Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
Cutting Away Insecurities?
Snip-snip. The metallic scissors expertly work through the frame around my face. I stare at myself in the full-length, over-sized mirror. Perfect time to have my face magnified to maximum exposure. Oh, wow. This light is the least flattering thing that has fallen on my face since a girl’s elbow met my cheek as we were wrestling to get the ball during water-polo. Sunken eyes. Dark circles form hoops under them, becoming the focal points that have taken central stage. Skin with an unhealthy, yellowish tinge. I spy that double chin peeking out from under there (Mate, what are you doing?! Please hide). Since when did my cheeks get so full? I have seriously gained bad weight. Since when did they jut out so much (Not cheekbones, mind you)? And wow, where did my jawline go? Nonexistent. It has melted into the hues of my neck. I look at myself, shifty-eyed. I do not like what I see.
By Yung Lo6 years ago in Motivation
10 Unique Methods to Improve Your Mood
There are many stressful occurrences in life that can negatively impact our mood. Fortunately, there are a variety of methods to go about improving your mood and seeing a change in your life. Here are 10 unique methods to improving your mood.
By Kari Oakley6 years ago in Motivation
How to Get Out of Your Own Way
Getting out of my own way is something I'd like to do more of in my daily life. Sometimes in the midst of chaos, I forget simple things that help me to be a less neurotic, more functional person. So here is a brief list of things that help me when chaos strikes.
By Lisa 6 years ago in Motivation
A Letter to My Younger Self
Dear Little Paula, I want to tell you a few things that might make your life somewhat easier; stuff I wish someone would have told me even if I hadn't listened. These are things I have learned in my almost 62 years of living on this old Earth, stuff that is generally only learned by trial and error. After all, that is what life is—trial and error. So, here are some tips on how to live a good and productive life.
By Paula Walker Baker6 years ago in Motivation
A Life to Live
I'm approaching 40. It's not an age that's particularly enhanced a viewpoint of dread... I'm not having a "midlife crisis," as they say. But, it is an age for which I hold great reverence. It's a midpoint: a place at which you should begin to witness the fruits of your labour, have a direction, and see your goals materialising to fruition. And, therein lies the ultimate evaluation... Can you see yourself living the way you considered you would, back in your early life, or in your mid 20s? If the answer is yes, congratulations. You've certainly fared well by comparison... But if your answer is no, then perhaps a change is required—a tweak, maybe, or a complete overhaul! The latter is perhaps a bit extreme, but given the startling rate at which men in their 40s commit suicide, I wholeheartedly support any method we take to find a way to combat the inevitable stage of questioning our happiness—not solely as men either, but with each and every one of us.
By Paul Newman6 years ago in Motivation
Let Go! Let Grow!
It was March when Oklahoma Sunshine Magic came to us. I lay on my belly on the south side of the north pond here on The Ranch. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when she came. Kanoa had picked the perfect spot for the birth of her second foal. Tahos, the father of this foal, was sired by a Grand Champion American Saddlebred but had been lead-poisoned as a colt. The vet encouraged us to neuter him. He hated the process, and fought it harder than any horse I’d ever seen. We were sure we’d neutered him early enough, so Oklahoma Sunshine Magic was a surprise. She came thirteen months after Tahos was “proud cut.”
By Scout Cloud6 years ago in Motivation
What if We Looked at Life as if It Was an Abstract Painting
"What the hell is this supposed to be?" "My four year old could've drawn this shit." "I don't understand this painting, it's just a bunch of random splatters and splashes of paint on a canvas and blaby blah blah."
By Landon Girod6 years ago in Motivation
Back Roads
I grew up in a family who loved to take the back roads. There are few things I enjoy doing more than driving down the red, dusty country roads of Oklahoma. My friends and I love to kick back, crank up the country music, roll down the windows, and simply cruise the countryside. Oklahoma is laid out in one-mile squares. Most of the back routes are dusty, gravel roads. The baby green colors of springtime and the miles of winter wheat fields nourish the soul. You can imagine the surprise we felt when, one day we stumbled upon literally miles of cattle fence posts topped with cowboy boots.
By Scout Cloud6 years ago in Motivation
