Author Narrated Easter Story

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Resurrection is a whole new way of thinking.” ~ Deepak Chopra

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEastertime has always been a memorable time of year ever since my childhood. In my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, in Chapter 14 called Easter Traditions, I recount an Easter story that I have always held near and dear to my heart. Since it’s Easter week, I’d like to share it with you. Listen in!

If you are wondering who narrated the story, it was me, the author. The audio book won an award (2nd place in the EVVY book awards sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association.)

I hope you enjoy the retelling of this Easter story and the voice of the central character in it!

Order the full narration of  the award-winning anthology Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. It is also available in paperback and e-book.

Also available Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Re-Enactment of a Sacred Time

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All of spiritual practice is a matter of relationship: to ourselves, to others, to life’s situations. – Jack Kornfield

As you will come to understand when you read my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, our parents sometimes allowed my brothers, sister and me to do things unconventionally.

Mom recently found this memorabilia in her hope chest. She had forgotten she had tucked away these writings nearly fifty years ago when my sister and brothers and I were little children.

I will leave it up to the readers imaginations as to what my sister Jan, my brother Rick and a dear neighbor named Margy and I were planning. If you wish to fully understand what we were up to, there is a poignant chapter in my memoir that goes with this program. Even though I did not have these writings before I published my memoir they were not needed for my storytelling because I so vividly remember this day and others just like it. It would have been nice however, to have been able to include these writings in my publication.

My youngest brother Scott was not mentioned in this program. But as the years went on, we planned other similar events and Scott became an active participant.

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During this week of holy celebration of Easter, I thought it would be an appropriate time to  share this treasure from my mother’s hope chest. When I read this, it warms me to the depth of my inner being. It’s a reflection of many fulfilling times that I had as a child with my siblings.

So as not to give anything away to those who haven’t read my award-winning anthology of stories yet, try to imagine in your mind where this event may have taken place. Read the book and see if you were right.

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, the author of the award-winning book (an anthology) Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

 

 

 

Nature’s Spring Ritual

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“Daffodils,” an image by artist Nancy Guzik is a promise of spring that I look to so often throughout the winter. As we transition into warmer days and brighter colors nature heralds in her ritual of budding and blossoming flowers displaying “an adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday life.” Akin to how people describe the Japanese ceremony of tea making.

I’m fortunate. I don’t have to look beyond the walls of my home to see Guzik’s beautiful image, and although I don’t own the original painting, the fine art lithograph has given me as much pleasure over the years.

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Guzik says of art “Somewhere within all of us we long for a certain truth, each searching in our own way, possibly to know and feel who we are and why we are here on earth. At times there is a yearning to express that. Perhaps that is why I paint.”

As we move another day into the season of rebirth, I know as my truth that one of the best reasons to be on this earth is to witness the season of miraculous renewal in nature. Happy Spring and “bloom where you are planted!”

This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

Love Indomitable Seniors

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Spirit…has fifty times the strength and staying power of brawn and muscle.” ~ Unknown

On this Thirsty Thursday the topic is curious seniors who are opening themselves up to a whole new world of information by learning about computers.

In the documentary film, Cyber-Seniors, teens pair up with elderly people to teach them the most popular ways of communicating digitally, how to search the internet for information and about Facebook and You Tube. It open ups new avenues to explore and things to talk about with their grandchildren and family. As you will note, for most seniors the only challenges in using computers lies between their ears in their attitudes.

But, that’s no different than all of us, is it? No matter what stage of life we are in!

On this Thirsty Thursday, meet some Cyber-Seniors who are bridging the gap between generations and having a little fun doing it.

You’ll enjoy these one minute videos and the full length documentary is available here.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

Out of the Deep Freeze

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 “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”– Edmund Hillary

When you live in the mountains, spring can be forever in coming. Mother Nature loves to torment and taunt with fickle weather for a long, long time.

One day it is sunny and warm, the next day we are thrust back into winter leaving us confused as what to put on for clothing in the morning. Just when you think you should leave behind the winter weight clothing and spring ahead into lighter, brighter garments, the cold temperatures return again. Makes you feel like climbing back under the covers.

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This is how I look and feel this time of year. The beginnings of growth and renewal of spirit have begun to creep over me yet, part of me is still frozen in the previous season.

Today on All Things Fulfilling, I’d like to share with you an article about 21 Things to Do This Spring to Lift your Beaten Down Spirit.

