I have been working on myself in more areas than one, all at once. I am learning, growing and changing as a result of the work I am doing. The work I am doing online involves some challenges. I am thinking (more than usual) and I am inspired! I am working to change my life by turning my dreams into a reality.
I first took part in the #brandstorychallenge last week. It is over now, and people actually participate in it more than once. It is that good, and the information is different each time you take it! The basics may be similar each time, as it has a solid foundation, but you are guaranteed to learn something new each time you take this free challenge. My Day 6 Bonus Challenge homework was a design I made in Canva. That program was introduced to me earlier in my blogging journey. Along with Pixabay, where I get some of the most wonderful pictures that are free to use for my blog like the flower pictures shared in this story, are two of the many tips I have learned from asking a million and one questions. Which I do. All the time.
I am proud of completing the first challenge, and this was the “Culture Credo” bonus that I designed:
I am really excited about how that turned out. I LOVE it when my brain works and comes up with the most creative and wonderful ideas. That is why I am here, still blogging. It is something I have a lot of fun with, and something that I really enjoy!
This week started a new challenge. It is all about the audience. It is the #growyourtribechallenge. The same person that taught the first one is teaching this one, too. I have just completed the Day 2 homework. I like the things I am learning. It is making me think, and because I am writing my answers in a journal, and sharing it all every day, privately in the #PaidToBeYouPosse group (where you can find the challenges if you are interested) on Facebook and sharing the summaries publicly to win prizes.
After completing the #BrandStoryChallenge, I was in the draw for a prize, but I did not win. I feel like I won something that will help me move forward, though. I asked a list of questions, and they were almost all answered in the closing video for the challenge last week. I used my talent of rapid fire think and ask questions to my advantage. Jennifer Kem graciously took almost an hour of the 90-minute video to address almost all of my questions. I am certain that other people were maybe too shy to ask, and I certainly didn’t think she would pick more than one or two at most. As she runs a four-month long course that is not free like the challenges I am participating in, I didn’t get EVERY SINGLE QUESTION answered, but that is SMART. It makes me want to start saving up for the next time the course will be offered, to get more training to become a successful entrepreneur. I have already started business ideas before this, so I do consider myself an entrepreneur. Becoming a success story, well that is what I am developing as I progress on this journey. So again, Jennifer, thanks for the answers, I feel like I had a coaching session, and the advice was priceless! If you are interested in her course, check out her website http://www.jenniferkem.com/. She teaches about #masterbrand and #paidtobeyou.
Now, to address the two remaining elements in this Tish-ism. What brought this one to life? I was journaling away at my homework from Day 2. I was on the final question, and it was in my mind. The people in my tribe that read this blog are open to the “Tish-bits” of information that I share here. I was inspired in the middle of answering that question, and I just put up a bracket and wrote it and used some other terms in the answer too. I Tishsplained “Tish-isms”, “Tishsplaining”, and my new term “Tish-bits” right in the body of my answer. If you have been following my blog, then you will know that my brain never stops, and it felt right to me to just stick it all in my answer. I made it all relatable like I do.
The last mysterious element in the latest Tish-ism is what kind of flower that picture at the top of the story was. I will solve the mystery here if you didn’t guess it already.
It was a close-up of a Sunflower, my second favourite flower, after the Wild Cape Breton Rose.
It happened again. I was in the car today, with my husband. We were having a conversation, and I completely lost him. And that is when it happened. I discovered a new Tish-ism. I had to Tishsplain how I connected the things we were discussing to my husband. Unlike mansplaining, Tishsplaining is something only I can do. It is not restricted to men or women, and it is never done in a condescending manner.
I am used to this concept, but it is nice to finally put a name to it. Thanks to all of you mansplainers that planted the seed for this Tish-ism in my head.
So what were we talking about?
“Look. It is summer now, and that cloud is saying piss on you as it is raining on us.” My husband started this whole ball rolling with that sentence.
I mentioned an uncle’s name, and his father’s name, and my uncle’s grandmother also. Well, that completely confused my husband. He asked me the question I have been asked numerous times before, and likely will be asked millions more times in the future.
“How does this relate to the rain?”
The answer was quite simple.
“My uncle’s grandmother was known to point at people and say “Piss on you.” ” Luckily, I never made her point that finger at me. If I remember right, it was about losing at card games or bingo.
Now I have a name for that thing I have to do ALL THE TIME.
Yesterday was busier than I had planned it to be. Also, I was still fighting an almost week long migraine and was still not feeling so good yesterday. So I took a nap in the middle of that busy day, and it ran longer than I had planned. When you fall back to sleep on a Saturday after you woke up and turned off the alarm, obviously the nap was a necessary thing.
