Category Archives: relationships

Artists – All in the Family

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“I don’t paint things.  I only paint the difference between things.”   ~Henri Matisse 

I often think about the things that people find to be fulfilling and why people pursue the career paths that they do. Don’t you?  I suppose I find this subject of interest, because my husband and I are still scratching our heads trying to figure out how we became parents to a filmmaker/visual effects artist son. The influences are not very apparent, that is for sure. 

In attempting to gain some insight into the dynamics of my own family, I recently had an insightful and interesting on-line conversation about this very subject with Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, a very exceptional painter. Gladys and her husband are parents to Rafael http://bit.ly/ec4Bvn , a 23 year old emerging tenor, and semi-finalist with 2010 Metropolitan Opera. He soon will be making his debut performance with the Houston Symphony. Artist (painter) Gladys http://roldandemoras.com/ explained to me that her husband, an engineering professor has always also been a musician, poet, choir director in a church and writes musicals. All three of their children were exposed to mostly classical music, at a very young age, in fact, while still in the womb. As young adults, all are involved in some way in the Arts – as tenor, music educator and sculpture artist. Perhaps this family could be a prime example of the  Mozart effect, which has been said to enhance children’s intellectual development. What do you think? http://bit.ly/f93RAn. 

To see Rafael in the HBO production of Master class with Placido Domingo, please visit http://bit.ly/bkgWiv and to read Rafael’s essay “My Masterclass with Maestro Placido Domingo”, please visit www.youngarts.com. 

As I continue to further explore in my own mind, on this snowy day in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, how our son came to his fulfilling life of creating films, I am going to stare at some magnificent art! I will let you know when I have my answers, which could be strictly sharing my intuition rather than facts.

This painting is by Gladys Roldan-de-Moras. “Song from a Secret Garden” . For more information on the painting go to the artist’s website  http://roldandemoras.com/

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Using Stepping Stones

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“Being involved in the well-being and advancement of one’s own community is a most natural thing to do.” ~ Clarence Clemons

 Business people, non-profit organizations, companies selling products and services are not the only people who are jumping on the bandwagon to seize the opportunity to use independent publishing as a stepping stone for fulfillment and success. 

Columnist and book critic Cathy Beck was not to be stopped when dreams of having her manuscript acquired and released by a “publishing giant” were turned to dust. She focused her energies on independently publishing her manuscript “Cheap Cabernet” and marketed it inexhaustibly. The result? Success! She sprung open the doors of opportunity through entrepreneurial prowess and drove herself as an author to even greater heights than she dreamed. Please visit http://bit.ly/hE6FY4 to read her complete story of fulfillment. 

The moral of Cathy’s story:

  • Independent publishing opens doors to opportunity in unexpected ways.
  • Never give up
  • There are no problems, only solutions
  • Stepping stones often lead to bigger things

Cathy’s story is only one example of how the shifts in the publishing industry toward non-traditional publishing have brightened the outlook and led ordinary people to do extraordinary things through the power of books, films and music.

Let this be the year to begin to tell your story of success!

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From a Personal Perspective

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“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your  heart in it, take yourself out of it.” ~ Unknown

Although I took last week off from the blogging world, make no mistake, I was still working hard. I spent my time reading and writing and ciphering, in preparation for the New Year as a business owner offering e-commerce and e-marketing services to those who have chosen a path of fulfilling their lives by combining business and the arts.

The arts is a big, broad term that in my opinion includes those persons who have made it an art to live according to what they believe to be true and right and good. There are those who practice the art of excellence in customer service, work in the healing arts, the art of design, the art of creating beautiful spaces and faces,  the art of spirituality, the art of working in a capacity for the betterment of this world, not even to mention the stereotypical artists – writers, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, visual artists and performing arts, to name a few.

As I meandered through the aisles of the library last week, I came across a book in the inspirational section called “This I Believe.”  www.thisibelieve.org.  Each essay is a proclamation from an individual who has a unique perspective on what they believe to be true in their lives. Each statement offers a personal “raison d’etre.” They are acknowledgements of what fulfills each individual with hope and makes sense of their world, no matter what their history or mission in life has been.

The end of the book challenges each reader to write their own 350-500 word narrative based on a “This I Believe” statement. For people who are driven by their passions in their work, this task should be a breeze! For me, as a business owner, it is!  My own personal statement is what makes me rise to and enjoy the challenges each and every day.

In the interest of keeping this blog short and not too laborious to read, I will state my “This I Believe” briefly. “I believe those who use their passions in their work, live the most fulfilling lives. I believe, as a business owner, that by serving others, so that our clients can focus on what they do best, this world will be a better place.”

Write your own “This I Believe” statement now! It will bring to light to your core values and it will drive you to do your best each and every day.

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A New Chapter

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“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not going all the way, and not starting.”  ~ Buddha 

A New Year, a fresh start! Puts me in mind of a story I recently heard about truck driver, turned bounty hunter, turned Metropolitan Opera star. Do you know about the transformative life that Carl Tanner has created for himself by finally fulfilling his dream of becoming an opera singer? There are elements to this tale that movies are made of. It is a chronicle of coming out of the darkness and into the light. To read more about this inspiring story of fulfilling one’s aspirations in life, please visit http://nyti.ms/hc4hgc. 

Each and every one of us has a story of longings. The barriers we place upon our selves are the closed doors in our minds. In this New Year, I will be speaking with all sorts of folks who have dreams of propelling their businesses and their careers to new heights through the power of independent publishing and also through new, creative approaches to marketing themselves and their businesses through the internet. We can steer them in fulfilling  those dreams. 

A New Year is a time for new beginnings.  We can begin to fulfill our dreams as soon as we decide it is time to make the star, in us, more visible to others. What have you resolved to do this year to quench your yearnings and begin a new chapter in your life?

 

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Books Inspiring Transformation

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 “The greatest thing you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to them their own.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli

In this economy, many people are searching for meaning and answers.  As suggested in the book “Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution is Changing the Way we Buy, Sell and Live,” personal transformations have begun from a materialistic to a more fulfilling, values-based way of living. Focus has changed from wants vs. needs, from debt and high overhead to living within means, from excessive use of energy to thinking and living in a more sustainable way. Many are searching for answers through inspirational books, so it is a perfect time to give the gift of a book that will inspire creative, problem-solving thinking. 

The following list of books, Evvy Award winners almost all, provide valuable reading for those on your list who want to see change in themselves, their families and their world, beginning now! Consider these when putting together your holiday buying list. 

For the Children:

  • Ophelia’s Oracle
  • Sarah O’Hara: The Gift of Fairy Wings
  • Heart Light Girls: Beauty’s Secret 

For the Dog-Lover:

  • The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer 

For the Parent:

For the Career Minded:

  • Harvest the Bounty of your Career 

For the Historical Fiction Fan:

  • The Macsen Treasure Series 

For the Environmentalist:

  • Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet 

For the Poetry Lover:

  • Have you Ever Held a Mountain 

For  More Inspiration:

  • Waiting for Jack
  • The Messy Buddha
  • Shiny Shoes on Dusty Paths  www.joannemahar.com
  • Let Your Innate Sing 

The economy has inspired the way we publish, buy and sell books too! For more information on these books, the independent presses that published them, and how to order, please visit http://bit.ly/foZ5nE. These books can also be found on the world wide web using your favorite search engine.

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