Category Archives: Women in Business

Putting Balance Back in Life

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“Art tends toward balance, order, judgment of relative values, the laws of growth, the economy of living – very good things for anyone to be interested in.” ~ Robert Henri

After a winter season that seems to have lasted into infinity, it as if I am looking through dirty windows. I am feeling shuttered up, listless. Creativity and inspiration? What’s that?  Funny, how the weather affects us.

Yesterday, gave me hope I was looking for – it was warm and sunny. Finally, snow only exists on upper elevations. I am so looking forward to spring and summer. This week I will set off to visit business clients in the other parts of the country. I have a lot to accomplish but, a change of scenery, alone, is bound to bring all kinds of fulfilling things to reinvigorate my spirit.

Strings Music Festival will again be at the centerpiece of my summer. I love that big name stars including Lyle Lovett this summer will come to entertain in this remote northwestern town. In the other seasons, the piled-up snow is replaced with artistic experiences, of all kinds, heaped up-high. http://bit.ly/151Hi0g .

I’m also excited about a July event – A Day for Writers, the 32nd annual, sponsored by the Steamboat Writers Group. John Calderazzo and Clay Haskell will help us explore writing from the perspective of an essayist and screenwriter. And of course, the ever-popular Five Minutes of Fame, hosted by Cesare Rosati, will give local authors an opportunity to read from their works in progress. This year, I may just have to add my voice. Although “regulars” have heard it, there are others who have not. http://on.fb.me/10LKPhM .

art towns in AmericaGet out and enjoy local arts in your community, this summer. And if your plans include travel, this book may come in handy, if you are looking to visit some arts destinations.  <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0881506419/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0881506419&linkCode=as2&tag=allthinfulf-20&linkId=CW25SELCLFUU7OPF”>The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining, Fourth Edition</a><img src=”http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=allthinfulf-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0881506419&#8243; width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” />
by John Villani, can be ordered through e-commerce.

Travel back tomorrow to  All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views  are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

The Song of Hope

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twitter-bird-winkingThe other day when I was participating in World Book Night, I read the full list of books that were being distributed as part the event. Most were previous years best sellers. Some I had read, but not too many. My nose is usually between the covers of one my clients independently published books, where there’s plenty of fulfilling reading. There are not enough hours in the day to hit all the NY Times best sellers.

Reading the list led me to wonder how many books do you have to sell to be considered a best selling author? Research tells me 5,000 copies or more.  Clearly, most authors write because they love the process of creating a satisfying story.

But, for every writer out there, there is an element of hope among us. Hope that our books will do much better than we ever anticipated. Some of us allow ourselves to dream beyond our wildest imaginations.

dickinson on hope

Don’t we all dream of better tomorrows? That’s what inspires writers to get up every morning.

I hope you’ll return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. A  LIVELY Friday is planned. We will be sharing independent thoughts, words and views that are all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Second Annual World Book Night

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Book GiverWe shouldn’t teach great books, we should teach a love of reading. ~ B.F. Skinner

World Book Night was yesterday. As a representative of our local independent publishers networking group, We Write Steamboat, I was a Book Giver. Our group received a box of free books from the organizers of WBN titled The Language of Flowers.

I visited a senior citizen’s housing complex that offers a small collection of books for it’s residents. I also stopped by the Doak Walker Care Center, an “Eden Alternative Home” for senior living. It has the distinction of having national recognition, and it also houses a small library for its residents. I added to each of  their acquisitions. http://bit.ly/XUp3EG. My next stop was the Steamboat Community Center where seniors go for a noontime meal, and passed out some free books there.

A  group of people who will be volunteering their time to ready a community garden for planting as soon as the weather is conducive, will also be the recipients of the book.Right now, the ground is still frozen and there is still snow in northwest Colorado.  The title will be appealing to their interests.

The mission of World Book Night is to promote literacy. There were 6,000 towns and cities and 25,000 volunteers who participated in yesterday’s event which began in the United Kingdom two years ago. To read more about this growing organization, please visit http://www.us.worldbooknight.org .

I enjoy being involved with this event because it feels good to give to others in the community. If you live in an area where accessibility to good books is a problem, sign up to be a Book Giver next year and help distribute donated titles to your own town or city.

