the expression of the spirit

Breaking the rules set by the orthodox

Going free and wild to express feelings

An explosion of colors, speaking to the soul

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Art made by my grandchildren

The art displayed above is not abstract art but every grandma would love to share the art made by her grandkids.

In response to; WQ #17: “Abstract, Really? Interesting”, hosted by Marsha

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