The Beauty Of Breakfast

buttermilk pancakes

and coffee

morning thunder

We all need to eat. And breakfast is the most important part of the day. Why? Because of the long night spent in sleep. Think of your body as a giant furnace. It needs coal to run. And that coal is the food you eat. Without enough food, we cannot perform at our best. We become tired and sluggish and have a hard time concentrating on simple tasks. Simply put, breakfast is vital to your body and health.

But not anything will do. Ideally, you want to eat something healthy. These healthy foods will give your body the needed nutrients until noon, so it's important to have a big and healthy breakfast. By doing this, you will get through most of the morning with relative ease, being able to handle any challenges that come your way.

Do not ignore that morning thunder. Feed your body with a good, big breakfast, and you will survive and thrive in a busy day.

Special Post: Sunshine Blogger Award

I have recently been nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award, so today's post will be about this topic. You may be wondering, what exactly is this award? I will quote from Amy Maier's excellent blog, Positively Weightless. I would encourage you to visit her site as well.



"So, what is the Sunshine Blogger award I am sure you are wondering? The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to bloggers that spread creativity, positivity, and are inspiring in the blogging community. The award is completely driven through the community, nominated through fellow bloggers to recognize their inspiring and positive content."

Here are the rules for the award:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you.
• Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
• Notify your nominees about their nomination.
• List the rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or website.

The following are eleven questions that I was asked to do:



1. Who is your biggest support system when it comes to your writing? You do not need to go into personal details, just mention your relationship, how they support you, etc.

The biggest support system, when it comes to my writing, is to read the great masters of the past. It is always inspiring to dip into their work and discover a technique that you can use to enhance your own writing.

 2. Why did you start your blog?

I started my blog because I wanted to combine the haiku form with a commentary that teaches life lessons. I felt my readers could enjoy poetry while learning something new that could instantly be applicable to their lives.

3. How emotional of a person are you, and how (if at all) does that play into your blog?

I consider myself an emotional person. As a poet, you must be willing to search deep within yourself and express what you feel. It is this search for feeling and its meaning that enables me to write for the readers of my blog.

4. What is a fun random fact readers may not know about you?

Some readers may smile at this, but I'm a big chicken and fish fan. I eat meat, of course, but I usually prefer the lean protein of chicken and fish, rather than the heavier meats.

 5. What is one thing you always do when you are writing?

Whenever I'm writing, I always make sure to have plenty of paper at my side. I like to scribble little notes of whatever pops into my head. You never know when this material can be used for a poem! Also, I'm a firm believer that every writer should have a dictionary and thesaurus at their side. It is the tools of your trade.

 6. How do you go about choosing topics for your posts?

The way I pick topics for my blog is simple: I pick a general topic, (example: positivity) and reduce it to specific examples that can help my readers improve their lives (example: think happy thoughts or smile). I have found this method extremely effective for coming up with new ideas.

 7. What is your favorite animal?

My favorite animal is the owl. I have always admired their wise nature.

8. What is your ultimate guilty pleasure?

My ultimate guilty pleasure is apple pie. It's one of my favorite desserts. It's even better as pie a la mode!

 9. Who or what was your biggest inspiration that lead you to start writing?

I started writing poetry because I found it to be a great way to relieve stress. Instead of holding your feelings inside, where it can eventually hurt you, releasing them on paper can be a satisfying and healthy way for you to vent. And the fun part is you get to create some beautiful poems in the process.

10. What is your favorite holiday?

My favorite holiday is Christmas. It's a beautiful time of year, and it's always nice to end the year on a happy note.

11. If you could write a blog on any topic other than the topic of your current blog, what would it be?

I would love to read and review books. People are always looking for something new to read, and giving them a book review and recommendation can really help them pick something they may like. And it's fun too!


I want to thank Amy Maier for nominating me for this award. It's been such a pleasure, and I look forward to reading the work of my fellow nominees. Until then, happy reading, dear readers! 😀

Sweet As Pie

fresh apple pie

cooling under the sky

honeybee hive

Sugar is a wonderful ingredient. When used properly, it can turn bland dishes into mouth-watering sweet ones. With the right amount of sugar, a dessert can be a wonderful and memorable experience.

But if sugar is used too much, the food will be too sweet; it will be uneatable. Even worse, too much sugar in a diet can lead to diseases like diabetes.

So it is with your life. A little fun can do wonders to an overworked existence. It can divert your mind from weighty tasks and bring lightness to your steps. Much joy and pleasure can happen when you do something you love.

Fun and relaxation are the "sugars" of your life. They add sweetness to a dull world of routine. But if you have too much fun, that can have negative consequences as well. You neglect your career and family to live a life of hedonistic pleasure. Things then fall apart, because you prefer to live in this dream world rather than face the realities of life.

You must learn to use fun as a topping, rather than the main dish. Sprinkle enough to add and enhance your life, but do not ruin the dish by dumping the whole bag of sugar into it. Sweetness is only so good if you can enjoy the taste. Learn to use it well, and you can bring much joy into your life.

