Ponderings Along the Pathway...CONFIDENCE

Welcome to this month's edition of Ponderings Along the Pathway, an exclusive feature over here on the Path of Positivity.  The purpose of this column is to continue with the goal of this blog which is to create a space "designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time".  Providing some motivational introspection on the themes we cover each challenge period, is one way of achieving this goal.

This month it is all about CONFIDENCE and PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject...

Confidence is the WISDOM to recognize the unique talents that you possess, alertness to OPPORTUNITIES when they present themselves, COURAGE to actively pursue those opportunities, PATIENCE to plod trough the tedious periods, and DETERMINATION to overturn the negative reactions of others.

Many people cannot recognize their own talents. My daughter was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and with the help of caring professionals was taught how to deal with the emotional aggressiveness of her condition by recognizing and building upon her own talents. Her love of words was a powerful talent for battling, reducing and often blocking a panic attack from starting by journalling.

If you come up blank when asked where your talents lie, ask your friends. Ask your family. They won’t have to filter their answers. Most people recognize talent in others before they do their own. If you can’t make a list of things you’re good (or great) at, ask them to do it. You may be surprised, or you may just wake up to something you already knew. Even marathon runners have a team of supporters to cheer them on.

Meanwhile, opportunities abound for those who are alert to them. Spontaneous conversations can lead to job opportunities, contest entries and new relationships. While on the path to your dreams and goals, don’t just stare straight forward, looking for that finish line. Keeping your eyes and ears open can often point the way to new opportunities, like when my daughter, while surfing the web, hit on a list of contests for writers and poets. There it was - the opportunity to share her experiences and emotions.

Of course, it takes courage to snatch an opportunity when it appears. Listening is not enough. One must open one’s mouth to make a comment, ask a question, or just express interest in the conversation. One must check out a linked website or Google for more information. One must make that leap of faith from passivity to action. You must take that first step, and keep moving your feet. My daughter’s desire to help educate others forced her to come out of her shell and be courageous enough to let others see the talent she possesses. She was soon sending out and emailing her entries on a regular basis.

No accomplishment comes without patience and determination. Just because you start a diet today doesn’t mean you’ll lose weight by tomorrow, and some hiring companies take months before sending out letters with offers or regrets. Contest periods could last up to a year, so the more you enter, the more time will fly by (and the more chance you have of winning). And while I believe in love at first sight, it pays to get to know a prospective soul mate in all aspects of their life. As my daughter patiently checked the status with those contests she had already entered, she was also discovering and entering more contests and competitions, which inspired her to keep writing (see the domino effect here?).

Determination is definitely the game winner. No matter the stumbling blocks in your path toward success, you just have to keep on travelling toward your destination. For every rejection letter you receive, send out two more entries. For every “first-and-only” dates you go on, keep meeting new people and stay upbeat. Every failure means you’re wiser and more alert, patient and determined, as long as you forge ahead. Learn from mistakes, pick up the pace and strive for that finish line. Determined to share her poetry with those afflicted with similar experiences and those who were ignorant to the symptoms of anxiety disorders, my daughter would never have received her first acceptance letter. She is now a published author, and I couldn’t be more proud of her budding confidence and her amazing accomplishments.

Confidence is one of those traits that takes a lot of time and energy.  I hope that you will see the benefits of being a confident person and will work towards becoming a better version of yourself as you journey along life's Pathway. 
   
Well folks, that is it for today but please be sure to join us on Monday for the midway.  Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Challenge #39 Top Pick: Voting Open August 8th to 15th, 2016

WELCOME TO THE CHALLENGE #39 POP TOP!

Hello folks.  It is time to get on with showcasing the top picks for Challenge #39. This time around we only had five entries!  That is one less even that the last challenge. I did find it surprising given the number of graduation cards being made. Once again, with so few entries, we will be opening things up so that those five entrants have the opportunity to be chosen as the Voter's Choice. We do this any time we have less than 14 participants. And, while we may not have enough participants to have a top seven, or even a top three, we certainly have enough to have a top pick. Therefore, it is time to get on with showcasing the one project that touched the team the most.

