ABOUT me…

You asked for it and so here it is:

My intention in sharing my journal is to share with you…

I write, collage and photograph my world…

I have a passionate love affair with the written word…

I say yes to all things real in life… I choose to live outside the box…

I am not easily swayed from my personal truths and belief-system…

I am a freethinker…

Open mindedness is an absolute for me, it is not subjective.

I hope you find something upon these pages that speaks to you personally…

Thanks for reading!

Angela

 

             

         

 

          

  

                                       

  

Embrace your Face…

My Mother was a true natural beauty; perfectly symmetrical with gorgeous full lips, enticing Big Brown eyes, lush lashes & in her younger years, a rockin body… Blessed was she, no doubt about it!

I on the other hand, never felt so lucky growing up partly because of my heart-shaped crooked mouth and freckles. I can recall feeling anything but beautiful when studying my reflection in the mirror, that is, until I discovered the magic of cosmetics especially lip liner and foundation which hid those freckles (which I now realize are perfectly adorable). Now at 49 I realize these imperfections are what make me interesting looking and authentic.

I’m not quite sure my Mother felt the same way due to the fact anytime she’d see me without a full face of makeup she’d make the remark “why didn’t you put on your face today?” I have to admit my heart sank each time I heard this. It took me close to 40 years to conjure up the courage to finally speak up and so the last time she made this remark, I walked into the room and she said “why didn’t you put your face on?” …For which I replied, “Mom, this is my face, and I feel beautiful!”

by Angela C. Ragosa

16 Harsh Truths that Make Us Stronger…

It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more manhood (or womanhood) to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind.

- Alex Karras

MORE QUOTES & INTERESTING PERSPECTIVES

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

-Arthur Ashe (1943-1993); American tennis player, social activist

 

“Compliments are the helium that fills everyone’s balloon; they elevate the person receiving them so he or she can fly over life’s troubles and land safely on the other side.”

-Bernie S. Siegel M.D.; Author

WHO, WHAT AM I?

FREE HUGS CAMPAIGN

Sometimes, a hug is all what we need.
Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whos sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.
In this age of social disconnectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.
As this symbol of human hope spread accross the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.
In the Spirit of the free hugs campaign, PASS THIS TO A FRIEND and HUG A STRANGER! After all, If you can reach just one person

How it all started:
I’d been living in London when my world turned upside down and I’d had to come home. By the time my plane landed back in Sydney, all I had left was a carry on bag full of clothes and a world of troubles. No one to welcome me back, no place to call home. I was a tourist in my hometown.

A Compact Guide to Creating the Fitness Habit…

Post written by Leo Babauta.

A new year, a new slate of resolutions.

Perhaps the biggest resolution at New Year’s is to get fit — start exercising, start eating right, and all that jazz.

But resolutions never last. As you might already know, I’m not a fan of resolutions.

Instead of creating a list of resolutions this year, create a new habit.

Habits last, and they lead to long-term fitness (and more). They require more patience, but they are worth the wait.

Quotes: Interesting Perspectives…

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

― Mother Teresa

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.”

― Henry James

Writing is a concentrated form of thinking…a young writer sees that with words he can place himself more clearly into the world. Words on a page, that’s all it takes to help him separate himself from the forces around him, streets and people and pressures and feelings. He learns to think about these things, to ride his own sentences into new perceptions.”

Don Delillo

We’re all part mother by julie henderson

I was driving and thinking about angels and androgyny… about the Soul’s genderlessness… about my lack of interest in upholding polarized, contrived, socialized divisions long enough to protest their restrictions…

it’s all just fiction anyway…

… And anyway

We’re all part mother.

Julie Henderson

the Holstee manifesto

“This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit. If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once; seize them. Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. Live your dream, and wear your passion. Life is short.”

yes…

change…

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

— James Baldwin

What would your perfect day resemble?

