The Receiving Project

Discovered just in time for Free Friday. . . The Receiving Project.



Here's what Jo Anna Rothman writes on her FAQ page:

"FAQ

What is The Receiving Project?

The Receiving Project is a free 32 e-course designed to assist you in opening up to receiving all the gifts that are available for you.

What’s so important about receiving?

So many of people are great at giving, but not so hot at receiving. And so many are looking to experience greater abundance, prosperity, wealth, health, love.  When we learn to receive with grace and ease, we are truly able to experience all we want in life!"

There is also a picture of Jo Anna.  Her glasses reminded me of Gru's mother in Despicable Me.

My mind works in mysterious ways.  Any way. . . back to Free Friday. . .


The Receiving Project might seem a little "new agey"  but something free and positive shouldn't be passed up without a second look.

Image Details

Free Elegance

And now, for something completely different. . .

This morning I stumbled across a beautiful blog created by Lexi, a graphic designer.
She has some wonderful and elegant free printables on her blog:  Love, Obsess, Inspire. 
These were created by Amy from Three Kisses Studio

Enjoy your Friday!  Make it elegant!

Pretty Picture Friday

This photo was taken by Peihang and found on Flickr  It's a photo of a painting.  Beauty is often free.

Friday Run Wild, Run Free

Image Credit

On this particular Friday, I'm taking a much needed mental holiday.  I found the perfect article to share on a blog called Metta Drum.    Now, free from the pressure of having to write a word, I'm going to let my mind run wild and free for a little bit.  It needs some fresh air.  Freely, I wander over the landscape between my ears.

Free Planner

I love Planners!  Crystal Wilkerson has put together a great one.  Go to her site to get the free down load.

http://www.crystalwilkerson.com/2011/02/2011-planner.html

Thoughts on Free Friday

"Love is something you can't buy."  It's a line is this song by Andrew Whitman.



Today, I've stumbled on a lot of quotes about living one's own life, about being creative, about marching to one's own drummer, of being true to the beat.  I'm tired of the life I've been living.  It seems too hard, too uninspired, too limited.  Then I stumbled upon a controversy.  Apparently, Andrew Whitman is accused of plagiarizing this song by Bright Eyes.



So, it seems even one singing an anthem about going one's own way is either adapting an earlier composition and making it more marketable or simply came up with the same melody without ever hearing the earlier song.  Bright eyes says, "If you love something give it away." 
Maybe, Whitman took him too literally.

Bright Eyes came out with his song in 2005.  Musical infringement case?  Probably.  To see more read:
http://blogs.redeyechicago.com/off-the-markley/2011/05/16/andrew-whitman-rips-off-conor-oberst/

So even in the world of artistic creation, freedom is not absolute.    Freedom isn't freedom if it hurts another.

There are moments when I long for freedom. . . absolute freedom.  But, I do not exist in a vacuum.  My actions, my choices impact others.  Freedom must be just.  It must be moral.  It must be fair.  I suspect that too many of us have forgotten that.  Come on,  Everybody.  Let's play fair.  Let's play nice.  You'll be glad you did.  I know I will.  If not today, then some day not too long from now.

The Fruit of the Tree of Life

This photo can be found on Mt. Hood Fruit.

We bought a box of apples from Kiyokawa Family Orchards several years ago.  They were the best apples!

 

Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.

—
Louise Erdrich
from: The Painted Drum 

Yesterday, Amanda over at Kind Over Matter posted this quote from Louise Erdrich.  I love it and am posting it here to share it with you.  It's Friday and I have a lot of apples to taste.

Under the Waterfall

Free Friday

For a cool, free and refreshing wallpaper for your computer go to: Bing Images.  You'll find this photo there.


Sitting in a cool peaceful library, the sound of the air conditioning reminds me of a waterfall.  It forms a refreshing white noise.  I feel cool and calm.  On this free summer Friday, find something cool and refreshing and dive in.