The objective is that when the recipients are finished with the book, if they do not want to keep the book for their home library, they will pass it along to someone else who find personal fulfillment from reading it. Happy Reading!

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Hazy Language becomes Clear

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“Sometimes in our confusion, we see not the world as it is, but the world though eyes blurred by the mind.” ~ Unknown

This morning, I’ve been thinking about all the blogs I have written over the past few years. Some mornings, I’ve had a very clear vision for what I want to write about and other days, it’s a hazy start.

For me, the key is not to aim for perfection on the first draft. Eventually something usually takes hold inside of me, the words begin to flow. Soon a clear vision comes through and I find direction in my writing.

Occasionally, however, I have to scrap everything and start all over. On those days, I vow I must put in an order, over the internet, for Joseph M. Williams and Gregory G. Colomb’s publication Style: Toward Clarity and Grace.

Style Toward Clarity and GraceAccording to Williams, a professor of English at University of Chicago, until 2008, “it is good to write clearly, and anyone can.” This book is a good resource for all writers to put on their bookshelf because there isn’t a writer who doesn’t face the challenge of not being able to write succinctly from time to time.

There’s a new generation of students, however, who we will feature tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, who are being taught to understand cryptic and obscure language at a very young age. Not all folks can interpret the symbols behind the writing they are studying.

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Reflections on the Writing Process

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Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn’t wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. ~Sharon O’Brien

This morning as I open this blank Word document, I think of the adage that “every person has a story to tell.” A white page gives us a space to create, a place to give birth to a beginning and an ending. Our imaginations can compose a fictional tale without a bit of truth or we can recount a factual story with unswerving loyalty or create a composite, with a bit of both.  Even with writing a narrative that is one hundred percent true, there is choice in the words we use and the voice we use to tell it. What an opportunity! That’s the beauty of writing.

If you are a person who has a story that needs to be told, I urge you to begin writing. If you need support, look for a local writers group in your area, or take a writing class at a local college or on-line. Networking with other authors and attending writer’s conferences or seminars also is helpful throughout the process. Unbiased feedback, from others can be invaluable because it is difficult to critique your own work.

You will be surprised how a tale will begin to take shape all by itself, if you allow it. You’ll learn all kinds of things you never knew about yourself or your characters in the process. Writing is a beautiful exercise in self-discovery and perhaps discovery about others.

Enjoy creating. It will be reflected in your work.

beginnings and endings

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Celebrating the Publishing Process

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Today, I awake with very mixed feelings. Thrilled that the beginning of May is soon to arrive, it means, for me, escape from still snowy Colorado. In about two weeks I’ll be on my way out of here for some business dealings. The change of scenery and new things to blog about, from another perspective, will be refreshing. I’ll find plenty of inspiration along the way. I look forward to also visiting art galleries, museums, independent bookstores and other things that bring me fulfillment.

Yet, there is regret and sadness that duty calls me away at this time of year. For the first time since I arrived in Colorado four years ago, I will miss the EVVY book award night. Authors from We Write Steamboat who have submitted to the contest are hoping to be award-winners! It has been such a pleasure to connect, network and share information about the industry with We Write Steamboat members and with other people who share connections with me through the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. CIPA is a very resourceful group of professionals  who support, educate and provide services to help authors who have chosen to publish their books in a non-traditional way – on The Fast Track! http://bit.ly/10cCp1Y.

It ‘s hard to describe the pleasure that comes with writing a book. The process is a quite a learning experience.  To become an award-winning author, with an award-winning book, is very satisfying and you can see the JOY on the authors faces as they claim their prizes. Today, I’d like to say “Good Luck to all independent publishers who have submitted to the various book contests this spring.”  Tis the Season and I hope it’s jolly! Even if you don’t come home with an award, look for the rewards that you found in the process.

Wishbone DogReturn tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Film Friday: Funny Retirement Movies

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“If one has no sense of humor, one is in trouble.”  ~ actress Betty White & author of  If You Ask Me

One of the secrets to a long life is humor. Being able to laugh at ourselves as we age takes the sting out of the loss of our capacities. Everyone ages at different rates, and thankfully, there are things we can do to forestall the aging process.

Watching funny films is good for people’s spirits at any age. On this Film Friday, here are a few suggestions for comedy movies about retirement.

