Category:

I Woke Up Today

9/3/2013

Sequoia High Sierra Camp - Waking up to beauty!

I woke up today.
Today is my birthday.
Today is another day with no mistakes...yet.
Today's mistakes will certainly lead to tomorrow's wisdom.
I hope I wake up tomorrow to apply one, and learn from the other...again.

Today, I appreciate breathing.
Breathing leads to laughing, and I absolutely LOVE laughing!
The laughter of my kids is the best.
When they make me laugh with an inside joke, I can't believe how lucky I was to wake up.

The sunshine, fog, heat, rain and snow are all welcome when I wake up.
I woke up to sun, then walked the dogs today.
I woke up, and was thankful for the amazing man who has been waking up by my side for 30 years.
Flaws and all, I'm glad he puts up with mine too.
I'm glad I know the difference between annoying flaws and downright dangerous ones, and hope the same for you!

I woke up today, and finished my 50th year of waking up.
Here's to year 51...may I wake up to greet every day of it.

Thanks for sharing the days with me, and here's to waking up tomorrow.
See you then.

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

11 Comments

Five Tips for Living the Mom Solopreneur Dream

8/22/2013

3 Comments

Ask any new mom who consciously made the choice to stay home and raise her own kids if she is 'living the dream,' and I guarantee her answer will be, "ABSOLUTELY.....except when I'm not."

Once the bills settle in from the change in lifestyle required for a one income household in the 21st century, this dream mom job might shift, and cause her to become a solo-entrepreneur to make ends meet.

I've been living that dream (that has sometimes felt like a nightmare when I've had only three hours sleep) for the past 10 years, and I have some tips for success I outline in my Yahoo! Voices article:

Prioritize throughout your day, and use the kids' needs to your advantage.

Let your goals evolve alongside your kids.

Organization is key...except when it's not.

Read on for a new definition of yourself.....

Are you a solopreneur mom? If so, or if you want to be, please share your ideas below!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

3 Comments

What Do You Do with Your Freedom?

7/3/2013

1 Comment

In no other time in history, and in no other country but the United States have women enjoyed the same freedom as men. Only 39 years ago, women were finally given the right to secure credit in their own names without the signature or approval of their husbands. Couple that with our ability in 1920 to finally be counted as true citizens of this country who enjoy the right and responsibility of the vote, and we are poised to rule the world

Oh, wait...we already rule the world by creating and nurturing the next generation! :-)

Well, here is my article for Yahoo! describing what I choose to do with my freedom.

What about you?

What do you do with yours?

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

1 Comment

My Pixel Pal - Caleb Pirtle III

4/10/2013

6 Comments

Whatever you do, don't call him a "Writer!"
He is a thief, and a damn good one.
He is the only thief I know (all the others have not revealed themselves to me as thieves, or at least I haven't tied them to anything missing yet).
He steals the stories of lives, and tells them amazingly well.
He is a Storyteller, and I would love for you to meet him.

Caleb Pirtle III

The picture to the left is quite misleading, because it looks as if this guy is retired, his only job now might be rocking on the porch or fishing. Actually, he is one of the most prolific, engaging writers of blogs and books in my Tribe.

Caleb researches, writes and publishes blog posts daily - sometimes two or three a day - and somehow finds time to also write and publish fiction. I love his writing style, and never stop reading one of his posts once I start, no matter the length. In a time when lack of time is the driving force, his posts are a relaxation and a discovery all at once. He always hooks me...always, and I stay to the end and often comment, because he also touches some emotion that makes me want to share. How could you stop reading a post entitled The Secret of a Long Marriage with the line.... “It’s simple,” he said. “Me and my wife don’t play volleyball.”

Caleb's style is direct, and he hooks his readers with amazingly engaging sentences like, "He knew where the dirt lay and owned the shovel to dig it up" or, "Henrietta Lacks died in anonymity. Her cells were going viral......The men and women in the white coats became famous. The men and women in the gray flannel suits became rich" or, "Life is a cruel and terrible author. But life doesn’t write the final chapter."

I could go on and on, but that would rob you of the discoveries that await.

All of my favorite posts have an "aha" moment - Caleb is very good at creating these, and needs very few words to catch me.

