Author: asmith

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was a series of colors lost in a cascade of clouds. The day is done but the night will be a happy time as we enjoy the twilight and consider the day.

I watched the sun sparkle on the horizon today as I considered a great deal about life. We are as we have been, and in being, we recreate who we are daily. I am not who I was yesterday, and tomorrow I will be a new me, shaped by all around me and all the sparkles of life I experience as I go.

It is here that people need to listen to themselves. We have the ability to shape ourselves as we shape others each day by our interactions with them. Consider well the people around you as they may be shaping your tomorrow self, and consider those who you interact with and how you interact with them, as you may be shaping who they are tomorrow.

So as the sun sets on another day, we can all choose daily to be good, or not so good. To look at the positives or the negatives in life. To carry forward either is part of who we become. I am not saying anything is set in stone, just think about it for a moment. Make good choices for you and be a little more for the world, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love furiously, and live with passion…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was a spectacular mix of colors, and as I thought about past, present, and future, I smiled at the western sky and the twilight that followed.

Today I took a walk on the boardwalk. No, I was not playing monopoly. Instead, I was walking beside the channels at White Lake and Muskegon. As I did so, I saw the cross lake Ferry leave and was awarded with a cruise ship leaving Muskegon as well. It made me smile thinking of the adventure the passengers would soon experience.

Cruises are a special kind of fun and a notable lack of fun. The fun is being able to experience a lot in a short time. The lack of fun is being on someone else’s schedule and unable to enjoy the best things you like along the way. Well, mostly. Sometimes it would be nice just to stop at a beach for a while and enjoy the waves, but hey, you paid for a cruise.

Ultimately, every adventure is terrific if you look at it right. All you have to do is take the time to see the adventure, then reach out and live that adventure. All I can suggest is you take the time to find your adventure, then live it all you can!

So as the sun sets on another day, I watched the ship sail into the western sky and then drove to my own adventure. Sometimes that is all you need; every moment can become more if you let it. Find your way, and make the adventure yours, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and anchors away…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was sublime. (Or if you go by old jokes sublime yet ridiculous). A cool breeze slid across the western sky with the promise of a cool night, and bountiful colors shattering the sky.

You know what, sometimes a gentle breeze is the best solution. Sometimes you just have to relax for a minute, find your center, then take action. This doesn’t work all the time, but it does work when you need it most. Take a deep breath, let go of the feelings of negativity you have, oh, umm, keep breathing though. I wasn’t sure if you were still holding your breath.

When all else fails, find your center and breathe, you will be surprised how the gentle breeze and a good breath will help you forward.

So as the sun sets on another day, enjoy your moments and make the days the best you can. IS it too much? Let the breeze grab you, hold you, and make your day complete. Take a breath and find your center. I believe in you, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and ahhhhh…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was vibrant and stunning as the sun went through the clouds and sprayed colors across the sky. I was amazed at the details of the setting sun and the glowing clouds surrounding it.

As I sat on the beach watching the sunset I heard a voice somewhere next to me. I was on a small dune enjoying the sunset and thinking about a million stupid things and saw no one, so I stood and look around. I got barked at as a woman and her dog were about 30 feet from me.

“It doesn’t get better than this,” she yelled at me again and took a drag on whatever she was smoking or vaping. I yelled that I agreed and sat down again to watch the sunset.

The thoughts rung in my mind, “It doesn’t get better than this”. I considered several times and noted, yes, it does, but who cares, right? I was watching a fantastic sunset on a dune with grass blowing and colors everywhere, but there is better. We can always push for a little more. It is that drive for a little better or a little more that makes us human. Sure, I was enjoying the time and it was good, but later I wrote and laughed, and tried to do more. Perhaps not better, but not settling.

Confusing huh? When it all gets so good maybe we should just say, “Yep, it doesn’t get better” and stop, or maybe just maybe we should keep striving for more each day, or at least getting to the same place. Who knows. All I know is I keep trying to be the best I can be as I can, and enjoying every day with all the power I can muster.

So as the sun sets on another day, maybe it doesn’t get better than this, but I will hem my way around to see what is there, looking for the next mountain, the next sunset, and the next words. If you want to haw around in a good place, great, but look to the skies and know that there might be better out there and you can find it, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and what a sunset…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was a wonderful time as I watched from under a bridge and listened to laughter on the beach as the sun waned. Stunning.