What would your perfect day resemble? What would your schedule be like, what would you eat? Would you get dressed and go out for the day to your perfect favorite place, or would you stay in your P.J.s snuggling up in the comfort of your cozy bed? What music would you listen to… or would you have perfect silence all around you or would you be with family & friends or deliciously alone for the day? What would you look like? Would you be just as you are today or would you opt to be 10lb.s thinner or 10lb.s heavier? Would you be in love with someone or happily loving yourself & on your own? Would your home be full of family’s thoughts, feelings & voices or filled solely with thoughts of your own? Would you dance by the light of the moon or enjoy the evening with a favorite read?

TITUDE…

Warning: prolonged use of positive thinking may create a permanent positive attitude.

my willing, spilling words…

I am…

thread

bare-

ly-

breath-

ing…

I am…

a

marching

woman

warrior

with

many

whys…

weeping

as

the

numbness

is

seeping

deeper.

life…

“To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad. It seems almost paradoxical, yet when your inner dependency on form is gone, the general conditions of your life, the outer forms, tend to improve greatly. Things, people, or conditions that you thought you needed for your happiness now come to you with no struggle or effort on your part, and you are free to enjoy and appreciate them – while they last. All those things, of course, will still pass away, cycles will come and go, but with dependency gone there is no fear of loss anymore. Life flows with ease.”

― Eckhart Tolle

Movie Quote…

Sometimes the brightest light comes from the darkest of places.

-from the movie Puncture

How to Handle the Narcissists in Your Life

Photo: Thinkstock

By Martha Beck: O, The Oprah Magazine

Esteem is a warm, accepting quality, and directing it toward oneself is a fine thing. However, not all aspects of human behavior merit this cozy welcome. Positive-thinking guides rarely draw the distinction between healthy self-acceptance and the malignant narcissism characteristic of tyrants who dominate relationships and households, if not entire nations. Think of someone in your life who seems to have an abundance of self-satisfaction. Now think about the way you feel after an interaction with this person. If you feel warm, nourished, and valued, you’ve probably encountered someone with healthy self-esteem. But if the conversation leaves you feeling ashamed, confused, self-doubting, or invisible, break out the red flags. It’s highly likely you’re dealing with a narcissist. Asian philosophy might call narcissism the “near enemy” of real self-esteem; something that looks like the genuine article but has opposite results. Learning to spot narcissists and deal with their destructive behavior can save you the world of hurt that awaits anyone who mistakes the near enemy for a friend.

I Am and I Am Not

by Rumi

I’m drenched
in the flood
which has yet to come

I’m tied up
in the prison
which has yet to exist

Not having played
the game of chess
I’m already the checkmate

HUMMINGBIRD

by Julie Henderson

Lately I’ve been laying low you know avoiding the places lots of people go because before I even arrive I already know what you’re all thinking collectively and when I get up real nice and close I listen to your thoughts individually and it’s not because I asked and most of the time it’s not because I care It’s that my own transparency is thinner than the air we’re all swimming in and it floats in the water earth wind and fire until I’m ready to retire but your thoughts are also busy getting thinner and just when I approach you your shame makes you dimmer

QUOTE…

A man who can laugh, if only at himself, is never really miserable.
-H. L. Mencken

We Wear the Mask

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,–
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.
Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.
We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

 Paul Laurence Dunbar

How To (Finally!) Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

If you’ve failed to keep your resolutions, Martha Beck has a way for you to succeed this year: by joining forces with the people you least resemble (and, often, most want to throttle).

By Martha Beck

Last year four of my friends—Marlene, Ellie, Karla, and Chip—all resolved to get in shape and lose weight. Now, these people had never met, so the odds of their making exactly the same resolution were…actually quite predictable, since pretty much everybody puts fitness on their New Year’s resolutions list. There are rumors of humans who’ve never resolved to eat less and move more, but until scientists discover concrete evidence (hair, fibers, DNA-smeared doughnut boxes), we must assume they exist only in hallucinations of ordinary people who’ve been weakened by months and months of dieting.
At any rate, by last February all my friends had fallen off the resolution wagon and were munching their way to larger clothing sizes and a profound sense of failure. Something similar may happen to you this year, whatever your resolutions.If it does, don’t blame your weak will; blame isolation. Research shows that humans tend to do difficult things much better in teams and groups than on their own. I suggest that this year you seek a specific type of goal-oriented companionship I call the Fellowship of the Resolution.