Thus, without further ado, please let me introduce you to the Top Pick for Challenge #39...

 

Congrats Debi B... 

As a participant who has been chosen as a Top Pick in this challenge, 

you are entitled to a special Challenge #39 Top Pick Badge.

Please feel free to grab a copy for your blog...

Now as I mentioned earlier, each of the participant's who entered Challenge #39 AND FOLLOWED THE THEME & RULES is eligible to have their project and/or post voted on. Here is a list of those participants. Each of the entrant's names is linked up to their blog post (order is reflective of how they entered the challenge and nothing else).

Deanne
Cici
Debi B.
Hanne
Sheila J.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

Now the really hard work starts. It is time for you, our readers, to vote for your favourite entry. Which participant most inspires you? Remember, you are not necessarily voting on a creation that was made. You might simply find what the person had to say in their post to be inspiring and optimistic and in line with the concept of ACHIEVEMENT. Please be sure to go and check out the entries first and not just make your choices off of the thumbnails. Once you have checked all the entries out,  let us know who your favourite choice is by placing your vote below using the Inlinkz feature.

Voting open for 7 days:
August 8th to August 15th

Come have your say in determining the Voter's Choice for Challenge #39! Don't forget to leave a comment after you have voted. There will be a prize for one lucky person who leaves a comment on one of this month's posts (chosen randomly from a selection of posts related to Challenge #39). If you haven't had the opportunity to visit each of the entries already, please go and check them out a little more closely before placing your vote. Once you have made your decision, why not go back and let them know how they inspired you.

Good luck everyone!

Link Up Below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Challenge #40--CONFIDENCE...August 1st to September 4th

Hello everyone! I hope that you have all enjoyed the summer thus far. It is the first Monday in August and we're back from our break so that means it is time for the next challenge to start. This time around, for Challenge #40, the theme is "CONFIDENCE". Show us your interpretation of what confidence means to you. You can make any sort of project and/or post as long as it is positive in nature and relates to the theme.

I don't know about you, but confidence is definitely one of those skills that I need to practice on. While I may think that I am confident, in certain circumstances all it takes is the wrong look or hearing something negative from someone and my poor confidence balloon immediately deflates. It is at these times that I need to sit back and remind myself that having a strong self-confidence is very important and leads to the following:

• a greater sense of self-worth--the more value you hold in your own abilities, the higher your sense of self esteem will rise. It is important to be proud of who you are and what you can do!
• less self-doubt--doubting your capabilities leads nowhere fast. The more confident you become, the more you will believe you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.
• less fear and anxiety--fear and anxiety can be plagues. I could certainly use less of both these in my life. When we are more confident we are better able to handle situations and less likely to allow fear and anxiety to dominate us. This of course translates into greater peace of mind and less stress. I'm sure that we could all do with a little less stress in our lives.
• less anxiety in social interactions--it is difficult to be relaxed and comfortable around others when our self confidence is low. Think about how you feel around someone who is confident. You are likely to be more relaxed and comfortable in that person's presence. Wouldn't you like to be the person who others respect and welcome into their midst? Working on your own confidence will help.
• greater success--people who are self confident seem to be naturally more successful in life. With less self doubt, fear and anxiety weighing a person down and a greater sense of self-worth, you are able to better achieve your goals.

The more confident we become, the better equipped we are to deal with life in general! Keep in mind that while it is important for us to work on building our own confidence levels, we can also affect those around us in a positive way as well. A kind work or praise at the right time can help to strengthen someone around us whose own confidence might be a bit low. This month, think of someone whom you know who could benefit from a boost in confidence. Is there someone out there who has been trying to find a job who may be getting a bit down? Perhaps you know of someone who is working towards a promotion. Maybe you know of a young individual who just needs that extra push to get them motivated about something. There are so many ways to showcase the theme of confidence.