There it is before you. Your life’s dream. A new car, a new job, writing a book, getting married, retiring, it is all there. Those big things in life (Taking over the world Brain?) The task is there and you keep falling back, not seeing it end, never seeing success, feeling like you cannot win or worse feeling despair.

Yuck. Right?

I would like to suggest you break things down into small portions. Not as I discussed just recently about eating an elephant but instead, lets break it down into small potential wins and start winning. Don’t just get the car or the house; save incrementally for it; need a new job, look for a few each day; and every look is a step in the right direction; don’t write a book, write a chapter; want to get married? Talk to someone first, and so it goes. There are steps to get to a big win, but the little wins will feed your positive side every day.

Small wins get bigger.

So as the sun sets on another day, each day is a fantastic opportunity for success. Perhaps not the big success people look at, but some success. Enjoy your successes, and make the day the best day ever, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and take the little wins…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was sublime and equally unique. The sky was dotted with fluffy white goodness, becoming a gigantic projection screen for unreal colors. As the sun waned, I added to the fire and watched the flames dance across my vision.

A few people will stand out from this weekend. It may surprise some that it was not the magnificent magnificent that achieved so much and imparted their wisdom to us all. Of course, they were super, but the others made a more significant impression.

The young girl who, when I asked about her life age, told me she was 22 and had no life to speak of. In another moment, she showed poise and vibrance far greater than many of her elders. The husband of an author who looked at his wife with such adoration that no one else existed but her. The woman who talked to me for a while and her mind opened with quiet power. The discussions were full of light and life, so many saw more than others around them. To quote X-Men

It was a series of simplicities and a mass of minimalistic moments that created a cache of chaotic cascading curiosities. The simple question: “How do we see the world?”

At this point, I will quote X-Men 160 and say I was “suitably impressed” and then laugh at myself for a moment. So many thoughts, so little time.

All the people I spoke to were amazing, of course, and the ones I didn’t talk to, well, they may have been unique, or they may not have been. It is hard to say. I suggest to everyone reading now that a husband or wife should look at their husband or wife with that look that all can see no one else exists; that the quiet woman (or man) who watches may see far more than the others who engage; and that the 22-year-old who says she has no life may have more of a life than most. We need to listen, learn, and pay attention to everyone around us, and as we do, perhaps we can learn a little about ourselves along the way.

So as the sun sets on another day, taking things at face value can be dangerous. Big surprise to some, I am sure. Once again, I found hidden beauty in many. I found so much by looking, listening, and being who I am, larger than life. Listen to others, see past what they say and see who they are, find the beauty inside, and show people how special they are to you all you can, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and thanks for being you…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset bore a canvas of colorful shades of a dozen colors. The night sky was cleared by last nights storms, and the evening sky gave promise to more.

Today was a day of catchup, and I didn’t need mustard either. The day meant working on things I had set aside, or taking a moment to slow down and smell the roses. The purple roses are best right now and assail me with their pleasant fragrance!

Isn’t it nice to be assailed with something you enjoy? Isn’t it amazing to just take the time to enjoy life? I have found over the years that sometimes the best choices are sublime, and the most memorable times are not the grandiose excitements but just the times we can stop, enjoy the moments, and find a path to a little more. Going to San Diego may be exciting, but playing with the baby on the floor may turn out to mean more. A new car may be over the top, but a new puppy or kitty may give more long term enjoyment. I trip to Tahiti, well, thats awesome. Spending a few moments with someone who appreciates you may mean more. So it goes.

So as the sun sets on another day, consider the price of not slowing down sometimes. Consider well how precious life is, and how wonderful you are each day. Then make the decisions best for you, and enjoy your life all you can, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love with all your heart, and enjoy the moments…

The sun sets on another day…

I watched the sunset with amazing clarity of mind as I digested good, bad, and indifferent of the weekend. There was good in the people I was with, indifferent in the people I was with, and bad with being pulled over on the way home. Everything is not always as it seems.

I had to pleasure of attending Once Upon a Book this year. The staff and creator were well versed and made the event far better than expected. I had previously attended expecting book sales from the event and always did ok. This time was similar, I covered costs plus a little and gave away a few things to people because, well, that is part of who I am. The flip side was this was the first time I went to the panel and trainings. My writing is a secondary pleasure and previously I held a relatively high position in a company and put that first almost always. My job has changed and I still do well, but I do not have to push the envelope as much. It allowed me this moment to see other views and opinions.