 The Virtue of Motley Crews
If you loved J.R.R. Tolkien’s TheLord of the Rings (or hated it but absorbed the plot because of peer pressure), you’ll recall that the Fellowship of the Ring was a team consisting of hobbits, humans, a dwarf, a wizard, and an elf. Although these species usually avoided one another, their disparities turned out to be essential for saving Middle Earth. The Fellowship met monsters only a hobbit could trick, caves only a dwarf could spelunk, spells only an elf could counter, and orcs whose strength could be overcome only by Viggo Mortensen’s flexing of his facial muscles, paralyzing the beasts with acute awareness of their inferior looks.
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, you, too, need a Fellowship. But it’s not enough to enlist your longtime BFFs—the buddies you’ve known forever, who think and act just like you. As Tolkien’s story suggests, the key to success is teaming up with people who are emphatically not on your wavelength. This is especially true in behavioral patterns called conative styles.

At The Door

Stalk the Clock

Shake off the Shock

Highs and Lows

And So it Goes…

Sleepless Black

The papers Stack

Words that Spill

While she Heals

Break, she May…

Vows to Stay

In the Game

Without the Shame.

ABOUT

My intention in sharing my journal is to share with you…

I write, collage and photograph my world…

I have a passionate love affair with the written word…

I say yes to all things real in life… I choose to live outside the box…

I am not easily swayed from my personal truths and belief-system…

I am a freethinker…

Open mindedness is an absolute for me, it is not subjective.

I hope you find something upon these pages that speaks to you personally…

Thanks for reading!

 

Writing

“Writing is a concentrated form of thinking…a young writer sees that with words he can place himself more clearly into the world. Words on a page, that’s all it takes to help him separate himself from the forces around him, streets and people and pressures and feelings. He learns to think about these things, to ride his own sentences into new perceptions.”
-Don DeLillo

10 Thoughts on Optimism

Happiness

Happiness doesn’t just happen; it emerges.

Mistakes

Let yourself make small mistakes. Happiness is not found in perfection.

Method

Treat happiness as a method, not an end in itself.

Joy

Misery may be contagious — but so is joy.

Pleasure

Take pleasure in others’ happiness, as it will augment your own.

Bravery

Optimism isn’t just a shift in perspective. It’s an act of bravery.

Believe

Don’t believe what you hear. Life is good.

Connection

Keep revisiting your connection to spirit. Let it evolve as you grow.

Openness

Respond to life with openness and curiosity.

Action

Don’t wait for your mood to change; take action despite it.

10 Thoughts on Whole Living

Thriving

1.  Just as a seed contains all it needs to sprout, so are you already equipped to thrive.

Growth

2.  You can’t grow without pushing your limits.

Lessons

3.  See your mistakes not as personal flaws, but as the source of your most valuable life lessons.

Empowerment

4.  Think of money as energy; use it to empower, not control, your life.

Resilience

5.  Every moment of suffering brings an opportunity to build resilience

Rewards

6.  With each challenge comes new growth. Engage in rewarding efforts.

Focus

7.  Missteps are part of any process. Stay focused on where you’re headed.

Direction

8.  Find your direction in life by looking where you want to go, not where you don’t.

Worth

9.  Know your worth — and accept nothing less.

Dreams

10. Make this the day you stop dreaming and start doing.

Merry Christmas To You All!!!

The Rut, & the Way Out from the Zen Habits Blog

 

Post written by Leo Babauta.

You’re in a rut, and you can’t get unstuck.

Motivation is a resource that seems harder and harder to come by these days. You’re mired in malaise, you’re unexcited after a slump or a break, you’re in a dull 9-to-5 routine.

Any of these sound familiar?

