Author: Karen Hartline

Deep Thoughts

“What do you do?”

Karen Hartline

This is one of the questions we ask most often. I know I’m asked this very question all the time, yet don’t know how to answer it sometimes. Why is this such a difficult question for me to answer? Maybe it’s because I don’t know what I want to do. This is something that causes moments of panic and fear, especially recently.

I’ve had dreams shattered and plans come to an abrupt halt. I think these past experiences keep me from dreaming about what I want to be when I grow up. I’ve learned that even when I dream or plan, I have to live in the moment as I never know what could happen tomorrow.

Hold on…now that I think about it, I do have dreams; just not my own. I enjoy talking with others about what they are working on and encourage them to ‘just do it!’ Heck, I even do what I can to make their dreams become a reality. I don’t know why I can’t find that same UMPH for my own dreaming.

I posted on Twitter the other day, “Sometimes I wonder which is scarier…not knowing what I want from life or figuring it out and then not being able to achieve it/failing.” The responses that came back from the Twitterverse were overwhelming (yes, it’s long, but I want to see all the responses here for future reference!)@khartline4

@khartline3

@khartline2

@khartline1

I still don’t know which I think is scarier, not having a dream to chase or chasing it and not achieving it. I don’t even know where to start in order to try to figure this out, which just frustrates me even more. I’m a planner and to not have a plan for my life terrifies me. I mean, it’s my LIFE, HELLO?!?! I should have some idea as to what I want to do with it, right?

I do know that I want to be in control of my schedule, always do things I enjoy, and be passionate about what I’m doing. There’s so much more on this, but yes, I’m avoiding the issues at hand. I know they’re there…I’m just not ready to face them. 🙂 More about this once I get out of this funk…promise.

Trapeze
In the meantime, maybe I’ll just join the circus…

**Thanks to @ericaogrady for taking me to Trapeze School. Yes, this is really me.

Music is my boyfriend

Sunday Morning Playlist

Karen Hartline

I love lazy Sunday mornings. There’s just something about Sunday mornings that are so inviting. Right now, I’m lying in bed, on the computer, creating a new account for Google Reader and listening to my Sunday Morning playlist. Would only be better with a cup of coffee by my side, but don’t want to wake up others in the house to grind the coffee. I guess it could also be better if I had a puppy by my side. Puppies always make things better. 😉

Loving this morning so much I had to share the awesomeness that’s rockin’ my ears right now:

  1. Arms of a Woman, by Amos Lee http://bit.ly/AOAWCoffee
  2. Brighter Then Sunshine, by Aqualung http://bit.ly/BTS
  3. Comfortable, by John Mayer http://bit.ly/Comfortable
  4. Summer Breeze, covered by Jason Mraz http://bit.ly/JMSB
  5. Chasing Pavements, by Adelle  http://bit.ly/13VAFJ
  6. Come Away With Me, by Norah Jones http://bit.ly/cpCPc
  7. Boys with Girlfriends, by Meiko http://bit.ly/1KwTb
  8. Hide and Seek, by Imogen Heap http://bit.ly/IHHAS
  9. Somewhere in Between, by Lifehouse http://bit.ly/SIBLH
  10. Slide, by the Goo Goo Dolls http://bit.ly/SlideGGD
  11. Please Don’t Stop the Rain, by James Morrison http://bit.ly/PDSTR
  12. Talk to Me, by Keri Noble http://bit.ly/TTMKN
  13. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, by Jack Johnson http://bit.ly/SWWJJ
  14. Happy in the Morning, by Nikka Costa http://bit.ly/HITMNC

This is only 14 of the 60 songs in the playlist, but these are some of my favorites. Help me explore new music to love on Sunday morning. What’s your favorite song for a lazy Sunday morning?

Awesomesauce

When given the chance…

Karen Hartline

Thank goodness for Twitter trends showing up right there on my Twitter stream homepage. Otherwise, I may never have heard about Susan Boyle. OK, that’s not entirely true as many people NOT on Twitter know who she is. Let me help educate the masses.

THIS is Susan Boyle:

*Confession–I just stopped to watch this video AGAIN. Mostly to see the judges and crowds reaction when she started singing.

My mama always said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and I don’t think it was just because she was a librarian. I always try to see the good in people. This can sometimes be a fault as many people don’t turn out to be who I think they are, but I at least give them the shot to begin with. I don’t judge them and try not to let any preconceived notions overshadow who they truly are.

Susan Boyle is a great testiment of giving people a chance. You never know what’s truly beneath the surface. Don’t allow your judgement to blind you to seeing truly amazing talent right in front of you.

Susan’s story also proves it’s never too late to pursue your dream. She’s 42 and has this amazing talent that’s just being discovered. She could have easily said she was past her prime, but no…her prime is just beginning.

Here’s to Susan Boyle, chasing dreams and keeping an open mind.

*Cheers!

Awesomesauce, California Livin'

Hot Shot

Karen Hartline

I’m not a photographer. The camera I have cost $150 and I barely use it. Partially because it intimidates me. I don’t know how to use it and think I take horrible photos. However, a few weeks ago, our company took us offsite for 2 days and we had a brief lesson from Jerry Courvoisier and Dan Milnor on how to frame the shot with our mind before clicking the shutter button. Then we were released into the wild to take photos.

Not gonna lie…I was embarassed to show people my camera. Everyone else had cameras as big as my head. I had the option to check out a ‘better’ camera, but decided I should get aquainted with my own. Off I went, into the wilds of Healdsburg, CA. And I took photos…lots of ’em. Almost 300 in just over 3 hours.

And some of them were good. Really good:

I even made my first Blurb book with my images titled “What’s this button do?” If you buy a copy, I’ll sign it for you. 😉 The best part, it only took me 2 hours to create a 140 page book. Yes, I’m serious!