Motivational Narrative

So. As my last post states...it is 2011. & my posts are going to be a bit different.

Recently someone challenged me to write a motivational narrative to someone that I cared about....

This is the result.

Be Your Best

First off...to be your best, you must do your best, and in order to do your best, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

Because your best is as only as good as you are.

Once you believe in yourself, you should do something new...

try new things.

ANYTHING!

Baking that new dish you've been craving

or mastering that wild fashion trend

(no matter how scary it may seem)...

Honestly, it can be anyting :)

Just remember...your best is as only as good as you are <3

Trying something new may seem scary but as long as you do it to the best of your ability.....NOTHING can stop you.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Best.

Why do I keep using the word best?

Because...your best is as only as good as you are.

One other thing.

Don't form yourself around  the expectations of others....

create your own expectations based on you being your....

BEST!

There is that word again...best.

Well, as far as I'm concerned...

I hope the word BEST haunts you for the rest of your life :)

  

Every time you look in the mirror, that word should come to your thoughts.

Because….

Your best is as only as good as you are J

ALWAYS BE YOUR BEST!

Dedicated to my loving sister, Rabecca, who never gives herself the credit she deserves.

Optimistically, Bethany Lea

New Idea!

Okie Dokie...

So one of my followers suggested that I tried a monthly book blogging discussion. At first I thought it was a terrible idea but then I decided..."WHY NOT?"

So Calie, this is for you.

In order to have a monthly book, I need some book suggestions.

I think it would be fun to read the "classics"; such as:

• Treasure Island
• The Invisible Man
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• Pride and Prejudice
• Robinson Crusoe

and so forth......

Since every person reads at a different pace, I think that if we all read a couple chapters a week then everyone could keep up.

Then at the end of that week, I can publish a post and everyone who participated in reading it can comment.

Let me know what you guys are thinking and give me some ideas of books we should do. :)

I plan on our first "book club
reading" starting in December <3

Optimistically, Bethany Lea

Prompt #2!!!!!

Wow! I can't believe it has been a whole week since my last blog entry! :)

Well. Prompt #2 is finish and I cut a picture out of a magazine everyday and wrote about their hopes, dreams, likes and dislikes <3

Just a reminder on what prompt #2 was...

Flip through some magazines and find a picture of a person who looks interesting . Don't choose a celebrity or someone about whom you know anything. don't read the caption. Cut out the picture and put it on your desk. Now freewrite about the person, creating a character sketch.

Write about the person's life, her problem's and her goals, her background, whatever comes to mind.

Move toward some conflict in which the character can be involved. Then write a scene to explore that conflict.

If it interests you, keep going. Try this prompt everyday for a week, choosing a new picture for each writing day. Keep those characters and pictures in a file and begin building a stable of characters.

I made a collage of all the pictures I cut out! ENJOY!!!

They all had a different story to tell and all inspired me to write about them in very different ways...

I'm only gonna share a little bit about each one:

The two on the top left are best friends I cut them out last Wednesday night and decided to use them both. One for Wednesday and one for Thursday...

The girl in the green with blond hair; her name is Marissa.

The girl in the brown with dark hair; her name is Aimee.

They are best friends and they don't always get to spend that much time together. Marissa is very outgoing while Aimee tends to be on the quiet side.

Next came the girl in the bottom left corner... or the girl in the hoodie...

 Her name is Destiny.

She loves to dance and one day hopes to open up a dance studio for less fortunate girls in her hometown.

Next to Destiny is a girl in a formal dress; her name is Kimberly.

Her mom is her best friend. She was just voted homecoming queen at her school. However, she recently found out that her boyfriend was cheating on her.

On the bottom right, the girl sitting on the bed; her name is Tori.

She is the youngest sister out of 6, sometimes she feels left out or invisible.

The girl in the only black and white photo on the page; her name is Savannah.

Savannah loves to play piano and she collects stamps and postcards. If she decides to go to college she will be the first in her family.

Last but not least, is a girl in a very colorful photo, reading a book; her name is Hannah.

Well obviously, Hannah loves reading and everything about books. She has a unique style of clothing and is often complimented on her sense of creativity.

I cut all of these pictures out of Seventeen Magazine and have never met any of these girls in my life.

However, I can't wait to continue their stories :)

I've also been suggested some fun new ideas for my blog!

I am so excited to try them!!! 

Optimistically, Bethany Lea

New Characters :)

So...I just finished prompt #1 :)))

If you don't want to look at the other post ...here it is:

List at least half a dozen people you know who interest you enough to write about them.         

Describe why you find them interesting.

If you want, re-create them as fictional characters.

Making up new names and changing some aspects of their personalities, but leaving the real people pretty much as they are.

Writing Journal :)

One thing that I absolutely love to do is write <3

I love to write all kinds of things:

Fiction

Poetry

Short Stories

and even Fairy Tales...

Sometimes I just have a little trouble getting started....

I recently bought this book at the thrift store {for 50 cents}!

It has some really fun and exciting ideas in it that could be really inspiring or could be just the thing you need to finish that novel you keep telling yourself to write :)

Here are some of my favorite prompts:

About Character:

#1

• List at least half a dozen people you know who interest you enough to write about them.         
• Describe why you find them interesting.
• If you want, re-create them as fictional characters.
• Making up new names and changing some aspects of their personalities, but leaving the real people pretty much as they are.

#2 (This is my favorite)

Flip through some magazines and find a picture of a person who looks interesting . Don't choose a celebrity or someone about whom you know anything. don't read the caption. Cut out the picture and put it on your desk. Now freewrite about the person, creating a character sketch.