If so, you’re not alone. I’ve been in these kinds of ruts, often, and sometimes for embarrassingly extended periods. While it doesn’t happen much these days, as I’m excited about everything I do, I’m no stranger to the rut. I was stuck in one for a couple years once, until I felt the rut wasn’t something I was in, but was me.

What is the way out? How do you start along this way if you don’t have motivation to start with?
I’ve found that the best way out of a rut is with the smallest step possible. But that step can result in more than you realize.

What if that smallest step is to announce a major challenge? In my recent past I’ve announced 30 days of yoga, writing a novel in 30 days, and some grueling physical challenges. In years past I’ve announced that I’m going to run a marathon, do a triathlon, start a blog, give up my car, give up meat, and so on.

Here’s the thing: the first step wasn’t to take on a major challenge. It was simply announcing it. And announcing something is really really easy. Doing it is much harder, but once you’ve announced it, you have some momentum, and you’re committed to a direction. Making the announcement only takes the moving of your lips and some hot air, or the typing of your fingers while your email program is open, and let’s face it, you do those things even when you’re in a rut.

A Christmas Photo For You!

Christmas Quote

“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
― Maya Angelou

Barbie turns 50…

Thank goodness Barbie doesn’t have a strict Mom, otherwise she would be in a lot of trouble. Mattel has unveiled its newest version of the 50-year old doll, which features permanent tattoos on the neck, chest and arm. This has caused some controversy… But really, don’t most Barbies have messy, sharpie-drawn tattoos within the first few weeks anyways?

Walking Wounded

 

“The real voyage of discovery consists

not in seeking new landscapes

but in having new eyes.”

by

Marcel Proust

 

I consider myself to be among the walking wounded (as I believe… we all are)… and if we as a people have never felt the infinite void caused by losing a loved one… perhaps a Sister, Brother, Mother or Father or quite possibly, your Mother and your Father within a span of six months as I recently did…or you’ve not yet felt the sting of personal failure, the humility while asking for financial assistance, or needing a handout of food and/or possibly food stamps in order to feed your belly that’s been empty with an ache which seems like an eternity… or had to ask for help feeding yourself because you’re too sick to lift the fork. We all get a turn if we’re blessed to live long enough and that’s a fact… I

I’m Walking the Walk

 

I’m Walking the Walk

Photograph by Angela Soelzer Ragosa aka OnMyMindWriter

Today is Day #3 of my new life!
So far this week I’ve been able to log 12 ½ miles of my goal, which is 30 miles each week. Somewhere along the way I stopped putting me on the front burner in my life so… Welcome Back to Me! I feel so happy…proud & most importantly peaceful! It is truly amazing what a good workout can do for your psyche… I asked myself today “why did you ever stop doing something that makes you feel so great?” I’ve yet to answer that question probably because there is no sane or logical answer to it. All I know is…today has been an awesome day and I hope I’m blessed with another day tomorrow.
I hope you too, have an awesome day!

Angela

Watch Me Dance Like No One Is Watching

I’ve found a home in you.

I awoke this morning with you on my mind…

memories of how we met and how someday we’ll part… how I knew you were born for me right from the start. our girls, the miraculous shared, the mundane, the madness, the sadness, our love for one another, the friendship we share… our joy, our sorrow, the tomorrows we’ll share…your hands, your feet, your skin, the way you danced in the rain for me, the memory of you washing my hair, the beach we share, our long walks there, your support when I’ve been ill and loved me still… the way you’ve loved our girls without reservation, your willingness always to do more without hesitation… our intimate moments, the worst of times, and everything in between… our I do’s, our I love you’s… your kindness, your touch, your acceptance, your love, your eyes, your legs your voice, your strength, your compassion, your childhood memories… our walks, our talks, our silence, the places we’ve been, the places we’ve yet to see …because of this and so much more… I’ve found a home in you.

Angela Soelzer Ragosa

Keeping A Secret

RISE

Today I choose to rise…

 

“We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again.”

Nathanael Greene quotes

key to self expression

 

My key to self

 

expression…

 

Truth