Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Motivational Monday & The Adaptable Writer

30 Day Blogging Challenge

Motivational Monday!
Today is Labor Day in the US, and here are eight quotes regarding labor and work...pick one and tell us what it means to you (or feel free to use a different quote if you'd like).

Okay here are all the quotes because I like them all...
There is no substitute for hard work. - Thomas Edison
All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. - Martin Luther King Jr.
I a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. - Thomas Jefferson
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightening that does the work. - Mark Twain
There is no labour a person does that is undignified, if they do it right. - Bill Cosby
Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life. - Confucius
Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind. - Henry Ford
Genius begins great works, labour alone finishes them. - Joseph Joubert

I am feeling like these are all good - but they are said by men... so I added a few women to the overall mix....
Nothing will work unless you do. - Maya Angelou
“I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”
– Oprah Winfrey
"We have taught the world that 'woman power' is about the cheapest power on earth. We never put a value on the labour which goes into this or that task."
Violet McNaughton, journalist and first president of the Women Grain Growers in Saskatchewan, Canada

So now to pick one....
For me the strongest one is the one by Martin Luther King Jr..... and it is echoed in the words of others. "All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." I hear it echoed in Oprah's quote - “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.” and in the one by Violet McNaughton - "We have taught the world that 'woman power' is about the cheapest power on earth. We never put a value on the labour which goes into this or that task." But how you say?

When we do what we love, following our personal calling, we are doing something that uplifts humanity... whether we are collecting garbage or changing diapers - all things are important and necessary. Where would we be without them?

To deem anything more important than something else is not necessary - all positions are valuable. Society often puts 'women's work' down and yet where would we be if it was not done... and why is it considered 'woman's work' when all beings can do it. The concept that 'women's power' is cheap is a ridiculous idea. The fear is that women have a great deal of power and we downplay and minimize it to keep our weak minded men thinking that they are in full control.... when they are really not.

Only true power is held when both man and woman work together as a partnership to reach their highest potential.... how they divide the labour is unique to the individual couple... but it should never be divided based on gender, unless both are equally are fine with that arrangement - and then each needs to respect and honour the work of each other. It is not a competition.
Okay my rant is over...

I believe the world can be a better place if we all find our personal calling and put all our heart and joy into making it the best we have to offer. Labour serves us all and adds to the fabric of our society. Finding your own way, in a job you love is living authentically. It is breaking out of a box that confines our spirit. We all need to shine... in our own unique way. It also means we appreciate what we all have to bring to the table.... each job is needed. Each needs to be honoured and respected.

Blog City – Day 911

Prompt: What do you do to adapt to change as a writer? Did any life changes have demanded or can demand such an adaptation?

My life as a writer fills in the cracks of my life. I adapt as time permits. During the school year, I write in the morning when I am not supply teaching. I can write all day then, but if I am teaching, I write after school or sometime in the evening depending on what has to get done over the course of the night. Sometimes I am just too tired to come to the page.... but I don't beat myself up about it.... that only wastes time and energy. I stay flexible.
During the summer I have more time to create and do things that fill my creative well... things I can use later in the year when time and colder weather restricts my outings.

I make more time to write in November for NaNoWriMo - I limit TV viewing and internet surfing. I have found that NaNo has made me more aware of how to spend my time and what is important. I can write everyday and I generally find time to do it.

I think my ex-husband resented my writing time.... he didn't get that I could spend hours creating out of nothing. He expected the house to be spotless. I didn't feel safe sharing my work with him and he was questioning why all the work and no payoff.... his hobbies made money (fixing cars and computers). Sometimes adaption requires cutting out things you realize are not good for your soul.... no matter how much they hurt.