What’s the first thing I’m going to do to start ticking off the list? My husband just filled my bike tires with air. A slow, meadering bike ride through the neighborhood dreaming of when the landscape turns green with colorful flowers will do much to lift the spirit. It will also begin to build the muscles I’ve neglected all winter when my only form of exercise was walking.

See you back here tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

 

Moods Trace the Season

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Did you know March is Optimism month? March has never been one of my favorite months because if you live in the mountains, it’s usually still winter. But the third month of the year is useful to my mindset. March winds transport my spirit into my favorite seasons of the year – spring and summer when I am more inspired and motivated.

In March vague ideas that I had a few months previously get sparked and fired up which means I’ve gotten over the hump of winter. Thoughts of renewal, awakening and rejuvenation start streaming.

Just as many other people experience, the seasons do affect my moods and demeanor. Being aware of that fact helps me to march forward knowing brighter days are coming and to remember ~

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Happy Beginnings of Spring, Everybody!

See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. The award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Are You Tweeting with Happiness?

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what-is-emotional-intelligenceA few weeks ago as I drove 388 miles south along I-25 between Denver, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico I heard a story on National Public Radio’s (NPR) All Things Considered about human behavior and social media that peeked my interest. It was a timely delivery of a story because it gave me something to ponder in my boredom.

Did you know social scientists are studying the mood of the planet through individual’s activity on Twitter?

Rises and falls in biochemicals which affect circadian rhythms may have something to do with how we feel throughout the day. Scientists say by reading an individual’s tweets, they can follow people’s mood changes throughout the day. There is a rise in positive tweets first thing in the morning and then late at night .

If the research proves to be correct, pollers and marketers will find this information valuable – “as a great way to get a pulse of what’s going on in the country,” says Scott Golder at Cornell University. Golder and his colleagues look for positive and negative words used in the tweets such as “awesome, outgoing, pleasing” or negative kinds of feelings such as “afraid, fury or fear.”

Do you think reading people’s emotions through their activity on Twitter is constructive or destructive or just a time waster? In my opinion, also tracking seasonal differences in atttitudes would make the research more credible because seasonal affective disorder has very real symptoms.

I’d like to hear from you about the validity of a study about Twitter “tweets.” Post a comment.

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard.

Life Through Iris’ Eyes

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Today’s story on Thirsty Thursday is about a woman who has not spent one extra minute of her life worrying what others might think. Enter Iris Apfel – the woman who says “happiness is more important than what you look like.”

Despite her words, she’s garnered plenty of interest in the fashion world over the years – enough for documentary filmmakers to want tell her story.

Enjoy the film trailer I’ve posted. The two minute clip has important messages about life which if we are open to the thoughts,  can be gifts for us all. The film critics call the movie an “exuberant portrait.”

Moral of the story:

Life shrinks or expands

That’s all for today on this Thirsty Thursday! I look forward to your return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow.  This blog is brought to you by the author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Motivated Independent Publishers

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Thinking of writing your story?

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“Like anything in life when the right time comes along, and when you are fully and completely committed to the project you will find the personal resources like commitment, determination, enthusiasm, confidence and energy within to carry it out. The will to make it happen becomes much greater than your desires to let your dreams go by the wayside.” ~Independent publisher, Sue Batton Leonard

~Sue Batton Leonard, award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Grow Your Own Good News Story

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I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news because I like to take a positive, pro-active approach to life. Sometimes it’s hard to constantly ignore, however, what is in plain sight and so very visible in the media.

The breakdown of the family unit has been evident through many socio-economic indicators. The whole culture of a society suffers when the family unit deteriorates. Crime increases, education is no longer valued, we look up to people who are esteemed to be the most valuable members of society yet, all too often, these are the very people whose moral compasses have gone haywire.

But, the good news is, each one of us can do something in our own lives to grow strong families who will have stories of happy relationships that reign through generations.

I’ve noticed there seems to be a dearth of “good news stories” on bookshelves in bookstores. Here are the top 5 genres of books that are the most sought after according to booksellers.

  • Romance/erotica (1.44 billion dollar industry)
  • Crime/mystery (728.2 million)
  • Religion/spirituality (720 million)
  • Science Fiction & Fantasy (590.2 million)
  • Horror (79.6 million)

Frankly, I am surprised religion and spirituality ranks up there as high as it does. Perhaps because people are looking for answers for the ills of today’s society. Better yet, I’d like to think that books of spirituality and religion sell because people have faith that a better day is coming!

Here is what you can do in your own small way to make your relationships, your family and your world stronger.

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This blog is brought to you by the award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and Short Stories: Lessons of Heart & Soul.