Kind Over Matter

Free Friday

Kind Over Matter is one of the blogs I follow.  I need uplifting things in my life.  A recent entry began with this quote:

The way to express our gratitude for life is by being truly alive, not hiding from life in a corner, or watching life pass us by. The biggest fear we have is not the fear of dying, but the fear to be alive, to be ourselves, to say what we feel, to ask for what we want, to say yes when we want to say yes, and no when we want to say no. To express what is in our hearts is to be truly alive. If we pretend to be what we are not, how can we be truly alive?

—
Don Miguel Ruiz 

The guest post that follows this quote is equally inspiring and fits perfectly with the theme of Free Friday.  The author, Julia Fehrenbacher writes about the idea of good and shoulds that can stand in the way of self-espression.    Here is one of my favorite paragraphs:

"How liberating would it be if we could just let go of this trying to be good? If, despite the perceived obstacles in our way, we just did it anyway? If the only indication of whether or not something was good was how it makes us feel? Instead of asking, is it good? We could ask:

Is it kind? Does it make me feel Alive, excited, invigorated, nurtured, loved, inspired, FREE, like more of my beautiful Self?"

Friday is a great day to be beautiful and free.  Thanks, Julia!

You can read more by Julia and check out her creative side at her blog:  Painted Path.

(This was an Easter sunset as seen from our front yard.  Beautiful sunsets are free!)

Free Friday

One of the best things about our Friday garage sale was the free zone. I know it's bad business to give too much away for free. What is bad business is often good for the soul. Just think what the world would be like if corporations subscribed to this mentality. Ah, but back to our sale. . .

Books have become harder to sell. They are still considered treasures when free. An older rice cooker without a cord was a welcome find to one of our customers. An assorted collection of odd ephemera provided customers a place to hunt for a treasure known only to themselves. Many found it. Watching them provided priceless entertainment.

Seeing the happy faces when they discovered our expansive free zone was worth a great deal. We still made money but it was the free zone that made the day most productive. The best things in life are free.

If Only . . .

 This was posted in the comments beneath this video on YouTube.com:

This great song was written about a Landlord who Continually Gave free Beer to the Poor and Needy In his Village.
He was asked by the Local Police to Stop his Kindness because the Excess beer was causing a Crimewave.
The local People had Unwittingly become Alcoholics and Needed to feed their Need so they Broke Into the Landlords Tavern and Stole his Beer.
On one Occasion desperation Forced the Police to Lock Up the Landlord and he was heard Crying" Why do you Hate me I Gave You Ale"

Fryersmuck 6 months ago 100

 
Just heard this line from a Mumford and Sons song "I gave you all"

"If only I had an enemy bigger than my apathy, I could have won."

On this Free Friday, it rings true.  I've been trapped by all that I have not, all that I am not.  I have failed to see what I am and what I already have.  Since Free Friday's are all about liberation it's time to set myself free.

The only way to survive this crisis is to accept it.   I have been a bird trapped inside, bashing myself against a plate glass window.  The world always just beyond my reach.   Something transparent separates me from my life.  I am this transparent thing.    It's time I dissolve the illusion that prevents me from crossing the barrier.

Last night I had a crazy dream.  I was traveling the country with a group of seven assorted misfits in an old motor home.  One misfit appointed himself the leader.  He christened himself, "Captain.".  We accepted his leadership without question until he became unjust.  The remaining six took control of the motor home.  We opened up all the drapes and windows.  We made a pact that we were in this together and that we would help each other and discuss all decisions before acting.  I drove out of a dusty motel parking lot watching the Captain flail his arms and scream obscenities at  us.  I was afraid of driving this motor home but knew that with practice I would learn how.  I felt sad yet also free.  This freedom was so exhilarating that going back was not an option.

During my waking life, I curse the options that hover around me.  None of them seem desirable.  While there are many things I can't control, I've allowed those same things to control me.  They have clipped my wings.  I have forgotten that I know how to fly.  Friday dawned and freed me this bright summer morning.  I am free.

Free Friday

One of the blogs I follow is called Kind over Matter.  Here's a link to take you there.  Kind over Matter.

The author offers a page of Freebies that are all about sharing the love.

I'm not exactly sure what Free Fridays will be. Friday is one of my favorite days of the week. It usually signals the end of a work week and carries me to the threshold of freedom.