The Lantern Of Life

a paper lantern

shines at night

the sound of crickets

Look into the picture. What do you see? If you said a paper lantern, you would be right. But it is so much more than that. Surface appearances can be deceiving. We cannot always trust our senses in seeking the truth of matters. Instead, we must look deep within, to our hearts, our mind, and our intuition. Only then we can come to an understanding of the true nature of things.

A lantern is precious because it holds a light - a light from within - our very essence of who we are as a person. This light is what guides us in life. It is our friend, a companion that will always be with us, even in our darkest hours. As the lantern is precious for holding the light, so is our body for being the container of our own light. It is a gift we must not abuse. For the body must be strong to hold the light, to be a container the way the paper lantern is.

Learn to value the light for what is - your unique personality. Yes, you are unique. No one in the history of the world will be exactly like you. Embrace this idea and make it a part of you. You can in your own way make a difference in this world. And that is what matters. That while the lantern holds, we did something with our life - our light shone strong and true. We lived, and loved, and laughed. We are the lanterns of our lives.

Are You Ready To Rest?

hot days

on the highway

still nights

The day is long, and the work is weary. And yet, our bodies need rest. All too often, we force ourselves past our threshold. We continue even when our body is signaling us to stop. Coffee, chocolate, and other stimulants are used to keep us going. This may be acceptable for short-term gains, but in the long run, we are hurting our minds and bodies. You must know when to stop. A strategic withdrawal is always better than a rout.

But how do you know when to rest? And for how long? In this, your body is your greatest friend. It will signal to you when you need to stop. These are some of the most common symptoms that should put you on alert:

1. Yawning.
2. Eyes can not stay open.
3. Loss of concentration.
4. Fatigue.

When you notice these signs, get some rest. Doctors recommend at least eight hours of sleep a day. This is a good guideline to follow to make sure your body and mind are in peak condition.

Listen to your body and respect it. It will serve you faithfully on the highways of life. Are you ready to rest?

Golden Spring

golden koi

swim in a pond

of clear water

watching them

my mind races

back to spring days

Do you see the koi swimming in the pond? How peaceful they look in the cold clear water! They spend their days eating food thrown by tourists. Life is good for the koi.

We might not be koi, but we can all improve our lives by learning to slow down. Deep reflective thinking is as important to your health as daily exercise. By pondering the things in our lives, we become more aware of them. We learn to become deep critical thinkers that observe the world around us. This benefits us, as we remove the spur of the moment decisions that lead to regrets. A calm clear head is far better than the raging storm of anger.

Learn to use your mind for reflective thinking. Take ten minutes every day to think about your life: your dreams, your past, your hopes, and fears. You can learn so much about yourself as a person by doing reflective thinking. Use this gift that you have and improve your life with it. Make every day a spring day.

The Dark Forest

Through the dark forest, I wander alone.

My feet stumble upon a stony path.

I look around me to find my bearings,

But all I see are shadows from my past.

To live a happy life, we must be able to let go of the shadows in our past. These resentful feelings will gnaw and haunt us and set us up for future failures. They can also lead to health problems. 

Let go of your hate. No matter how bad your life was, the past will always remain the past. There is nothing you can do to change time and go back. So let these thoughts and feelings go and move on with your life. The way to happiness is always forward, never back. 

Do not wander around the dark forest in despair. There is sunlight even among the darkest of trees. Move forward towards it and you will find that the chains of conscience that held you down will be broken. Let go and be free.

The One Hour Plan

reading

a book

my mind walks

In perfecting ourselves, we should strive to maintain a sense of harmony. While the mind is an important asset, we must not forget our bodies. The body and mind are one big chain that defines who we are. We must not neglect one for the other, for they are parts that make up a greater whole. When both mind and body are developed, we experience a sense of harmony within ourselves; we realize our greatest potential.

 The following are two suggestions that can improve your mind and body. Each segment takes approximately thirty minutes. They are designed to improve your abilities in both areas. For just one hour a day, you can bring about positive changes in your life.

The first step is to improve your health. Your body is built for motion; it thrives on constant activity. So you need to exercise it. One of the simplest ways to do this is to take a daily walk for thirty minutes. Walk to work, walk on the treadmill, walk in your room back and forth. It matters not as long as you walk for thirty minutes each day. This may not seem a lot, but it is the doing that is most important. The simple tasks are the ones that we are more likely to stick with.

The second step in your one hour plan is to improve your mind. How do we do this? One of the best ways is by reading. Find a subject that interests you and read about it. I particularly encourage you to study philosophy and poetry. Why you may ask? Because they produce a higher mental strain within you. To understand them, you must put forth the proper mental effort. And it is this effort that will make you a wiser, more reflective person.

If someone were to ask me where to begin in philosophy and poetry, I would recommend the works of Plato and Alexander Pope. They are fine writers, and their writings have influenced people throughout the centuries. This philosopher and poet would make a great introduction to your mental studies.

And there you have it. For only one hour a day, you can make positive changes in your life. Follow this program every day for the rest of your life. You will be amazed by how much you will grow with the years. Like a fine wine, you will transform into a healthier and wiser person.