Category Archives: family memoirs

Berlin. Maryland, that is.

Leave a comment

Happy Monday! Glad you are with us!

Today, we are taking an on-line road trip to  Berlin, Maryland. Join me over the next few days as we take our journey down memory lane on All Things Fulfilling. America’s Coolest Small Town is indeed “historically charming & artistically alive & eternally young.”  I love this community which is only seven miles from the natural beauty of Assateague National Seashore.

Don’t forget to turn on the modern-day record player by listening to the music from this You Tube audio as you scroll through these images. 

 

IMG_20150728_094713_565 autograph

IMG_20150728_093438_332 bike autogr

 

cupcakes berlin signed

IMG_20150728_094128_471 TaDa autog

IMG_20150728_094502_559 Atlanti 2 autogr

IMG_20150728_110116_608 Church mouse thrift

IMG_20150728_094430_245 Atlanti autogr

IMG_20150728_094913_918 enhanted tearoom autogr

 

IMG_20150728_110523_398 methodit autogr

IMG_20150728_102249_009 hore and buggy autog little

IMG_20150728_094943_369 Bungalow Love autogra

IMG_20150728_102859_380 bakery autogr

IMG_20150728_103155_647 dumpling bakery autog

IMG_20150728_104721_491 interior off main autog

IMG_20150728_110058_836 Bank autogr

 

 

 

blacksmith restaurant signed

 

IMG_20150728_110050_772 red door autog

IMG_20150728_095015_118

IMG_20150728_093536_742

IMG_20150728_093835_289

IMG_20150728_094017_526

 

IMG_20150728_094106_894

IMG_20150728_093958_690

IMG_20150728_093730_149

I wish I could feature an individual story on every business in Berlin because they all contribute to the overall good feelings that I got when I walked the charming streets. Do return tomorrow there will be a myriad of images that will illicit memories from the past. Hopefully the pictures will stir up thoughts of only the good times in your life.

Thi blog is brought to you by the author of the three time award-winning book Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Balance of Power and Economy

1 Comment

Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. ~ Jack Welsh

Beth Macy, author of the National Best Selling book Factory Man, held an author talk and book signing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado a few weeks ago. I attended and bought the book. It is a narrative non-fiction about Bassett Furniture Makers. The story is jam-packed with complicated family relationships, history and a whole community of people whose lives depended upon the livelihood of the textile and furniture industry in the town of Bassett, Virginia.

big_chair_little_chairAt the foundation of the story is a “full of himself” character who often strained the family dynamic with his leadership style. Add to that the exodus of industry – furniture products being manufactured overseas more cheaply, and the battle that ensued in saving an American town. What do you have? An impressive and fulfilling tale to tell.

A very well-researched book that award-winning journalist Macy writes in a compelling and “you’ve gotta hear this style.”

Business people in every industry at all eschelons of power will glean something from this story about a multi-generational family furniture dynasty.

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

Nurturing the Spirit

3 Comments

Life is just a chance to grow a soul. ~ A.Powell Davies

Building a life for oneself that includes all things fulfilling means different things to different people.

Some people have big life ambitions, some small and some none at all. Personality, culture, family and societal environments, values and education are just a few factors that play into how we design our lives or not.

We’ve all heard the expressions “life is what you make it or make the best of your life or you only have one life to live so make it a good one.” Self-reflection and self-growth is needed if you want to follow these adages because we need to know what makes us happy and then make a life in sync with our interests and passions.

4b6503d1c532e6edca80afe32abcf64d (3)For some, growing a soul is a very foreign concept! Here is an article that outlines seven steps to grow a soul that I wish to share with our readers.

Summertime is the best time of year to grow anything. It’s the high time. The sun is shining, we are feeling optimitic and spending more time outdoors in nature. What are you doing today nuture your spirit?

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

Growth of Self

1 Comment

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you will discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” ~ Alan Alda

Home Sweet Home! Where everything is familiar, safe, and there are few unknowns. I found out seven years ago that you can find fulfilling things when you leave your comfort zone and strike out on new adventures. I left my home state of more than 30 years and ventured into unknown territory, by moving to a place site unseen. It was a culture shock at first for an East Coast gal to move to remote ranching/ski community in northwestern Colorado. But I’ve grown to appreciate all that it’s brought to my life. It ended up being good for the mind, body and spirit and a time of enormous personal growth.

I jumped in wholeheartedly, and did something even more risky. I independently published a book, a memoir, about my remarkable young life.

My life is far from over, and there is more to discover about myself. I suspect it will come next time I step out of my comfort zone and into something else.

Speaking of comfort – did you know there is a place called Comfort, Texas? What I found interesting is there is little information about the place on their website. Perhaps that’s by design so visitors will come see the place for themselves.

What if you flyWhen was the last time you really stepped out of your safe environment? If nothing else you might learn you are stronger than you think!

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. Award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Film Friday: Pursue Your Passion

Leave a comment

Since this week’s blog theme has been about finding fulfillment in work and career, today I’d like to suggest some movies that will inspire you to pursue your passion. 

My personal favorite out of the movies listed is Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which I featured in a blog posting some time back.

come alive leadership

Have a fun weekend. The summer is slowly getting away from us, so enjoy every moment.

