Challenge Accepted

September 14, 2019September 15, 2019 / www.spilledcookies.com / Leave a comment

It’s been a long while since I took to the written page to share. It’s way passed time. I lost both of my parents in 2011, and my world was turned upside down. Sunset Aug 2019

It took a long while to adjust to the changes that come from being basically alone and truly owning that I am responsible for my own path and every decision that is made. Growing up I ran decisions by my parents for input and wisdom. You don’t realize how much you depend on that, until they are gone and that option is no longer available.

Now, 8 years later, I can say that I have come to terms with life and decisions being in my hands. God is my guide. My brother and his wife, my kids and my friends are my family. The future is up to me and what I put into it. Life up until now has been challenging. To say that it was a bumpy ride, is like saying the Grand Canyon is a big pothole. Yet, the sun rises, every day. Each day is a gift and I take a moment each morning and evening to be grateful to still be here. I am currently living by the grace of God and the kindness of friends. I have lost almost everything as far as material possessions. I must start completely over. Yet this is exactly where I belong and where I need to be. The sun is rising. Opportunity is there and waiting and I am ready. My mind is open to the new direction before me.

So, if you too are struggling and feeling overwhelmed. Pray for insight and guidance. Be prepared for the answers you receive may not be what you expected or even considered, but that is how God and the universe works. You cannot always choose what happens to you, but you can control your attitude and your response. Life offers opportunities and lessons, don’t miss them by letting your attitude and busy life get in the way.

The sun will rise again. The darkness will lift and your path will once again become clear. Hang on. Just hang on and pay attention.

Cherry Coley (c)

Oh December! You are Almost Here!

November 29, 2017 / www.spilledcookies.com / 1 Comment

100_5469 This year started on a stressful note and has decided to try to end that way as well. This has been a very challenging time for a lot of people. 2017 has been a year of losing friends and loved one’s. Yet, there is no path, no time so dark that light cannot break through.

I have thought a lot about mindset and what it means to me. We have a choice on how we look at things and how we respond. Never forget you have this choice, it is yours alone. Me? I am a spiritual being on a physical journey. Knowing that helps me get through the tough times. Everything in this life is temporary, both good and bad. Knowing that keeps things tolerable and enjoyable. Keep your head up through the tough times and realize that no matter what difficulty you are facing, it’s temporary. Take time for the good things. More importantly, take time to notice the good.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the struggle we forget to appreciate the sunrise or sunset. We forget to notice that gentle breeze, or the color of the leaves this time of year. Oh to absorb even a part of the excitement a dog feels when he see’s you walking toward him again. Whether it’s been 5 minutes or 5 days, that dog doesn’t care. They are ready to run around, wag their tail, bark, and show you how excited they are that you are there with them.

Take a moment to breathe. Take a moment to be thankful. You are still here. You still have a purpose and as long as you don’t quit, there is still time, still hope. December is going to be a good month.

Cherry Coley (c)

The Draw of Netflix

February 7, 2017February 7, 2017 / www.spilledcookies.com / 2 Comments

I confess over the last year I discovered Netflix. You know that feeling when you settle down to watch “a little” television then realize several hours have passed. It’s addicting and I hear it call to me at times.

As a single mom struggling to stretch funds as far as possible, our little family went years without cable. So signing up for Netflix has led to the discovery of many series that I had not ever watched, but had heard others talking about at work. It also led to going back and watching childhood favorites and getting to watch the entire series of some shows where I had missed many episodes. At first this seemed great! We could finally catch up and know what others know and understand references to shows that we now had seen as well.

However, (you knew that was coming) Netflix, while wonderful when you have a cold or just need a break, is also very addicting. Why? I’ve watched some series more than once and then wondered why I was sitting and watching something I’d already seen. Why am I spending my valuable time watching other people? The answer is that Netflix fills a hunger, a void. It can be entertaining when there is nothing you want to watch on regular cable or television. It can be funny, horrifying, mind boggling, informative, or sad depending on what you choose. In essence, Netflix is like a visual book. What? Yep, I said that right, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, all those streaming services are like a visual book.

Why are we so drawn to watch series on Netflix? Is it because we are spoiled and want to watch the entire thing without the break from week to week like we get on television? Partially, but mostly I think the essence of binge watching is caused by the need to feed your mind an ongoing story. We get more attached to the stories when we watch them in succession. The characters pull us in closer, we crave more until we reach the end and then, there is that same feeling as when you put down a good book, a good story, and it’s ended. We are a little sad that our time with the characters is done. Sometimes a little upset because it didn’t end the way we thought it would. It’s the same. What do you do if you want more? You either pick another book – or series, or you go back to revisit or reread so you can be in that world a little longer. This is why Netflix and Hulu, etc. are so popular. So why not choose to read instead? The imagination is so much more adept and better equipped to create that fantastic world the writer has in store for us than pictures and actors on the screen. We say we don’t have time to read. That’s not true. There’s always time to read. Reading is portable. Oh, I know, with smart phones, tablets, watches and gizmo’s the shows we watch are also more and more portable every day.