As usual my team, has come up with some interesting ideas so be sure to pop over to their blogs and see how their creations connect with the concept of this challenge. What direction will you go in? Whatever approach you take, we look forward to seeing your interpretation on this month's theme.

Don't forget when you link up your project and/or post, to please leave a comment letting us know how your creation relates to the concept of confidence if it isn't readily clear within the design itself or clearly written somewhere else in your post.  Remember, the creation must be positive/inspirational/motivational AND adhere to the theme of confidence in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes.  While you may easily see how confidence relates to your creation, it may not be as apparent to me or the DT members.  That is why we ask that you clarify it somewhere, whether here or in your blogpost.  You can simply write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, if it would be easier.  We just need to know how your project ties into the theme.  Letting us know, clears up any ambiguity that may exist.

Reference:
Fonvielle, David . (2011-2014). Why Is Self Confidence Important?. Available: http://www.alwaysgreater.com/achievements/why-is-self-confidence-important-benefits-of-self-confidence. Last accessed 31st July 2016.

This month's guest sponsors...

This month we have two returning sponsors!

First up is Ike's Art.  Here is a refresher of what Ike's company is all about...

Hi there – I am Ike……a nickname that I got hooked with many years ago due to my surname, and in my profession at that time, …… they just loved to give nicknames ☺.

I live in Greece and have a passion for kitties ☺

I am a complete nutter or should I say I’m ‘zany’ hahaha. I have a very strange/sick sense of humour and I must admit I spend a lot of time talking to myself. !! Well, I get more sense out of me.! I reckon in a few years I shall be known as the “crazy cat lady” ☺

I am an artist and have a strange mind when it comes to creating my art. I either go completely true to life… right down to the last hair… or I go totally surreal. I have a passion for all things horror/Gothic etc. I’ve always loved horror films and books and I guess that’s why it creeps into my stuff ! Had I been a bit younger I swear I would have been a Goth……luuuuuv it.  Next time around I am gonna be a witch or a cat ☺

I started my Blog a couple of years ago and although I love crafting, my real passion is drawing, and now I just love making digital images.

My SHOP is IkesArt found at www.ikesart.com
My Challenge Blog:  http://ikesworldchallengeblog.blogspot.com                                   My Blog is Ikes World and is at http://suzy-ikesworld.blogspot.com
Exclusive designer for Smeared Ink www.smearedink.com

Below you will see the awesome images that team members used for their projects for the beginning of this challenge. Clicking on the first watermarked image will take you to its section within the Ike's Art store. The second watermarked image is currently a freebie over on one of Ike's Challenge blogs.  You can simply click the watermark to head to that blog...

KT Swing
(located in the People section)

Chessy
(current freebie on one of Ike's Challenge Blogs)

Next, that brings us to Scribbles Designs.  Here is a refresher of  what Sandy's company is all about...

Looking for a unique image or sentiment? Well then! Head on over to Scribbles Designs and check out Sandy's world of her funky imagination and quirky characters. Sandy has loved art, drawing, water colouring and doodling for many years... and with the digital image world she can now share it with all of you. Brrr (Penguin) was her first main character and her other quirky images followed not long after. We hope you enjoy the endearing images available in the store and add Sandy's images to your digital stamp collections.

Check out the fun images the team worked with for their projects for the beginning of this challenge.  Clicking on any of the image watermarks will take you to their location in the Scribble Designs store...

#817 Artsy

#951 Sailboat 1

 

#316 Tropical Fish 5

We are fortunate and blessed to have the chance to work with all these awesome images this month.  Thanks so much to our fabulous sponsors.  Be sure to come back at the midway when you'll get to see more beautiful projects created with images from these wonderful companies.

Now check out what my amazing design team came up with to inspire you.  Clicking on the team members' name will take you to their blog where you can check out the details for their inspirational creations...