So, I invite you to sit back and read some stories. Start here, and just click on a title that sounds interesting. Before you know it, you will be looking at the clock and cursing. It's not his fault you missed that appointment, because you were so engrossed in an amazing tale. I know, I once forgot to pick up my youngest from school for that very same reason.....oops, did I just type that?!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

6 Comments

Hold On 10 Years

2/19/2013

3 Comments

The business I started after breaking both my legs at 8 months pregnant will turn 10 next month. Many waves have crashed my bow, but the resulting rainbows have made the storms worth the energy!
Join me for an amazing celebration with giveaways worthy of any birthday party. Keep an eye on the horizon, and hang on for the ride! The rainbow is forming...

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

3 Comments

Yes

12/27/2012

10 Comments

I have learned quite a few things this year, and have learned to actually live many more that I already knew. Here goes...

Say "Yes" and allow your children to be children as often as possible, unless what they want will harm them or someone else. Sometimes saying "No" becomes a habit we need to break.
Children and adults are moved by and respond to compassionate reasoning over yelling every time, and can see in your eyes if your faking.
Those who don't respond right away, probably expect and are more familiar with the yelling, so they need the compassion even more.
Show those you love that they are loved whenever the opportunity arises, not because that might be your last chance to do so, but because you actually love them.
People actually get the opposite of what they want when they don't make their own educated decisions, and instead, follow blindly whatever group will lead them.
Those older than you almost always have a wisdom worth listening to if you just close your mouth and open your heart.
"Normal" people are just not eccentric enough to imagine and create the advancements the world has enjoyed. Thank goodness enough of those "eccentric" people have not been drugged normal yet so we can continue advancing as a civilization.
It's almost always NOT about you.
When it is about you, say and show you are sorry.
The focus of your daily attention is your current reality and the foundation of your future.
That future becomes your new reality much faster than you expect.
The focus of your daily attention is also your child's current reality, and becomes the foundation for the future reality of your grandchildren.
Making a child smile brings more light and warmth to life than anything else.
It is our choices, not our talents that show who we truly are. (Okay, I stole that one from Dumbledore, but it bears repeating daily!)
Having someone in your life who has been present throughout most of your history, and still likes you is an amazing gift.
Tomorrow is another day with no mistakes in it. (Okay, I stole that one from Miss Stacy, but I still have to go to sleep repeating it.)

I would greatly appreciate any other wisdom you can share as we say good bye to one year, and my learning continues in another.

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

10 Comments

Depth and Beauty

9/16/2012

6 Comments

Yes, Crater Lake in Oregon holds the Guinness World Record title for the deepest Lake in the U.S., and the clearest lake in the world! I took this picture in July, 2012 while on a trip to Crater Lake National Park with my family. Wizard Island beckoned to us, and we took the boat tour around the lake in the early morning light. We were dropped off on the island with 12 other people, hiked to the top amidst the trees, rocks and Bald Eagles, and breathed in the freshest, most beautifully deep perspective. Almost as beautifully deep as you.

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

6 Comments

Mindful Me

8/20/2012

6 Comments

Life-changing milestones just around the corner are making me more mindful of the time I have in front of me. The hourglass is running out, and if I live to 100, I'm half way there. Yes, I'm in my 50th year on this planet...if I lived on any others, I don't remember.

I also have a child just starting high school. Talk about a milestone...letting go. I feel very strongly the lyrical meaning of "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" by Sting. I am preparing to set him free, and it's scary and exciting all at the same time...just like when gave birth to him.

I now understand I must be more mindful of my actions, not just in parenting, but in everything I do.

I am one of those types who can get sucked into the black hole of links imbedded in everything I read online, so my day could easily pass by me faster than a toddler escaping his mother. Consequently, online is the one area I must fight to stay mindful every minute. To this end, I have started putting every little thing I need to accomplish each day on my calendar, and I adhere to my "social media posting/reading" time slot more strictly than any other. Because there are several wonderful writers whose posts I visit and comment often, I will need to make time to seek out, and read new writers weekly in order to expand my mental horizons with new information and opinions. I now know why posts and books are getting shorter and shorter - supply is following demand. I also use HootSuite to schedule regular postings to both Facebook and Twitter, and keep them scheduled at least 5 days in advance.