Write about the person's life , her problem's and her goals, her background, whatever comes to mind.

Move toward some conflict in which the character can be involved. Then write a scene to explore that conflict.

If it interests you, keep going. Try this prompt everyday for a week, choosing a new picture for each writing day. Keep those characters and pictures in a file and begin building a stable of characters.

Okie Dokie.

Both of these prompts are really good starters for a book.

I think I should start with the 1st prompt and keep you updated as the details grow. Who knows...maybe you'll end up being one of the people I choose to write about. :)

Optimistically, Bethany Lea

My ABCs. Of Literature :)

So there are so many books I love and since there are SOOOOO many...
I thought I would share my "ABCs" {of literature}




A-  Austen or Alcott?




Pride and Prejudice: Austen

 



Little Women: Alcott

 

B- Charlotte Brontë

C- C.S. Lewis
{The Chronicles of Narnia}

D- DANIEL DEFOE

{Robinson Crusoe}

E- Edgar Allan Poe

Some of his works are kinda creepy, but they all make you think :)

F-Francine Rivers
{From Redeeming Love to The Atonement Child;
I love everything she has ever written }

G- Grimm's Fairy Tales

{A few common ones like Cinderella, Snow White, and Rapunzel.
The Classic Fairy Tales are some of the best}

H- Cathy Marie Hake

{Fancy Pants... Such a good book}
Hilarious and Romantic! I love it!!!

I- Ivanhoe

I couldn't help but put this picture up here ;) How funny.
Ivanhoe is a classic that everyone must read!

J- J.K. Rowling

The Picture Says it All....HARRY POTTER. the end.

K- Sue Monk Kidd


{The Secret Life of Bees}

L- Julie Lessman

If you like a lot of drama..read these ;)
"Daughters of Boston"

M-Meg Cabot
She is amazing!

N- Nicholas Sparks

{He is such a good author that his books are printed in over 20 different languages} That's pretty amazing! :)

{ &&& of course I love 'The Notebook' }

O- Tyne O'Connell

Fencing, Foreign Accents, and Princes... what more could you ask for?
Read 'The Calypso Chronicles'.

P- JAMES PATTERSON

Holy Hokey Pokey....this guy can write!

If you disagree, then stop reading my blog RIGHT NOW!

I mean it.

He is awesome & you know it :D

Q- Don Quixote

R- J. R. R. Tolkien

{Action, Romance, Adventure...LOVE IT!}

S-Shakespeare

Is there really a good way to explain why I like Shakespeare soooo much?
I believeth not!

T- Mark Twain

From 'Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn' to 'The Prince & The Pauper'.
 He writes in a style that is very easy to read as well as LOVE!

U- Upton Sinclair

Seriously...You either LOVE it or HATE it.

V- Jules Verne

A very unique writer. Odd in more ways than one and yet...
 I love reading his works.

W- H.G. Wells

I put him in the same category as Jules Verne.
Odd yet Intriguing :)

X- The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Y- Fyodor Dostoyevsky

So Russian, Yet So Relateable?

Z- F. Scott FitZgerald

{If you've read it, you understand}

I only commented on a some of them,
 so...
 let me know what you think.

What authors/books should have been on my list? What books would you never put on your list that were on mine? Can't wait to find out!

"Curiosity Killed the Cat, Satisfaction Brought it Back"

Optimistically, Bethany Lea

My Top 3.

Since my first post was about books, I thought it would be good to continue with the same topic.

If you had to pick three books that inspire you the most what would they be?

My Top 3:

3. Redeeming Love

Author: Francine Rivers

This book is about a girl, who follows a way of life that most people disagree with & that's all I'm going to say. If you want to find out what happens you should go to your public library and check this book out. It is inspiring to me and is one of my favorites because 

this girl goes through an absolute transition from being one person, who I wouldn't see as a role model; to another person, who I wish existed today so that her example could shine through for the rest of the world to see.

2. Pride and Prejudice.

Author: Jane Austen

Oh, how cheesy, Pride and Prejudice. But it really is a great book and teaches many life lessons. Such as how gossip can destroy people and how you shouldn't trust everyone you meet. However, it has a happy ending. Even though the characters go through many ups and downs they find a way to stay true to themselves, as well as their family that loves them no matter what may happen. 

1. The Bible

Author: God

When I think of what inspires me {in the Bible}, the first thing that comes to mind would be the great love that God has for all the people in the world. He is so amazing and I couldn't think of a better book to choose for the most inspiring.

 It's an action packed, suspenseful, almost tragic, love story  ... 

I couldn't think of anything better to choose besides God's Holy word.

Now that I've shared my Top 3 Books, maybe you could share a few of yours with me...

Have a truly amazing day :) Optimistically, Bethany Lea

Books

There is one thing that can absolutely make me feel better no matter how bad my day has been, and that is...

 BOOKS!

Books?

Why books?

 Because when you read a book you can lost in another world.

A world not full of hate, death, or failure.

When you read a book everything seems better than in actual life.

 As you are opening a book, you are opening the beginning of a story in which you don't know the charcters personally, but most of the time you feel a connection with them.

You eventually find a way to relate to them.

{At least I know I do}

While books are great, I don't read them to forget about my problems or pretend things aren't bad in the world; I read them because when I read a book, I instantly feel better.

It may sound cheesy but books make me so happy.

A kind of happiness that you can't find in too many places.

I hope that the next time you read a book...

 it makes you feel better inside, and you feel inspired to do something good so that people can see the positive side of life.