Valuable keenness.

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I have been meditating on the words of Rumi all day:

“There is one thing in this world which you must never forget to do … human beings come to this world to do particular work. That work is the purpose, and each is specific to the person … Give your life to the one who already owns your breath and your moments … If you don’t … you will be wasting valuable keenness and foolishly ignoring your dignity and your purpose.”

I’ve been meditating on this … and forgiveness.

Janet Muniz is an award-winning professional writer known for informative profile articles, inspiring blog posts and effective video content. To contact her, click here.

Cradle will rock.

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Photo by mikeyskatie

On a clear day like today, it’s so easy to see why folks are drawn to Seattle. Out beyond, like the world hidden by the mists of Avalon, you can finally look at the mighty Olympic Mountains to the west and the Cascades to the east, cradling the low lands with scallops all around, dusted in white and mystery. On one side, Mt. Rainer rises quietly at the horizon, so motionless … it’s usually your heart which takes a leap after you spot it.

The sun warms the air just enough to allow for a little heat in your belly, too -firing up the energy to reach that much further.

On a clear night like tonight, the full moon shines through the pines and the stars shimmer in a sky the color of elegance, illuminating a hint of what lies ahead … instead.

Photo by brianteutsch

Janet Muniz is an award-winning professional writer known for informative profile articles, inspiring blog posts and effective video content. To contact her, click here.

Favorite word of the day.

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what • not (noun) [hwót nòt]

  1. Something same or similar
  2. Set of shelves
  3. Something unimportant

My head is full of dreams, schemes and whatnot –the possibilities are endless.

Find the shine.

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Do you ever notice that waking up to a sunny day somehow implies it’s also a good day?

Yes, the pull of this positive energy is almost undeniable, isn’t it? It reminds me of our most important of jobs: to find the shine in ourselves. Every day.

What can help us find our shine?

Meditation. Want to try it? Join the Chopra Center’s 21 Day Mediation Challenge starting February 20. It’s free and a fantastic opportunity to experience a global consciousness.

Yoga. This mind-body practice keeps you in touch with what’s going on inside –plus you can get connected to a like-minded community at the studio, too. Mine is Maya Whole Health Studio. Love you guys!

Journaling. I’ve been writing it down ever since I was a young girl. Some like to blog or post or tweet … when I’m journaling, I’m really talking to myself, so I prefer to journal in longhand – try The Artist’s Way.

Music. Listening to it, singing it, playing it. Watching an episode of Glee. I’m very partial to gospel.

The intention is to open our hearts and see what’s really there with clarity. Now, that sounds like the makings of a good day, doesn’t it?

Goddess of creativity.

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The gaming industry really does have some of the coolest job titles around. Consider Narrative Director, Narrative Designer and Narrative Producer. These folks do things like:

-Act as a resource for all things narrative related (this is one of my favorites)

-Write content and edit copy

-Understand story requirements and deliver on ultimate story/script goals

-Responsible for cinematic development

-Proven ability at successful multi-tasking under great pressure

-Teamwork, innovation, attention to detail, diplomacy, unbridled passion

-Ability to work well independently, too; set own schedule and work like a goddess on deadline

Wait a minute … this sounds soooooo familiar.

It appears that the gaming industry has found a fresh way to describe what so many creative types already do. Hmmm.

Fantastic image by Rojer

Life in six words … today.

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Born

a

cowboy

in

another

life.

(inspired by Ernest Hemmingway’s shortest of short stories … and Oprah).

*photo of a painted advertisement on the wall of a building in Jackson, WY.

Rewarding opportunity.

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No power. No internet. No phone. No cable. Emergency-only cell phone service.

Yes silence. Yes loving up my kitty-kids. Yes crackling fire and candlelight. Yes losing myself once more in the words of Mark Helprin … in the movement, the memory, the song.

Awesomeness-only from Mother Nature.

No greater yes reward.

Wall words.

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While walking through Target one shopping trip, I spot this vinyl lettering art on display. I’ve always admired the wall words of museum exhibits –interesting bits of information printed cleanly on the paint. And now, I see an affordable version of this art for us consumers.

What a spark of creative energy!

I start thinking about a series of printed word craft projects. During my gig covering the children’s product industry I’ve written blurbs about WallCandy Arts –removable wall decals for kids’ rooms- and go searching for an adult version of the same e-tailer. Enter Wall Words. Here, you can choose your poison, customize your message … create something. I start to visualize some of my favorite inspirational quotes and go from there.

Special Note: Ramona in the Pines is the name given to our Northwest abode. Built in the same year as Casa Ramona, our long-time Southern California home, this house is so reminiscent of my beloved sanctuary, it’s named in its honor. Translated into Spanish, French and Italian, I fit the pieces together in a couple of hours.

Jobs out there.

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I like to browse the jobs section of the Cirque du Soleil website –especially the On Stage section. Right now, there’s an opening for a Skipper (Are you a rope skipper seeking a new venue for your passion?) It’s funny how the needs of such a magical employer can bring you back to your truth.

Right now, I like the sound of being a Customer Experience Architect (Are you a designer of optimal customer experiences seeking a new venue for your passion?) You’d be responsible for things like:

-creating a business strategy for the customer experience across multi-channel product

-leading the cultural transformation of internal employees
-providing intuitive Experience Designs

-ideating contextual scenario designs used to drive customer experiences

-storyboarding ideas

You’d need to be qualified in things like Human Factor Design and User Experience Design. You’d probably need to be a Thinker, a Communicator and a Writer, I expect.

It’s funny how just capitalizing these roles makes them seem worthy of a salary.

Happy All-New Year

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Happy New Year, everybody! Ah … after a couple of months away, I find this change refreshing and I’m inspired by it. Why?

Never underestimate the power of New. The most important words in a TV promo, for instance, are no longer time/date/station. They are New Episode. If you’re a fan, that’s what you want to know; if not, you can be with the help of some never-before-seen content. After all, you can watch a television series from all sorts of devices whenever you want to these days. Right?

I’m working on a new project –the reinvention of a brand familiar to the children’s product market. Adding the word new is an elegant, inexpensive way to get the point across instantly that you’re doing something of-the-moment; that a reader/user/fan is looking at something fresh.

Some may argue that new is an over-used concept. Really? New can have an incredibly long shelf life … as long as you’re delivering on the claim.

New is certainly not innovative. But it does deliver a topical call to action to customers that works.