Welcome to 7 days to inspire. I will be sending a daily message for 7 days. Using the word inspire to motivate and uplift. Today is part 3 of the mini-message series of inspiration. Day 3 is the letter “S” for shoot the gift.
I N S P I R E
Shoot the Gift
If you have the gift of gab, use it. Let your natural talent be heard. Being lyrically inclined does not come easily to everyone. If you can come up with rhymes off the top of your head, show your skills. Write your poems and do not be shy about it. If you are too shy to perform your lyrical gifts in public. Do it at home, in the shower or in the mirror. Demonstrate your gift in verbal, written or both ways. Try practicing by recording your lyricism or post on your social media platform. The more you practice the more you will perfect your craft. There is so much power in words. If you possess the ability to flow with your words, consider yourself lucky. Speaking through your life helps to change lives.
April is the 4th Month of the year. It is also the beginning of the Spring season. April brings showers to nourish the land for the flowers to bloom and the trees to grow. The zodiac signs, Aries and Taurus fall in the month of April too. Let’s see what else April brings.
Good Friday is April 7th this year. Also known as Easter Friday. This is the day that Christian’s commemorate the day Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. On this holy day, some Christian’s will have special prayer services. People will participate in fasting on Good Friday. Other’s may avoid eating meat. It sounds ironic that a day of death is called good. The name Good Friday was, at one time, called God’s Friday.
Easter Sunday is on April 9th. The day Jesus Christ was resurrected is called Easter. This is one of the most celebrated and observed days of the year. The Christian community holds this day as very important. And with good reason. Church service, meals, prayers and moments of silence are just a few ways that people observe Easter. Coloring of eggs and Easter egg hunts are some events that families indulge in with their children for Easter.
April 11th is National Eight Track Tape Day. What is an eight track you ask? Well…it is what we used to play music before days of cassette tapes and CDs. You have to be “seasoned” to know what an eight track is. Ford was the first car company to make factory and dealership-installation available in their automobiles. Eight track tapes were popular during the years spanning from the 60-80s. If you are feeling nostalgic, take today to dust off those old eight tracks (if you can find any of them). Take a stroll down memory lane. The days of the eight track tapes may be long gone but they do hold many fond memories during those eras of music.
April 17- Haiku Poetry Day. Exhibit your writing skills with a Haiku poem. This style of poetry was started in Japan. A Haiku typically consists of 17 syllables and has three lines. The rules of proper format of a Haiku have changed over time. Have fun with it and write your own Haiku.
Tax Day is April 18th.
National Piñata Day– April 18- National Piñata Day has been around since as early as the 13th century. It has been a tradition in the Chinese, European and Mexican cultures. As you can see, non-Hispanic people participate in Piñata Day too. The bright colored candy containers can be filled with small party favors, candy, gifts and whatever your imagination will allow. A lot of these paper mâché sculptures are in the form of animals, various shapes and some are in the form of faces. While Piñata’s are typically associated with children and parties, they are used for other reasons. Some countries have used them in protest of local politicians and/or causes. I like to associate Piñata’s in a fun way. Even though you have to hit them to get the prizes out, you can make fun games of it. Make your own Piñata. You can find online videos on how to do this.
Stop Food Waste Day– April 26 Ever wonder how many people can be fed and not go hungry? Many more, if we stopped wasting food. One way to do just that is to only buy as much food as you can use. Bring leftovers the next day for lunch or have it for dinner. Store food in a way so that it does not go bad. The food industry plays a major part and can help to stop the wasting of food. Some restaurants throw the food away at the end of closing. Local shelters could benefit from this food to feed those that are homeless and do not have access to meals.
I can only read so much
Of this BS and such and such
Who in their right mind
This info is so maligned
Where are the hopeful stories
Of animal rescues and watching lories
Of good-will and cheer
Of not crime and fear
Stories about curing cancer
Slashing grocery prices like a lancer
Restoring faith in the system
Less about being a robbery victim
Thieves need to get a job
Stop stealing and being a slob
People work hard for their money
This is not the land of milk and honey
What about affordable housing and gas
Less homelessness, are these things of the past
Where are the stories to make you smile
Laugh inside and not bring up the bile
Bile that makes you want to gag
Reading news about this mixed bag
Report on something better
About successes and the go-getters
Maybe then I can read this thing
See a story that makes me want to sing
And not want to set the pages ablaze
Watching the ashes blow away in a haze
Written in response to Sadje's prompt, what to you see #174
It’s August or Ya es Agosto! Can you believe how fast the year is going by? Check out some things happening this month.
First week of August-August 1-August 7 is National Simplify Your Life Week
National Simplify Your Life week means to make things easier for yourself. If you feel stressed or feel like your load is too much, cut some things out. Limit the number of tasks that you sign on to do. You are only one person and as such, you have to take care of you first. If you are no good, you can’t be good for anyone else. Simplifying can mean that you clean out your garage or closet(s). You might also consider simplifying your life mentally by saying no to new projects until you can complete what you already have on your plate. Cutting lose toxic or negative people from your life is another way to simplify things. If someone in your life brings you more strife and drama than happiness and good times, you have a choice to make for your own wellbeing.
August 3-National Watermelon Day
Watermelon is both a fruit and vegetable. You can eat the whole fruit, including the rind. It comes in seedless and seeded varieties. Eat it plain or try one of the many recipes online for watermelon treats. This melon not only tastes good but has health benefits. The high content of water makes it a great choice of fruit to help with lowering high blood pressure. It also has antioxidants which helps with the heart and eye health.
August 12- International Youth Day
This day brings awareness to the challenges that some children all over the world face. Education and poverty being among the top issues. Celebrating the achievements of the youth is also the purpose. Get involved by having conversations with both younger people and older adults. Mentor or tutor a child who may struggle with education and/or social issues.
August 14-National Financial Awareness Day
Financial awareness day is a day to assess where you are money-wise. Being financially secure means different things for everyone. Look at what you can do to improve your financial situation and make the steps necessary to attain that goal. Research finances. Compare your income to what your monthly bills are and make the changes to have more coming in than going out. Maybe, start a budget and keep track of spending habits to see what changes are needed. Around 50% of Americans are living check to check. That is a staggering number. It’s a good idea to have some kind of “money cushion” for emergencies.
August 16-National Rum Day
On National Rum Day, August 16th; celebrate by having a rum daiquiri, spiced rum drink or any number of rum cocktails. Rum is a distilled alcohol drink derived from sugar cane and molasses. It is one of the top 3 alcoholic beverages. You can enjoy clear Rum or dark Rum. It can be mixed to make Pina Coladas, Mojitos, and Daiquiri’s too. You can also add it to your baking recipes. Think Rum cake. Drink responsibly.
August 21-Poet’s Day
Poet’s Day is a day of recognition for poets and the art of poetry. There are different forms of poetry. You don’t have to be an expert to write poems. Even if writing poems is not your thing, you may enjoy reading them. Rapping is also a form of poetry, not often embraced by the masses.
José Martí was a poet and journalist born in Havana, Cuba. During the time he lived in New York City, he wrote in Spanish and English newspapers. Mostly about the difficult relations between Latin America and the United States. There is a statue of José Martí in Central Park South. It depicts him on a horse during his last times in battle.
August 27- National Just Because Day
National Just Because day is just that; just because. On this day, you might want to do something out of the ordinary. Do something just because you feel like it or just for no reason at all. Think of something that breaks up the monotony. Maybe go for a walk at a park you normally don’t visit. Gift someone something special for no apparent reason. When they ask, “what is this for?” You can say, “just because”. You get the idea. Run with it!
