inspiration

Rest

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Feeling a little under the weather this week, so I’m laying on my couch, watching Touched By An Angel reruns, giving my body the rest it needs. Just being reminded of the necessity of rest today.

Do You Haiku?

/ LaShona Sellers
Haiku Anchor Chart (Pinterest)

A dear sister-friend informed me that February is National Haiku Month. She knows a thing or two about haiku as she is the author of  A Christian’s Book of Haiku.

So in the last days of the month, I say better late than never to share the love. And since poetry has been my expression of choice lately, I’ve decided to try my hand…

Clear a cluttered desk
Free a busy calendar
Rest a weary mind

(I used this handy site to check my syllable count.)

Happy Haikuing!

Just Dance

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
Freedom Dance by Laurie Cooper

I love to dance. My reserved nature often takes a back seat to a hype beat and open dance floor. Music and movement speak to me. It’s how I worship God, it’s rejuvenation, it is  inspiration. Find what inspires you today and write on, friends.

Oh, how she danced
Head back, Eyes closed
Twirling & swaying
Bowing & waving
Lost in the rhythm
Carried by a melody
Oh, how she danced
Exercising joy
To exorcise pain
Dancing until she was consumed
With freedom-LAS

Sweet Silence

/ LaShona Sellers / 4 Comments

Inspired by a moment my family silently sat together, in a room, each of us doing our own thing…


We sit in silence. Not in the silence of tension. But in the silence of contentment. Content in our own little worlds, in the imaginings of our minds and the creativity of our hands. Our worlds in orbit basking in the warmth of connected hearts. We sit in silence.

My Apologies

/ LaShona Sellers

“We apologize.” I was a moody preteen, testing boundaries…and my parents had just apologized to me. I remember feeling as if the the earth had shifted. I remember thinking “what kind of trickery is this? Is this a joke?” But it wasnt. They recognized that in their commitment to love and care for me they didn’t always get it right. They were correcting course and letting me know my feelings were valid. *Mind blown* That apology laid the foundation for apologies to come as I matured in acknowledging my own shortcomings and taking responsibility for my actions. That apology also taught me what an apology should be, recognizing non-apologies (“Sorry, not sorry”) and knowing when to walk away.

Let’s be reminded to never underestimate the power of a genuine apology- the power in giving one and the power in recognizing one.

Absolutely Adoring Alliteration

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
http://www.teepublic.com

Depending on my writing mood, some days I’m too wordy and other days I’m not even sure my sentence conveys a complete thought. But no matter my mood, I often journey to the magical, mesmerizing world of alliteration. The challenge to find the perfect combination of words with just the right lyrical flow is endorphin inducing for me. A little weird? A writer thing, perhaps?

Here are a couple of informative takes on the subject: Love it or loathe it? and Reasons to use (which also highlights the amazing Gwendolyn Brooks and her poem We Real Cool)

Here’s to honing the habit of harnessing the power of words (too much?) Happy Writing!

Free

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

I’ve never really been one for resolutions but I have recently been intrigued by the practice of choosing a word for the year. Technically I chose my word (and this necklace from Fashion & Compassion) while attending She Speaks 2019 but I’ve decided to ride with it into the new year.

What does Free mean to me? Free from perfectionism. Free from unrealistic expectations. Free from opinions that don’t matter. Free to say No. Free to try. Free to fail. Free to learn and try again. Free to walk in the fullness of exactly who God created me to be.

And speaking of free, if you’re a writer looking for exposure and opportunity to hone your craft there are a few writing contests with free entry. Check out this list of contests (free and otherwise) from Tethered by Letters.

Here’s to 2020…Write on friends!

It’s a Wrap!

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time…” Eccl. 3:11

And so it has begun…the year in review, recaps and reflections. Looking to the new year with anticipation, resolutions and goals. Tis the season for marketers to bank on our regrets and mirror our motivations. We hope and pray 2020 will usher in a better version of ourselves.

Here’s to grand plans and taking small steps. Here’s to big wins and lessons learned. Here’s to peace and unity, confrontation and truth. Here’s to open doors and closed ones too. Here’s to making the most of every moment and in the words of that Cristy Lane country classic…taking it “One day at a time sweet Jesus!”

Happy New Year friends!