Welcome to this month's edition of Adventurous Life!
In this issue:
I welcome your thoughts, feedback & suggestions for stories.
Please don't hesitate to contact me or swing by www.judywolf.com to see what's new.
Pass this newsletter along to a friend!
Who Supports You? Weaving Your Own Net
I've had a challenging month. I sprained my ankle, my car broke down to the tune of having to replace it, an onlay covering one of my molars crumbled, my partner and I weren't getting along very well for a couple of weeks, and I got too many rejection letters in a single morning -- including two essays I really liked! Ouch.
When life feels like it's falling apart, it's sometimes hard to know where to start the repair work -- much less remembering to pay attention to one's personal dreams.
Two years ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a group of five women who wanted to get together every couple of weeks to support each other in reaching our personal goals. We call it our "Encouragement Club."
Whether we're reporting a success, brainstorming our way through a road block, supporting each other's "crazy" dreams, or simply witnessing one another's journeys, this is the group that keeps me on track and in balance -- not only with pursuing my "goals," but in listening to my heart.
These groups are sometimes called "Success Teams," and an internet search will show you hundreds of listings selling you the "secret" to forming one, but you can start one from scratch without too much effort -- and zero financial outlay. I've even outlined a few hints and guidelines to get you started.
Regardless of whether your goals are related to your career, education, spiritual life, small business, or a personal project -- or all of these! -- making commitments and reporting your progress to a group of smart, supportive people can do wonders for getting you from here to there.
This month, follow my guidelines to form your own "Encouragement Club" -- and then drop me a line with a list of the top five things you want to accomplish this year!
For struggling writers and lovers of literature everywhere, online journals are a wonderful thing. Without the costs of printing and mailing quarterly tomes, editors of e-journals can afford to bring literary work to a larger audience without spending their time and energy scraping together grant funds. Of course, they still make no money, so it's unquestionably a labor of love!
While it takes loads of time and dedication to sort through the volumes of submissions received by these sites, the editors can make quality fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction available to readers across the globe -- and often do so with more regularity than traditional print journals. Which is good news for writers searching for markets. I've included a few of my own favorites below for your reading pleasure:
-
Steel Point Quarterly (look for Judy's poetry)
-
The Rose & Thorn (look for Judy's essay on ice climbing)
- Absinthe Literary Review
Easy Ways to Save the Environment
Wondering what you can do to help save the environment? Luckily for those of us with limited time, a coalition of 21 of the nation's most influential environmental advocacy organizations -- including groups like the National Audubon Society, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and the World Wildlife Fund -- has banded together to create the Save our Environment Action Center. This site brings urgent environmental actions together in a single location, so you can speak out on topics that matter to you.
And don't forget to check out the Earthday Network site, where you can learn about their Water for Life campaign, measure your ecological footprint, and find out how you can plant a tree that will add to the over 20 million that have already taken root through this popular movement. Their action center gathers together an inspiring list of ideas, actions, and resources in a variety of earth-related areas.
"Rare is the person who can weigh the faults of others without putting
a thumb on the scales."
- Byron J. Langenfeld
Top 5 Ideas to Inspire You This Month
- Inhale as many new scents as you can find -- climb high, crouch low, explore your environment
- Organize your block to help a neighbor with a project
- Go through your closets, attic, basement, and give away anything you haven't used in the past two years
- Find your nearest wetlands, borrow a friend's binoculars, and go birdwatching for a day, from dawn until dusk, simply observing the wildlife
- Volunteer at your local zoo
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
- Mark Twain
10
Things to Do Before I Die
This
month's 10 Things
were contributed by Christina S. in Sydney, Australia
- Travel round the world
- Trek the great mountains of the world
- Learn to speak a third language really well
- Volunteer
- Do something that I think I will never manage: like learn to fly
- Learn to cook really well
- Do something crazy like walk halfway round the world
- Accept who I am, and rejoice!
- Love other people as they are
- Laugh more
What 10 things do you want to do before you die? What are 7 great reasons to get up in the morning? What 5 thoughtful things can you do to make someone's day?
About the author:
Judy Wolf is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor. She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
Learn more at www.judywolf.com.
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Copyright © 2003 Judy Wolf