In the morning, I attended the #BUTTBLITZ2017. You can read all about it here: Butt Picking in the Rain It was my third year volunteering at this event, and I stayed dry by working at the event table and running the numbers.
Insert lunch and a nap here.
Then I woke up to the phone ringing. I had an invitation to join some friends to play Cards Against Humanity. They have mixed in 4 booster decks and a Kinderperfect deck. Hilarity, Margarita Moments, and the consumption of adult beverages were just what I needed to kick the migraine out of my head. I am glad I decided to join in for a night of fun!
Today, I must scramble to resume the kitchen to its shape of last weekend. When the dishwasher is running, I will also be prep cooking. That is probably going to fill up my Sunday. I need to be ready for the upcoming week, and today is when I have the time, and more importantly, I feel like doing it. Soon after I publish this story, I will be making something to eat and heading into my kitchen. Coffee will be consumed with the meal.
I think it stopped raining! That sentence has an exclamation point because there is a flood watch here this weekend. It happens every year, and they were not expecting it to be too bad this year. It is bad for some areas, there have been evacuations and roads are blocked also. I am staying home today, and my house and street are still OK. If I get a chance, I may go take some pictures of the flooded areas, but that will be another day and another story.
When I press the publish button, this becomes my 50th blog on this website. I give myself a gold star! I had no idea back in November when I decided that I wanted to get my lyrics out for exposure to a possible collaboration, that I would be writing this today. I didn’t even know I wanted to start a blog. But here I am.
What have I learned so far? I still love creative writing. Whether it is about serious topics, made up things called Tish-isms, Zumba classes, or me vs the weekend, I am really enjoying this blogging thing. I like sharing my thoughts here, and since I am Always Thinking…they will continue to accumulate. I hope I never need a shovel for them because the snow in New Brunswick has that covered.
While I am not a fan of numbers, I have started following the stats for this project. I am somewhat speechless at times when I am reviewing the results. It is growing, slow but steady, in the right direction. The likes and comments I have been getting are very encouraging, also. This has been a positive experience.
I have written a poem, as one entry. The lyrics page has 20 songs on it, two of which I have written this month. They do not count as separate blog posts, they are not in the 50 count on the blog itself, but they are here also. Since a few of the 50 are shared from another blog source, they balance that out a bit. I can’t write this without remembering I wrote my first guest blog that was shared on another person’s website. I never even dreamed that I would write from my heart, and that other people would read it, like what I wrote, and tell me they want to read more. How great is that?
In the blogging world, I am finding my way. If you are reading this, thank you for doing so. If you are following my blog, I am following yours too. If you have seen the tweets and facebook page, you are getting a little more of me through those different locations. I have one story on Medium, and that is just for fun. I hope to write more like that, and I will likely share between this blog and my medium account as I expand it.
I hope to keep growing the blog as I prepare to write my books. I am definitely having a lot of fun, and this is good. As long as it continues to be fun, I will keep writing. I am certain that I will have slow times of dealing with life in the real world or the dreaded writer’s block. It is a challenge I will have to face when that time comes. Until then, I will keep up the positive stories, and expanding my horizons.
Today’s Tish-ism was inspired by bad drivers. I have now used this salute 3 times, therefore I am calling it a thing.
I work in a mall. One of the street exits for this mall opens out from the parking lot with a 3-way stop sign. The rules are, cars proceed after completing a stop in the order the cars stop in. So if I stop first, I go next. If all 3 stop signs have cars that have stopped at exactly the same time, they figure it out themselves.
Today was the third time someone jumped the line and took their turn before it was legally their turn to go. It is this very action that has started my Three Finger Salute. If you meet me at a 3-way stop sign, and I have stopped before you, and you go before you are supposed to, you will see a very pissed off driver, following you through her windshield and driver’s side window, with my 3 fingers being pointed at you.
So today, I used this gesture. To the guy driving that red pick-up truck, You broke the rules of the road today. The other person you cut off was also displaying an angry face when I drove by him. There is no excuse for not waiting your turn. I almost ran into your truck because it was LEGALLY my turn to proceed.
We are all familiar with flipping the bird, or giving someone the freeway salute, as it is also known. This is where my title came from. I encourage you all to express your road rage in this manner, when appropriate. Like I said, now it is a thing. At the very least it might confuse the offender, maybe even enough to figure out what just happened. More people learning how to drive properly has to start somewhere. This is where I am taking my stand.
Please note: Learn how to properly use your blinking signals. I DO know when and how to use my beeping horn. Learn how to drive properly, and I won’t have to.
