The beauty that greets me in front of our current place of residence...

and this in the backyard...

I find myself unable to sustain a forlorn state of mind, not when there is so much loveliness about, irregardless of any circumstance or trial. I am just as challenged as I was the other day, but there's been a subtle shift in perspective. l

I've been reading an eclectic assortment of books from the library that have inspired and touched me, books about families dealing with autism, stories of ordinary people who made heroic choices, a celebrity daughter dishing on her life, a celebrity mom's memoirs, a kids' party planning guide, a natural guide to perimenopause, eating raw foods, being an entrepreneur, and fashion throughout the decades.

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One book, "The Big Idea" by Donny Deutsch, emphasized that we should have a passion about whatever we do or else it won't be successful and that we should look to things we enjoyed or did in childhood to get insight into our true passions. I've been brainstorming about how to approach areas in my life that I want to be more successful, especially the ones that are difficult or uninspired, and trying to find the angle that connects with my passions so they will be successful. The assorted subject matters from the list above represent areas of interest to me: I enjoy learning about people's lives, healthy eating, natural living, acts of courage, party planning, and business. These are some of the things that really jazz me, and focusing on them has altered my entire state of being! New ideas have emerged about how to approach my photography business, homeschooling, housekeeping, cooking...

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What did you really enjoy doing as a child? More on this later...