See you on Monday on All Things Fulfilling. I hope you found something meaningful that related to the context of your life in this week’s blogs postings.

This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard. Click here for information on her publications Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

Cowboy Ethics

3 Comments
  • Real courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne

I doubt I would have ever become acquainted with the term “cowboy ethics” unless I had moved West. Sure, I believe and practice what it is about but I’d never attached such a term to it.

In fact, when I began this blog All Things Fulfilling, before I even knew what cowboy ethics were, I had decided I’d use all the principles associated with the term as I went about my mission of inspiring, informing and educating people about independent publishing. The fact that I found personal fulfillment in my writing was a bonus and a God-send.

In an interview on Living a Richer Life talk radio some months ago, the host, Earl Cobb,  mentioned that many people say they are going to write a book but never accomplish their mission. “How is it that you were successful?” he asked.  When I set out to prove to myself that I could publish a book independently as an inexperienced writer, I took to heart the inspirational words I’d heard someone say “I wanted it more than I was afraid of it.” I also changed my vocabulary from I was going to try to write a book to AM writing and publishing a book. I eliminated the word try out of my vocabulary completely. What a difference it made in the outcome and I even became an award-winning author, to boot!

If you want to accomplish your goals and if you can’t eliminate the word try completely, this video featuring Jim Owen of Cowboy Ethics points out another way of looking at the word TRY. You will find it interesting!

Last week in the blog post A Shepard’s Tea, I mentioned having a celebration after the New Year. Perhaps a Hoe Down might be more appropriate since I found fulfillment using Cowboy Ethics in Colorado. Want to learn more about the principles behind the term Cowboy Ethics, visit this website. 

cowboy ethics

This blog is brought to you by award-winning author Sue Batton Leonard. For information about her publications Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul.

 

 

Life Colors Thought

Leave a comment

How long has it been since the biggest decision in your day was which hue to use out of a box of  sixty-four colors of crayons? If only life was that elementary.

Have you ever considered this thought?

simple-philosophy 6

No doubt about it, there is truth in that statement.

Unfortunately life is complex. Things aren’t always reduced to black and white.

Next time you’re agonizing over decisions or find life challenging – simplify your thought process by remembering this –

attitude isThis blog is brought to you by the author of short stories Lessons of Heart & Soul and Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

 

A Shepard’s Tea Party

3 Comments

If a man loves the labor of his trade, apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Cup Runneth OverAn exciting landmark is coming to All Things Fulfilling. Soon, one hundred-thousand readers will have hit this website which is amazing because when I began writing about what was an obscure concept to many people I had no idea how many would be interested. What I’ve concluded is that incorporating business with a thoughtful mission makes work more meaningful.  It puts the emphasis on conducting business for a reason beyond financial gain. It’s fulfilling way to live and work.

Shepard’s Garden, a Montana company is another company that has taken this idea and incorporated it into their products. They sell tea that has a verse attached to every tea bag which has been chosen “with the blessing, encouragement, and comfort of the customer in mind.” 

What a great way to reinforce the contemplative moments that come with the restorative ritual of having tea. If you are like me, the time I most appreciate a cup of tea is in the quiet of the morning. What better way to start the day than by reading a meaningful passage.

Check out this blog which gives thirty-one ideas for hosting a Shepard’s Tea Party. Most likely you will find something to inspire you, I have!

Stay tuned in the coming months. I am developing some ideas for the New Year that includes gifts for a few lucky recipients.

Tomorrow we will highlight another company of interest that puts a heart & soul centered mission at the core of their business.

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 by Sue Batton Leonard.

Good News: The Simplicity Concept

1 Comment

simple day 2To some people, living the simple life conjures up thoughts of living out in the woods with no running water, cooking over an open fire and being entirely self-sufficient by growing one’s own crops and hunting and fishing. A bit extreme for most people in this world of modern conveniences.

The good news is there is more than one way of living a pared down lifestyle. We can chose to simplify our lives in ways that might better suit us rather than returning to the homesteading concept.

In the interest of simplifying my blog writing today, here is a link to a great article that outlines 10 ways to simplify your lifestyle. Do a little soul-searching by assessing which choice suits your interests best.

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

Simply a Ray of Sunshine

Leave a comment

“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.” ~ Francis of Assisi

On my husband’s side of the family there has been some illness and a life was close to ending. However, things have taken a dramatic turn. I believe part of the reason that there is good news to report is because the person who stepped into the picture to deal with the situation, my husband’s first cousin, is a natural caretaker. In my mind, she’s a healing artist.  It’s what she has done all her life.  The situation could not have been handled more capably by anyone else in the family.

I’m so sorry that the task was so large that it meant uprooting her life for five months and tending to an enormous number of details.  She closed out one phase of her loved one’s life and lined up everything for new beginnings. Thankfully my husband’s cousin is detail oriented, and made sure every loose string was tied up. Thank you, Mary, for being the sunbeam. You, indeed, are God-sent.

sunshine and heartsThe course of events has made me think about how we forget to pay attention to simple everyday acts of kindness until disaster strikes. This article mentions things we can do to brighten the lives of others that perhaps many of us have never even thought of.  Check it out  because as it has been said before “life is not all about us.”

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.