• Gran Torino Click for Info & Ordering

• The Bucket List Click for Info & Ordering

• Up Click for Info & Ordering

• The ArtistClick for Info & Ordering

• About Schmidt Click for Info & Ordering

• The Notebook Click for Info & Ordering

• Something’s Got to Give Click for Info & Ordering

Betty White

Actress Betty White at 91, still actively working

A Grande Dame of Living with Humor and a Fulfilling Life

Have a fun weekend everyone. Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. and Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Click for Info about Sue’s memoir

Beyond a Working Life

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“Pick your passion and pursue it.” Psychologists say it’s good for emotional and mental health to have hobbies. Some people love to travel, others like stamp collecting, knitting, quilting, hunting, cooking, drawing, writing, baseball card collecting. It doesn’t much matter how you like to use your spare time, hobbies contribute to a sense of personal fulfillment .

Finding and making time for our interests is sometimes a challenge. Balance is the solution and this can be tricky for people who work long hours, are raising families and growing careers. If you can incorporate what you love to do into a business, more power to you! It is the best way to feel personally satisfied and work never feels like, well, work.

living-with-passion-and-purpose-quote-maya-angelouPeople are living longer. Nowadays people retire from one career, and then start up a small business which involves their passions. They become more personally satisfied than ever because they love what they are doing, even though they are continuing to work much later in life.

If you are at a crossroads, where you’re near retirement age, but not ready to sit in a recliner and put your feet up, here is an article from Entrepreneur Magazine that gives six tips about Turning your Passion into Profit. http://bit.ly/1496EZG .

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do for a new career in your “golden years?”

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Armchair Travel to Europe

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armchair travelpg“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.” ~ John F Kennedy

Europe is an old civilization compared to the United States of America. Tourists from all over the world flock to museums in Rome, Paris, Venice, London and other cities as part of their European vacations. The Louvre has approximately seven to eight million visitors every year. People enjoy taking in a wide variety of art reflected in paintings and other artifacts – from Celtic art to the Renaissance and Baroque eras, as well as Neoclassical, Romantic and the Impressionistic period. A chance to see  architectural elements many hundreds of years old, are reason enough to visit European cities – turrets, towers, flying buttresses, steeples, spires, vaulted ceilings and gargoyles, embellish the buildings.

If you are a connoisseur of European culture, there is a new blog that you will enjoy called Castles and Coffeehouses: Exploring European Art and History. http://castlesandcoffeehouses.com/. Blog writer C S Carley shares all sorts of interesting information geared around the humanities. And of course, she can’t mention European art and history without including just a little bit of how religion fits into the overall picture. It played such a major role in the world’s development during the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Travel along with C S Carley as she shares her knowledge of places abroad and finds all kinds of fulfilling things to explore and write about.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Four Fulfilling Words

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“I am who I am because of the choices I made yesterday.” ~ Unknown

Four words with powerful meaning –

• I AM
• I CAN
• I WILL
• I DO

help define and fulfill our sense of self. These words took on even greater meaning when I began working in the independent publishing industry.

positiveThose simple words that have kept me on track. Every time I’ve faced a challenge, and thought  “I’m going to try to,” I’ve substituted it with one the four important self-fulfilling statements, and then taken the necessary action that is required to complete the task or challenge.

Used to be independent publishers had to go it alone, but things have changed in the publishing industry.  According to an article dated 11-11-12 in the Miami Herald, http://hrld.us/17bIrAH, Bowker (the storehouse of publishing statistics) says independent publishing “has nearly tripled, growing 287% since 2006 and 236,625 print and e-titles” were non-traditionally published in 2011 alone. Since then, the e-book industry has prospered further and print-on-demand publishing has grown also.

The stigma behind independent publishing of books, films and movies has nearly disappeared, as standards and technology for desktop publishing have improved. In this day and age, it is often difficult to distinguish between an independent and traditionally published book.

If you are considering an independent publishing project,  now there is help and support available. I am, I can, I will and I do help people understand the newest generation of publishing through the webinar On the Fast Track: The Independent Publishing  Industry http://bit.ly/10cCp1Y and through the  information provided on All Things Fulfilling. Join us regularly on this on-line site.

 This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.