 

We are very pleased to have Vickie O., from HEARTful Stamper, as our guest designer for this challenge. Check out the cool card she created....

 My amazing design team and wonderful guests never disappoint!  They each have their own unique styles and ideas.  As always I am blown away by the quality of their projects!  Each of these projects has showcased the concept of confidence in various forms and manners and I hope we have inspired you.  Be sure to go and visit each of them so you can see how their projects connect to the theme.

So what are you waiting for? Create a project and/or post that is positive AND relates to confidence, provide an explanation of how your project and/or post relates to the theme somewhere in your post or come over and leave a comment with the explanation. Easy, peasy!

If you have some time, please visit other people participating throughout the month. I've included the summary of the challenge details below. If you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

I hope to see you back next Monday when voting will start on the Top Picks for Challenge #39. 

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON CONFIDENCE
If you need some motivation to get you started, I've provided a quote for you, which you can find below.

Please be sure to click on it to bring it up into the lightbox in its proper size before saving it.

Credit Notes For This Creation:

© 2015, Lisa L. Décosse. PUO. However, you are allowed to use the sentiment on handmade projects that you intend to sell on a small scale basis provided credit is given. You also need to include a credit note and a link to this blog or my personal blog, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, should you use any of my images in your creations and post them on your blog. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with my full terms of use found in the 'Download Instructions & T.O.U.' tab at the top of this page. Of important note:  Please do not share my images with family, friends, etc. Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Box®, 4-Shared®, etc. Instead, please direct people to my blog(s) so they can grab the image for themselves. If you would like to post a watermarked version of the image, please contact me to obtain one.

Extra Elements
The spoon element was an extra that came with an exclusive freebie created by Celcius Design through Deal Jumbo. These extras, along with the Valencia font can be purchased HERE.

Fonts used

• Cookies & Milk font created by Phitra Design
• Little Wizzy font created by Junik Studio

Click on the font name to take you to a download location.  Both of these fonts were free and listed for commercial use at the time of this creation.  As such, it is my understanding, that I am within my rights to use these fonts in my creations and offer them to others for free or for sale.  Always check to make sure the terms haven't changed before using the font on something you sell.

You will notice that the sentiment may appear huge depending on what software program you download it into.  You can always reduce the size without distorting the overall look.

CHALLENGE DETAILS SUMMARY

Whether you are new and need to familiarize yourself with all the details,  or a returning participant and just need to refresh yourself, you can always find out everything you need to know in order to enter this challenge in the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page. I've provided a quick summary below.  Please note that dates and times listed below are for this particular challenge only:

• Each Path of Positivity challenge will remain open for approx. a full month.  Entries for this challenge will be accepted from Aug 1st to September 4th, 2016.
• Link up your inspirational post below using Inlinkz. You will be able to submit your link up to 11:55 p.m. on September 4th.
• When you link up, leave a comment summarizing what it is about your post that you feel is inspirational  / positive / motivational and how it fits into the theme if you have not included this information somewhere within your post.  You can simply add a sentence or two right next to the link for this challenge if you want.
• Don't forget to come back throughout the month and visit others that have participated. 
• You can link up a total of three (3) creations.
• Voting for this challenge will begin once the top picks have been determined. There will be a separate post detailing those picks. You will then have the opportunity to vote on the creation or post that you have found to be the most inspirational of the chosen picks. Be sure to leave a comment telling us what it was that inspired you or something in general if you uncomfortable disclosing any details of your vote. 
• For Challenge #40, prizes will be the following:
• A $10 gift certificate from Scribbles Designs, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.
• A $15 gift certificate from Ike's Art,, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

There will also be:

• A small selection of digital papers from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky person who leaves a comment on on posts published during the challenge time-frame.
• One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge.

If you ever have any questions be sure to EMAIL ME or just leave me a comment.

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Link Up Below:

An InLinkz Link-up