So, it’s up to you. You don’t have to choose one or the other, but it would be beneficial to switch things up at times. Remind yourself of how much fun reading is. How nice it is to let your mind be linked to another creative mind through the magic of pages for awhile. You can read outside and decide to put the book down and take a walk. Something that doesn’t really occur to you when you’re inside binge watching. You choose. Aren’t we all connected and stuck with taking in someone else’s interpretation of what they perceived something to be enough? Take some time to do things to exercise your imagination. Get lost in a good book and let your mind wander and explore.

Cherry Coley (c)

In Defense of Journaling

March 6, 2012March 5, 2012 / www.spilledcookies.com / 4 Comments

I love journaling.

Journaling is a great way to work out problems, get a better look at things, track progress, relieve stress and remember events.

A journal is a wonderful thing to give your child later in life. Not just a scrapbook, but a journal of things you experienced with them, events in their lives, struggles you went through, it’s a wonderful gift of love.

I personally keep different journals for different purposes. I have one that I use generally for just daily rambling thoughts, problems and occurrences. I have a journal where I write to my mom. I was very close to my mom and the urge to share things with her and dad is still very strong. It’s not something that will ever go away, so I created a journal specifically to share those type of things, it doesn’t serve any other purpose, but it does seem to help a bit with the grieving and some part of me feels like I am still sharing with her.

I love to read travel journals. Those people who travel and share pictures, thoughts, experiences are terrific! I have done this on occasion and intend to again in the near future.

I also like the parenting or mommy type journals too! The mommy and daddy experiences can be entertaining, laughable, informational, and priceless all at the same time.

I love the grandmother and grandfather type journals as well. Those are often deeply thought out, full of resources, clichés and insight that only comes with a life full of experience.

Journals for stress management, weight loss, career and personal development are all effective ways of getting things down so you can chart progress, mindset, and emotions and see patterns that might be holding you back. Journaling is a great way to see what works and what doesn’t.

If you aren’t a journal person or have never tried it, then I urge you to try. People do journals in all kinds of different ways including: photography, sketching, painting, graffiti, writing, and computer illustration or photo shop. It doesn’t really matter how creative you are or aren’t, it’s your life, it’s also your decision on if you want to share your experiences or just create something for yourself to look back on.

Here are a few links to other articles on journaling that you might find interesting:

www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/07/journaling/

www.journalforyou.com

http://www.createwritenow.com/journaling-tips/

http://teengirlsthatwrite.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/trying-to-move-on-when-it-gets-tough/

Don’t be intimidated, just have some fun. A journal is a record of your personal journey and where you are right now, and it can be as personal or public and for whatever purpose you choose.

Cherry Coley ©

Journals and Creativity

February 27, 2012March 5, 2012 / www.spilledcookies.com / 2 Comments

Photo by Free Books

I used to want a diary so bad when I was growing up, the kind with a little lock and a key. My mom finally bought me one, but it proved to be a mistake. She would sneak in and read it when she felt like it and then would start asking me questions about the stuff I had written. It really bothered me as well as hurt me. A journal or diary is a personal thing, a place to put down things that you want to remember. I stopped keeping a diary and destroyed the one I had.

Over the years I have on occasion, usually at challenging times in my life, kept journals. Then about two and a half years ago I began journaling daily. These journals are not diary’s though occasionally they may seem that way, they are instead a written down thought process. I write down problems, events, dreams, wishes, drawings of things that pop into my head, and other stuff that I am working on in my personal growth areas.

I have come to respect and love journaling as it gives me an outlet, a place to brain dump and work through things before going out and trying to present whatever it is to the world. There is another notebook I keep for “page writing.” We writers and artists can get blocked at times. Creativity just seems to go out the window and when you sit down to write, the blank page just stares back at you almost menacingly.

In order to combat creativity block the easiest thing to do is get up, first thing in the morning and handwrite 3-5 notebook sized pages. You just write anything and everything that pops into your head no matter what it is, just dump it out on the page. Don’t worry about grammar, or complete sentences, and especially if someone should ever read it. It’s also important that you never go back and read it either. Those pages are simply to clear the cobwebs out of your head and free you to be creative again and they really work. Sometimes you have to do this daily, sometimes it only takes one or two days for the creative thoughts to start flowing again, but either way, it’s a great exercise and will unblock the blocked every single time. The best thing to do with the pages when you’re done is destroy them. When you write anything and everything in your head often what comes out is griping, complaining, worrying, about other people you love and are close too. You don’t want to leave something like that where it would ever be found, so best to destroy it. Plus, you don’t need to reread it at any time, because it’s a method of bleeding the poison that was blocking you out of your system. So just get rid of it and get busy doing your creative thing again. You will be so glad you did!