My mindfulness is also being applied to my writing. I have always been a "project" person - I get ideas, and if I don't write them down or record them on my iPhone while driving, they are lost forever...or until I happen to experience the same impetus to think of them again. This more than anything else has allowed me to get more writing done in a shorter amount of time! Since I am sort of a procrastinator...okay a lot of...even though I love to write, it is much easier to read. I can use a deadline as an excuses to lollygag all day, and power through my work at the last minute. With my new mindfulness that life is running out, I only allow myself this laziness occasionally, rather than weekly.

Back to my 14 year old...I only have 1460 days until he goes to college. Actually, I only have 12,030 HOURS of my son's time over the next four years until I let him loose on the world to make his own mark. (Yes, I'm also showing my OCD in having calculated this number four years in advance, considering extra time for weekends and holidays and only 6 hours during the school days, but if I'm confessing my procrastination, I might as well go all the way.) This number really made me sit up and say, "What?!" like I did when I heard Bill say what he did with Monica was not considered sex. I must have heard that wrong, I'm sorry, calculated that wrong...I don't understand...How could I only have mere hours left for my son to wake up every day to a breakfast I make, and go to sleep every night to my "L'amo"...? What about my youngest? He's turning 11 next month, and middle school goes by in a blink!

Hence, my mindfulness in everything I do. I won't overreact to this realization that I'm like Wile E. Coyote chasing after my Road Runner of a life. I won't wait outside the bathroom door while my oldest is inside taking a shower just to say, "I Love You" when he comes out - he told me that was creepy. I won't write for hours on end because I have so much to say, and so little time - my weak bladder muscles won't allow that.

I will simply be mindful of my thoughts and actions, and exercise my power of choice. I don't have time or energy to waste on petty thoughts, conversations and deeds. Life and love are too beautiful to cast a shadow on the world through my heedless actions.

How do you keep yourself mindful of all you want to accomplish and enjoy each day?

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

6 Comments

My Pixel Pals

7/9/2012

5 Comments

Bert likes to run at night.

He has shared his observations of people and places collected over a lifetime of his body and soul exercise with me, and I savor every post. My pixel sense of Bert is that he is a straight shooter, and he quietly, but firmly tells it like it is...except, he yells in this post.

Bert's blogging and writing wisdom, collected over a lifetime of growing into his Vietnam experiences quiets me at times, and resonates - the machine gun fire becoming the staccato of my cello. Even though my consciousness didn't start until his was about 20, I hear, understand and share the journey of all who participate, rather than simply observe this life, including Bert.

I dare you to read any of his stories that relate running to writing and not nod your head and smile with understanding whether you are a runner or a writer or neither. Bert was one of the first friends I made over pixels when I started blogging seriously. I don't remember exactly how I met Bert, but I do remember that I instantly trusted him and his words. (Wait...now I remember...I commented on a few of his blogposts, and he returned the favor, then invited me to join his Tribe!)

He's got a couple of books coming out soon that you might want to check out, and his blogs here, here and here are not to be missed! He is an amazing Triberr contributor and here is his Twitter handle.

I am so amazed with the people I have met over my few years writing that I had to share. Many more profiles to come, and Jo, my friend, you are next!

Thanks for reading!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

5 Comments

Blossoming

6/2/2012

3 Comments

Things are Blossoming like this Chinese Dogwood!

I just love it when life takes me away from writing, and gives me more experiences from which to draw inspiration!

Thank you for continuing to visit, and I'm sorry I haven't been my usual verbose self of late. I'll be back at it very soon...life got in the way. That happens quite frequently when both kids graduate to the next level school, and the teenager just got his first phone - an iPhone 4S - and the pre-teen just got a new bike. These new freedoms make for great learning (and teaching) experiences, don'tchaknow!

Lots of life happening for my next book...stay tuned parents. If anyone of you have pre-teens getting ready for Middle School, you'll want to keep an eye out here for more details. Believe me...you'll need it if this is your first to go to The Fun House!

Hugs!

Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom

@SayBumpandTweet
MommyLoves to Chat!
Everything MommyLoves
Say Bump and Take a Left

3 Comments

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I Woke Up Today

Five Tips for Living the Mom Solopreneur Dream

What Do You Do with Your Freedom?

My Pixel Pal - Caleb Pirtle III

Hold On 10 Years

Yes

Depth and Beauty

Mindful Me

My Pixel Pals

Blossoming

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