Photo Expressions

Smile Quote

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

Mother Teresa

Make sure you smile at someone today!

Everybody Can Be Great Quote- Win $25 scrapbooking

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. ”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.
(1929-1968); Minister, Civil Rights Activist

This post is so true.  You don't have to be super smart, wealthy, gorgeous, talented, super connected, have tons of spare time, or anything else to "serve". It also doesn't need to be a huge act to make a difference.  Often it is the little acts of kindness that have the greatest impact on another human being.  Think about how great this world would be, if everyone took a little time in their week to help someone else.

I challenge you this week, to do a little act of kindness, to "serve" someone else. I'd love for you to post it here.

• It could be helping a mom through a door with her stroller and packages,
• it could be helping an elderly person get some groceries into their apartment,
• it could be letting someone in front of you while you are driving,
  
• it could be asking a new mom if you could take care of the baby for an hour or two so she could sleep or run some errands,
  
• it could be visiting with a neighbour who doesn't have much company,
  
• it could be a smile to someone who looks like they are having a very bad day,
• it could be buying a homeless person some lunch,
  
• it could be being friendly to the harried cashier at the grocery store,
• it could be paying for the coffee of the person in lineup before or after you at Tim Hortons,
• it could be taking someone shopping who isn't able to get around on their own,
• it could be buying a few back to school supplies for a family that is struggling to make ends meet,
• it could be baking cookies for the construction workers tearing up your street

...the list goes on and on.

Do something this week out of love for someone else, post it here, and next Tues, we will pick a random winner from the posts to win a $25 scrapbooking package. 

Let's make someone a little bit happier this week!

Michele

Pass It on Billboards

This was passed on to me.  They are the coolest billboards and inspiring stories. Here are a few of them, go to values.com to see the rest.  Just think how the world could be if everyone lived like the people on these billboards...

   

   

Life Secrets - Persevere Movie

This was sent to me by a friend, and is so true. Here is a little inspiration as you start your summer. 

Life Secrets - Persevere Movie.

Life Handbook for 2010

 A friend passed this on to me and I thought it was great.  A lot of this is how I try to live my life, though I do need to work on some (especially getting 7 hours sleep!) lol. Michele

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water.
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5.       Make time to pray.
6.       Play more games
7.       Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
10.     Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12.    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24.    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25.    Call your family often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6.
29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33.    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34.    GOD heals everything.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change.. 
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37.    The best is yet to come..
38.    When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40.    Please Forward this to everyone you care about, I just did.   

 

Happy Quote

"The time to be happy is now. The way to be happy is to make others so."  

Robert Ingersoll

If You Never Failed You Never Lived

I got this from a friend today...a great reminder that what most people call "failure" is often an opportunity to learn and grow.  Don't be afraid of failure, and don't worry what "other people" may think; live your life to the fullest and go for it!

Michele

"Act" quote

"The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react." 

- George Bernard Shaw

Be You

Do not be awestruck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.

- Norman Vincent Peale

Version of You Quote

"Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else."

~ Judy Garland.

So true, too often people try to be like the latest "celeb" or "it" personality. Be comfortable with who you are and use all of your gifts to your fullest ability. You are who you are for a very specific reason.

 

Smile Quote

A smile happens in a flash, but its memory can last a lifetime.
-unknown

I try to smile at people whenever I can. It is amazing how quickly their demeanor can change.  Try it, you'll be surprised at how good it makes you feel.

Michele

Your Life quote

"The principle of life is that life responds by corresponding; your life becomes the thing you have decided it shall be."

~ Raymond Charles Barker

What do you want your life to be?

Be Yourself...

This came in one of my business newsletters about a new book that is out by Mike Robbins.  I thought the title was a great quote for your day

Be Yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

Love it!

Michele

Take action

"You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action."
 --- Tony Robins ---

I thought this was an appropriate quote for what we have been talking about lately - Getting It Done.
We all know that we are supposed to print our pictures because it is the best form of storage and then we actually get to enjoy them.  We all know we need to make the time to preserve and do something with these memories. We all know that it doesn't matter what our scrapbook layout looks like, it just matters that we did it.

Knowing and action though are two different things. "Knowing" doesn't get it done. Action does.

So vow to take some action this week.  Log on to Foto Depot this week and upload some of your favourite photos. (Find some great tips on how to use Foto Depot by clicking on the Foto Depot section under the Categories section on the right side of the blog or ask us for a demo at the store - it really is very easy). Then order some prints. (Bonus is your pictures are also backed up for you for FREE!)
Take out your daytimer right now, and schedule in 2 sessions this week:

One 15min session (notice I'm being generous, because you should be doing this in 5 min, but I'll give you some leeway this week) to make a "page kit" for a set of the photos you are going to print. Include 3 sheets of a background colour, 1-3 patterned papers, and 1-3 co-ordinating cardstock colours.  Add in a few embellishments (remember less is more) and place it all in a page planner or large ziploc baggie type thing.

One 60-90 min session (soon you will have this down to a 30 min session) where you will take the page kit you created, your basic supplies and a sketch, and sit down to scrapbook your layout. Include journaling.

End result, instead of "knowing" you need to do something, you will have some photos backed up safely on Foto Depot, you will have some photos you can actually look at and enjoy, and you will have a completed layout!  Bonus - you will feel so good you will want to do it again and again!!

Let me know how this goes for you. Take it seriously and take action!

Trust Us With Your Memories,

Michele

"Difficult" quote

"All things are difficult before they are easy."

 -- John Norley

This is so true.  Too often we give up when we are learning something new because it is "difficult" or sometimes don't even start because it looks hard.  Until you try and learn, how can it ever get easier?

As the saying goes, "you only eat an elephant one bite at a time."  So take that task or project you have been putting off, and just start.