Ashley Grey

Category Archives: nurture

Blogging and business growth

I began blogging to share my thoughts, express stuff I am passionate about as succinctly as possible, and hopefully, inspire readers to be free, happy, and successful. It’s been over a year. Going on two since my first post. I have learned a few things on the journey and I share them with you. So, let’s dive in, shall we? blogging is nurturing The HitsI learned about hits and look out for them. Sometimes, the numbers go up. Other times, not so much and may lead to self-doubt from wanting more traffic. But a growth process is visible. I see growth in the lows and highs and I think this is good, which leads me to the next lesson I learned. Blogging will make one patient. It takes patience and some planning to enjoy the rewards of blogging; in the process, you learn patience. Farmers understand nurturing to fruition and…

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pretty toys in a toy store

See that pretty toy in a store full of toys? It sits pretty and hopeful that it will be selected from the lot. Taken out of the store to a new home, maybe?! Be relevant? Yeah! To give pleasant experiences to a child some day soon. Make a dream come true. That’s how the designer intended things to be. Yes? pretty toys in a store It needs a battery though. Little toys, big toys, not-so-big toys, batteries power them all. “For without me, you can do nothing.” We want to be powered, to remain relevant. Leave footprints on the sands of time. Feel content and rewarded. Note how the battery that powers the toy is often unseen? Yet, without this, the toy just sits, looking pretty but unfulfilled. The battery, the inner voice, the intuition, if you will, though unseen, keeps things running effortlessly. Almost!Isn’t this the ultimate experience? Autopilot…

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Authenticity is tough. Our fears, and need for acceptance, make it difficult to be our real selves sometimes. I wrote a cover letter some time ago. I felt a sample cover letter I found online was a good copy. Not quite. Looking back, I presented myself differently from my true personality. That was neither authentic nor my best self. authenticity is freshness. What does authenticity look like? Often, humans have the innate ability to spot originality and the inauthentic, don’t we? After all, they are as different as night from day.  So, I will say watch for when the goal is not people-pleasing because then uniqueness emerges. Uniqueness isn’t common, is it? Now I am reminded of stronger verbs and sentence structures. I will explain. Mary went to an evening class to find out if she could make her writing better.Mary attended an evening class to discover if she could…

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“Rough winds do shake” is a quote from William Shakespeare’s Sonnets. “…Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:…So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this and this gives life to thee.” “All’s well that ends well.” “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” Can you believe William Shakespeare?! Smoking or what! Okay, I got all excited for a minute there! Let’s get to the post of the day. Shall we? Something struck me about this story of Jesus’ disciples out at sea. They were making headway painfully because the wind was against them. Rough winds do shake things up a bit, right? So, we read that, Jesus did come to sea but was going to pass by them. Not until they cried out, did He get on…

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The kernel that pops and becomes popcorn! Pleasure!! The grains that wouldn’t? Well, they risk the trash. The popping sounds, the leaping, and hopping in response to heat are interesting to see. Also, interesting is the fact that the kernels pop at different times and not all at once. Isn’t that sort of like life? We are ready at different times. Some attain goals quicker than others, don’t they? But no matter as long as we all get there, that’s okay. Right? The Kernel Fact! Popcorn kernel can leap up to 3 feet. The heat does get intense. Yikes! You want to keep the pot covered. To everything there is a season,A time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV Heat and pressure are uncomfortable for us humans and just like the grains, we’d rather hop off to where it is cooler and less stressful, yes? Also, notice how…

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Really this post should be about food, thoughts about food, but it is not. Instead it is about things to chew on and think about.  More a mental nourishment. Okay, maybe I can find a way to chip in something about food at the end. We’ll see! Sarah is one of a kind. Just give her a date and she can tell you what she was wearing, what she ate or did on that day. Genius! Blessed with a photographic memory. These are details we tend to forget because nothing eventful happened to trigger our brains to store and resuscitate such specifics. Have you met anyone like this? Hopefully, people like Sarah should inspire us to make an effort to recall names of people we have met, right? I mean, it’s the least we can do. Oh, the loud silence when we run into them and can’t make introductions! Experts,…

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God has various names in many languages and cultures and it seems like men have since known of a supreme being in creation, not so? To Moses and the children of Israel, He introduced Himself as I AM with signs and mighty acts. Jonah discovered that he could not hide from God, after three days and nights in the belly of a fish in the deep. He is ever present! “To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?” Isaiah 46:5 The Gideon’s Bible. Wise men from the east saw the star. It was a sign to them that a King was born, and no ordinary King this was. So, they followed the star to seek out and worship. If we look, perhaps, we can find His footprints in creation. In landscapes so gorgeous, roaring seas, winds, trees, fields, flowers, wild…

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Walking up a flight of stairs begins with the first unwavering step to get to the desired target at the top. Life does present stairways and elevators to reach our destination and choosing one over the other is a reflection of our desires and how we nurture our goals. Using the escalator is the easier and faster route up, but is it the best option, if one is trying to achieve fitness goals for example? Taking the stairs may be the better choice to nurture the goal of keeping fit. While the speed of the escalator may be pleasurable, it is not necessarily better. A young boy complained to his father about not reaching the heights he had hoped for, despite all his effort, and so wanted to quit playing football. The father encouraged him to keep seeing the goal. Keeping the goal in focus helps us appreciate just how…

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