Awesome Stories 218

/ April 18, 2015

This week Awesome Stories brings you creative photography, heart listening, music, creativity and love.

Creative Photographycreative photos, Awesome Stories

Hendy Mp, a talented nature photographer from Indonesia, has created this delightful collection of photos. At first, I thought it was photoshopped, but she simply had great timing and patience! Mp is a fan of macro photography, using her skills to highlight insects, reptiles and amphibians native to Indonesia. To celebrate the beauty in close-up nature, I created a Pinterest board called micro beauty. Enjoy!

 

Open Hearts

Glennon at Momastry has blown my mind and opened my heart again. Time after time, her gifts for observation, openness, vulnerability and writing pierce my heart. One of her latest posts talks about the most important question she ever heard. In truth, she simply listened and responded with a wide open heart to bless a young boy in need. If we could all learn to listen and love this way, what a beautiful world we would have.

Boost Your Creativity

This article offers 14 surprising ways to boost your creativity. The one that most surprised me was the idea to focus on the problem you want to solve rather than solutions. This seems contrary to common sense. Another one is to work in coffee shops. As an introvert, the environment is too stimulating for me.  Clearly, we must honor our own rhythms and wisdom in choosing ways to boost our creativity. Trial and error is still a great way to learn what works and what doesn’t. Music, play and dance help stimulate new feelings and ideas for me. How about you? What works best for your creativity.

The Gift of Love

In this simple yet profound video, Jean Vanier offers the wisdom gleaned from a life well lived. He shares ideas on how we can integrate our heads and hearts to discover and share our beauty. We must hear and feel that we are loved. I’m still learning to give myself this feeling and trust in being loved, not for what we do, but simply for who we are. May we shine our beauty, helping to light love in every heart.

More Music Benefits

Recently I posted how music can shape our emotions and brain waves by triggering chemicals like dopamine. This article explores 5 more ways music can benefit us. Jill Suttie offers a nice blend of science and personal testimony for how music has helped in her life. The benefits are reducing stress and pain, boosting our immune system, and improving memory and sports performance. Rock N’ Roll to better health! Actually, I prefer classical for better focus and dance music for energy boosts to get things done like housework or exercise. Do you notice music making your life easier, healthier or happier?

 I hope you have an inspired week with creativity, music, love and play! 

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30 thoughts on “Awesome Stories 218”

  1. Awesomeness — yet again! But between Glennon and her eloquently written “is God coming” account and darling, well-spoken Mr. Vanier, my heart overflows (okay, maybe my eyes too – just a little) ;). Thank you Brad!! Sending you wishes for a love-filled weekend… Love, LL

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  3. Wow Brad lots to bring smiles as your awesomeness exceeds yet again.. Love the collection of photos.. And did you know in the reader you had 444 more words to read.. Love it when we get messages in numbers also 🙂
    Have a super Sunday 🙂

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  6. Thanks for sharing another series of what looks like great awesome stories, Brad. I’ll be sure to go check out some of the links you listed in the coming week, as I’m getting ready to head out for the day and can’t right now. The bit you shared about “boosting creativity” makes me want to mention a creativity course I took a couple of years ago called “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity,” it was sooo good Brad, I HIGHLY recommend it! Hope you have a lovely week, my friend. Many blessings…

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  7. Hi Julie, I’m glad you’re headed out to enjoy the day. Reading can wait! Yes, the Artist’s Way is a wonderful guide to creating and living. I’ve been through it a couple of times. Have a great week! 🙂

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  8. I love these posts of yours and have followed your Pinterest board. Also, I have shown off the magnificent of it to my husband. I love how macro photography engages you to pay attention to the details. All the best to you Brad.

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  12. I definitely gravitated towards the story on creativity. I am in the middle of an online writing class geared towards establishing a regular writing habit and boosting creativity so I was curious how the suggestions would mesh with each other. I especially like #8 and #14. Do something mindless always seems to help me clear the slate and approach a problem or situation fresh. And #8, I am definitely going to need to investigate more deeply. I have been coming up with some seriously engaging starts of stories with writing prompts that I have been given – and then I run into the brick wall and find it difficult to take it further towards some ending. I think that if I can write the ending first and work backwards, I can choose to stop or continue whenever it feels right. Thanks again, Brad, for another set of awesome stories 🙂

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  13. Good luck with your writing class Dave. I admire that you are working to hone your craft and a little surprised to hear that you’re running into walls, but I guess we all have blocks at times. Your short stories have been fun. Are you working on longer stories or some other new venue? Thanks for supporting my writing! 🙂

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  16. Yes, that’s good and wise of you to recognize the type of environment that wOuldn’t suit your needs, B. I have grown slowly but increasingly appreciative of the effect of space, color, and energy on our mind and spirit. Life is fascinating!

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