Inspiration

Sometimes you come to a desert in your life. Everything seems dry and desolate, like you've come to the end of all you planned and dreamed for. Sometimes you doubt your abilities to get yourself out of the rut you seem to have fallen into. Times like these can be some of the hardest in your life, because it feels like being trapped in an invisible prison, one that other's can't see, but one as real as if there were actual stone walls and iron bars surrounding your heart. It can seem that there is no way to free yourself. But there is always a way.
I, Olivia Ann Wells, solemnly declare that I will thrust myself out of the rut through sheer determination and hard work. I'm done with being lazy and making excuses. I will succeed and there is no one on this earth that can stop me from achieving greatness as a writer.
Sometimes you just need to drink from the cool waters of inspiration, to quench your thirst in the desert. I've found it before in the pages of an excellent book, or through music or another's passion.
But if you don't have the determination to back it up, those things will get you nowhere. You have to have your own passion, and see your own potential for excellence. Sometimes, it takes an extra special person to lead you to what you had forgotten was there. A person who sees you deeper than you can see yourself, and who loves you all the more because of it. That's what I needed.
So now, I'm freshly determined to reach my dreams. I know that I was not meant to lead a commonplace life. So I'm going to start thinking, breathing, dreaming, working, and loving extraordinary. I am not content to settle for anything less than I know I can be.
I seal this declaration in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Layers

You are a secret, layered like the earth,
hidden beneath fear and the depth of your past.
You have a universe inside of you, your outside layers are silly and strong, tightening around your aura like metal fingers, gripping.
Underneath there is wonder and awe, soaking in the world around you, figuring things out, formulating plans, developing theories, turning wheels, working to produce order out of chaos.
Underneath that, there is a delicious bittersweetness that no one can taste until you decide it is important to begin to clear the layers away.

We all have layers, and we all have something underneath those layers that it takes a special person to discover.

Love,

Leslie

Here's a little something I wrote yesterday. It's about a character in one of my favorite books:

trapped inside a prison of her own making, 

the walls built out of shame and pain and despair,

her fears, thick and cold and real, 

pushing anyone away who might care to come near.

her past, chaining her to her present,

strong metal, heavy and frigid, unshakable

 dragging her away from all brightness and hope,

her eyes, the color of the ocean, 

fierce and free and wild,

her face, cold and beautiful as a stone goddess,

is calm with eyes like windows

 to the pain and turmoil within.

her beautiful heart, locked away from all human touch, 

never to be seen in it's real charm and depth by another creature,

unless they are brave enough to fight past her the iron bars that encircle it. 

Weather Update

I think it's kind of ironic, that now that it's March the weather has all of a sudden decided to be wintery. But I'm glad it has. The rain and snow and gray skies and fog have been filling my soul with fresh gladness. There's something about looking out your window on a gray day with the rain pouring down and making it look like the glass is crying that makes you feel... like you're reading a book that's so beautifully constructed in it's emotional depth that you just want to cry tears of  true appreciation for it's artistic perfection. That's how foggy, rainy days make me feel. Emotionally attached to the outdoors.
 And especially when it snows, with little magical white flakes veiling your perception of everywhere. Like looking through a pair of glasses that makes even the most commonplace things look wonderful. The snow we've gotten hasn't really stuck, but it's been the prettiest coming down. Today our gray gloominess was pierced by bright sunshine for about an hour while the prettiest flurry of snowflakes danced around like drunken fairies. I felt exactly as if I were living in a snow globe.
Thank heaven for gloomy weather, The dramatic part of my soul simply thrills to it.

Words

The English language never ceases to fascinate me. I always hear people complaining about how confusing it is and wondering why there are so many rules it doesn't follow. Don't be overly annoyed at my optimistic outlook, but I like to think of it as a big exciting challenge to conquer and overcome. Once you've mastered it, the language and all it's millions of wonderful words are yours to use any way you want to use them. And believe me, there are so much more words with all kinds of meanings and connotations and sounds than the ones you encounter on a daily basis. Using just the right combination of words to express exactly how you feel is one of the most satisfying feelings and just imagine how much more interesting everything would be if we used better vocabulary in our day to day life!

So, in a quest to expand my own vocabulary, I'm going to start posting new word posts every week or so. Today's word is: avuncular. It means "of or relating to an uncle". So if someone has an avuncular appearance, they look like they could be your uncle. I think it's a rather charming little adjective, don't you? Makes me think of a round, mustached, twinkly eyed little man who likes to read stories to the children. That particular species of uncle is becoming quite rare, unfortunately. But the word avuncular belongs to him and only him:)

Thanks for bearing with me and my optimism. But don't worry I'm not optimistic about everything, don't even get me started on math!

Love,

Clouds

Fluffy, floating in the sky, bringing images to mind of peace and serenity. Like big piles of whipped pearl against a backdrop of purest blue. Those beautiful clear days when everything seems beautiful and wonderful and like you just want to drink it in. And when you lie on the grass and try to make shapes out of those big lovely piles.

Dark, stormy gray, looming on the horizon, blocking out the sun and casting a gloomy and yet exciting shadow over the world. Bringing melancholy and thoughtfulness to your soul and making you want to stay indoors and reflect.

Clouds are always different. They change every moment of every day and bring different looks to the sky which reflects down upon us it's glorious, majestic frame of mind. It makes us think of things and affects our mood strangely.

Life is like those clouds that float above us endlessly. Sometimes everything is fluffy and beautiful and happy and we just love everything and everybody because we realize how blessed we are. And other times it's dark and brooding and thoughtful and on the edge of a stormy outburst. And then there's all the shades in between. Our souls are like reflections of the sky hidden inside us, changing, shifting constantly.

God made the sky above us changeful and different from day to day to give us appreciation for variety and diversity in different types of  beauty. He made the people around us all different for the same reason. Let's all agree to enjoy the beauty and diversity of life the way God intended it to be enjoyed. With faith hope and endurance.

Just some Sunday thoughts:)

Love,

Goals

1. Write amazing things and be an awesome blogger.

2. Sing my heart out, master my voice, touch people with my singing

3. Be an excellent actress

4. Get good at dance and yoga and be physically active.

5. Read everything and learn and soak up knowledge and LOVE IT. i have been blessed with so many learning opportunities, start taking advantage of them.

6. Be loving and kind. Say nice things. Don't be grumpy. Spend time with people I love. Show others that I care.

7. Go on adventures with friends. Have as much fun as possible because this is the time of life to do it!!! Stop being boring and lame!

8. Travel the world!

9. Spend time outside. Meditate and pray and think and write and be deep.

10. Live life with a sparkling, intense passion. Be excited about little things. Love deeply. Speak up, stand up, defend truth and stop hiding in my comfort zone.

Help me live life the way I want to live it. Help me stay motivated and happy and sparkling. I only have one life to live and the last thing I want it to be is boring!!!