Many of the concepts and ideas were self evident. I listened to a discussion on internet trolls and thought of an old comedy sketch on the “Chicken Heart that ate New York City”, I laughed wondering who would listen and not engage the trolls, unplug, or better yet fans handle the trolls with their replies. It made me laugh. I was impressed with the approaches to audio books and the stories that many told. I listened with interest to the ideas on approaching ARC groups more effectively, and working with mailing lists and groups. I listened, I learned, and I laughed. I like to laugh.

If I had my copy of the Books of Earthsea, I would probably have hit myself in the head. I enjoy writing and have receiving a great amount of nice letters from people who enjoy my books, and many more who enjoy 29000sunsets (This site is very old if your didn’t know and has been restarted a few times). I turned off comments years ago to not have to deal with the spam and somewhere along the way set aside my push to learn in this area. It is true Jenny Zimmerman gave me a nice push in the right direction potentially without her knowing, but as I have grown it is a slow growth as I focus on many things, well, “multitude” is a better descriptor. There is a lot to consider in life, and I have fun with it all.

Years ago as I designed a computer system that was larger than most people had touched and at first I was intimidated. Then I broke down the anatomy of what I was doing and realized that it was still what I was expert in. All I needed to do was treat it as I always did: a system to be built, placed, and maintained. It was well within the realm of my expertise and the rest was fluff. I set the doubts and fluff aside then I defined my success points and exceeded them all. Now, as I break down the anatomy of what I have heard at OUAB (And many other places), I need to do similar. I will create a solution that will work for me and my writing styles. As before, I will decide how I define success. I do this each day, but now I will be using more fun information.

I know, I know, too long for my posts eh? Let’s get to the point. (Oh, and no, I did not get a ticket, the officer was super nice and conceded that I was likely not going as fast as it read behind him on a country road in the middle of nowhere in a line full of cars. Thought I was going to leave you hanging there huh?)

As you walk up against your challenges break them down. Figure out their anatomy. Then define your success points, set a timeline, create your way, and make it a reality. It doesn’t need to be there for anyone else but you, and you will do it in your time, your way, and find a path to success. I have told many people and I say it again now, break things down to their smallest parts and there will never be an issue. Many will say it another way, you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time. (Why would anyone eat an elephant?)

So as the sun sets on another day, a storm is coming, but with the storm comes power, and fun, and excitement. An electricity will be in the air, and perhaps with some of that limitless power I will have a great night, laugh a little, and write more than this. Break your challenges down, make them small, and then build a world with the pieces. I know you can do it, you know you can as well, so find your way, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and keep learning every day…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was crisp like the first bite of a cold fresh apple. Today’s bright blue sky gave way to hues of red, orange, and sapphire blue as twilight became night, and darkness crossed the sky. It was a good day.

Today I was with authors and readers at an event called Once Upon A Book. If we accept that people make an event, then it follows an event filled with readers and authors becomes and other worldly experience. This day was a journey into amazing minds and spirits that can only be described as stupendous or, hmm, who knows a good word, I think these people do.

I walked into today not sure what to expect. It is interesting dealing with authors and how they approach the world. After hearing amazing authors I listened to more and to everyone I could hear. There were many inspiring people there, and much to consider. For me I have always had fun writing and perhaps it is time to treat it more like a business and push the envelope a little further. I have sold a lot of books, but I have not sold anywhere near as many as a lot of these fantastic authors. (We can read this a lot of ways, but I have fun no matter how you read it)

As the night waned I was laughing and engaging with multiple people at the event and saw past the laughs, the cries, the tears, and the revelry. I saw a piece of hope. Here we were with a diverse group of fantastic people enjoying our diversity and celebrating a fellowship that cannot be explained easily. A group of writers that somehow found a way to do what a world struggles with daily: we found common ground. As we celebrated awards and the tears flowed freely I wondered to myself if these people could make a difference. Many people in life have a hard time seeing the positives and celebrate the negatives or worse, create them. Here was a group of people pushing for hope, and opening the hearts and minds of everyone they touch.

I have questions, as always, but I will walk into tomorrow inspired and amazed by a group of people who love each other. Not in spite of their differences, but because of those differences. Somewhere in this path is the key to finding a better world.

So as the sun sets on another day, consider: If a few wordy people with a passion for writing can find a way to become a family, perhaps you can as well. Perhaps you already are part of a bigger family of friends or more. Hold on to that, be the glue that makes it all real if you can, but find your passion each day and hold on tight, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and go go Megan…