06 April 2009

note to self: dream big


thank you for the big response to the spring 09 edition of mini diaries. am so glad i made extras, they'll be in stock for awhile. i enjoyed reading your comments from last week's giveaway. inspiration abounds. before i announce the big winner, i just have to say a heartfelt thank you.

after delivering my load to the post office today, i felt so lucky. i get to make and sell stuff. i get to play on the computer and design things and bind pretty li'l notebooks in my spare time. it may seem small to some, but i am a big believer in keeping a diary. i love that so many of you are too. thank you for your orders. thank you for your readership. thank you for your feedback. thank you for feeding my soul with nice comments and emails.

for some time now i've thought it would be neat to have a stationery shop or write li'l books or paint massive murals or do something, anything, with the words dear diary. now i realize that dream has come about. in a small yet big-to-me way. without me forcing it or really realizing it. which makes me happy. this is exactly why i am a big believer in letting your ideas simmer until they become a part of you. let your ideas breathe. let them loose. even if you're not ready to tell anyone your big bad bold ideas. let them brew in your mind. my method is to let my ideas sit and bubble inside my mind. they mingle there and cultivate and play baseball. the good ideas seem to stick. they are home runs waiting to happen. the lame ideas float away, usually with the morning sun. all my great ideas come after dark or in the shower. it's strange but true. these ideas roam around my head. sometimes they are lazy and just sit. and stew. other times they scurry the streets like busy new yorkers.

i am a big believer in dreaming big. and when i really want something, dreaming big is all about the repetition. like when i say i hope to write a book someday. that phrase is another mental post-it note saying marta, you're not getting any younger. when the time is right, you write that book. you write it and write it and re-write it until the monkeys come home. i urge you to start saying your dreams aloud. admit them. no matter how silly you think they may be. do not be afraid of your dreams. dream big or go home. for me, the more i say it, write it, think it, let it sit and stew, the closer it becomes a real plan and not just a faint hope that gets lost in the paperwork. it's there. it's in my mind. and if it roams in my mind long enough it usually works it's way into my heart. and then it's destined to happen.

i named my blog the dear diary stories because i hoped i would write somewhat of a diary of the details of my life in this blog. which thus makes up the story of me. the story i write. you see, these daily posts we weave tell the world who we are. as oscar wilde said, your days are your sonnets. the 24 hour period is a powerful one. so many subtle choices we make in one day. they all add up to what makes us who we are. it's fascinating to me. i often stop and the thought comes, is what i'm doing right now even worthwhile? does it matter in the long haul? is this the best i can do? am i being the best me i can be? sometimes i answer yes, more often, it's no, i can do way better. it takes serious discipline (for me anyway) to be my best self, to seek the best things, to take time for the things that really matter. sometimes i think i am better at bringing the best out of others than bringing it out of myself. must work on that.

nothing is worth more than this day. - goethe

in summary: dream big. live your days as your sonnets.

phew. now back to the giveaway. thanks to everyone for your comments and congrats to the winners, mj / katy / kimberly. a mini diary is coming your way.

writing prompts | week 06.
seize the day. that means today.

01. what accomplishments are you proud of? write about the times you put your best self into action.

02. make a list of your dreams. big ones and small ones. describe them in detail. line them up in the dugout, let them play ball.

03. your days are your sonnets. but are they really? are you living your dream or your nightmare? write down your daily routine. now write down your dream daily routine. how many items match up? are you being truly present in your daily life? are you simply going through the motions? list ways to create a more meaningful existence.

club business. i smiled when stumbling upon anne's diary of words and sketches. it inspires me to be more free when i write. now onto writing a club cheer.

14 comments:

Chelsea said...

These diaries really are so lovely! It is a wonderful feeling to create something and share it with people. I am happy you get to share with us.

Gracie said...

Your mini diaries are sweet! I can't wait to get mine. I'm glad they are in stock again =)
And thank you for the inspirational post! It makes me want to dream bigger and let my ideas come flowing out more.
I adore your writing prompts and I plan to use them to get me to journal more.

Travelin'Oma said...

As the song says "You've got to have a dream, If you don't have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?"

Think of all the things we just sit around and talk about doing. Nothing happens. And then we see our very idea selling in a store! "I thought of that!" we sputter. But the other person did it.

Your magic, Min, and what you encourage the rest of us to do, is dream big, focus on how to turn it into reality, and then actually get up and DO IT! That's how you make dreams come true. You're the evidence that this system works!

Tiffany said...

You have no idea how I needed this today. Thank you. I've got to go and let my dreams run around in the yard now; they are restless.

No Big Dill said...

HOORAY!! Thank you {in advance} for all the memories I will be saving in your sweet mini diary.

D. said...

I have so much homework and this writing prompt is tempting me!!

Emily said...

What beautiful writing in this post. Your blog has inspired me to be better, thank you for that. Yay for dream stew!

jularun7 said...

hey marta! so glad you found my blog. truth of the matter was i've been following yours for awhile, but wasn't sure if you'd remember me. :) i'll be checking in here too. your blog is fantastic.

Anonymous said...

"Your days are your sonnets." I flippin' love that. Thanks so much for the reminder. And those books are gorgeous. :)

Anne. said...

thanks for the shoutout! i squealed when i saw it and it just about made my day. the mini diaries are adorable, by the way. :]

Hot Diggity Daws said...

I loved this part of your post:

i often stop and the thought comes, is what i'm doing right now even worthwhile? is this the best i can do? am i being the best me i can be? sometimes i answer yes, more often, it's no, i can do way better.

I always think I could do so much better, also if I look too closely I think I SHOULD do better in EVERYTHING, which is daunting!

Love the idea of allowing the ideas to bubble in the brain!

Love the Audrey says section! You are so crafty and talented. Without knowing you personally it is immediately clear you are bright, gifted and have found amazing ways of sharing these talents! Thank You!

Anonymous said...

Do we have to officially join the Writing Group, or can we just take your prompts and run with them?

I've also always wanted to own my own stationary store. Paper is amazing, I get so excited buying different kinds...whether I have plans for them or not! I always imagined a little shop full of journals, stacks of paper, unique stationary. Maybe a couple of bins of candy by the teller. Hard wood floors, worn in and dark.

I'm going to be doing a blog post about your writing ideas here (: It's going to be fun!

Kimberly said...

Woohoo!!! (I'm totally doing my happy dance right now!)

Tickled pink to win your adorable little mini diary!! Can't wait to get it and a big fat THANK YOU!! :)

Christine said...

I'm loving this super-inspiring post... I've re-read three times already!

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