Category Archives: faith

Uniting People and An Artist

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“In my opinion, the cornerstone of our country is free press – that’s the cornerstone.” ~ Milos Forman

I find it interesting, but not particularly surprising, that the NormanRockwellMuseum has been holding swearing in ceremonies for new U.S. Citizens. “At an art museum?” Some of you might be questioning.

norman-rockwell-golden-rule-do-unto-others-april-1-1961Think about Rockwell’s painting, The Golden Rule. In this image Rockwell captures people of all different faiths and nationalities, who have come to the United States seeking a better way of life. In my opinion, a swearing in ceremony among paintings that depict iconic American life is a good fit.

Personally, I hope that the original painting of The Golden Rule is front and center, next to the American flag, in the area where our newest U.S. citizens pledge their allegiance to our country. The image is a good reminder that if you work hard and conduct yourself with integrity and honesty, you can reap the benefits of our prosperous nation. But you must treat others as you want to be treated yourself – with respect and dignity. Our nation’s pioneers founded the country on these principles, and we should not be a nation of “handouts.”

If you would like to read more about the swearing in ceremonies at the NormanRockwellMuseum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, read this article.  http://bit.ly/1dVvgbO. And if you would like to order a giclee print of The Golden Rule, please visit www.art.com.  

I am proud to be an American citizen living in a country where independent thoughts, words and views can be aired on sites such as this. But, again, we must respect each others opinions and values because  “we are one nation under God” and there is “liberty and justice for all.”  We live in a place where the laws of he land must be abided by.

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling This blog brought to you by ww.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com .

Booksellers Dream Wedding

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“Dreams are illustrations….from the book your soul is writing about you.”

 ~ Marsha Norman

The best thing about planning any wedding is designing a day that is uniquely designed to reflect the tastes of bride and groom.

Last Saturday, The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont http://www.northshire.com/  closed early for a private party. The store hosted the wedding of Sarah, one of their booksellers.

The event was everything fulfilling that a bibliophile could dream of. Even the bride’s bouquet was made from book pages and I’ll bet she tossed the paper posies from the commanding iron staircase that is the outstanding architectural feature in the store.

bridal bouquet with book pages

northshire bookstore stairs

I hope “Miss America of the Independent Publishing Industry,” the Expresso Book Machine, gave up her famed status for the day and let the bride be the star. I don’t want the  EBM to feel downgraded or upstaged, so I’ll give her a repeat feature of the blog I wrote about her early last summer. Click on this link to read more. http://bit.ly/10RIonQ.

Rumor has it that one of the wedding gifts was a handmade quilt with titles and cover images of the bride and grooms very favorite books. Imagine the pressure of having to decide which publication should be included and which will be left out. Avid readers have a long list of favorites, and I am sure there were too many books and too little space on the quilt’s surface.

I wonder if the couple first encountered each other between the shelves of the book store? Do you think they had custom written wedding vows that included a little poetry? Ahhh..the beauty of a relationship where two people come together with the common interests….and the advantages of owning an independent bookstore. “Nothing is set in stone,” as it is etched on the pavement leading into the Northshire Bookstore. That means you can do anything you please including closing early to host a booksellers dream wedding.

To learn more about this event, please visit the Facebook page of the Northshire Bookstore. http://on.fb.me/1cZVDKU

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Journey toward Enlightenment

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Words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels. ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan

“Okay…it’s 4:30 in the morning and any minute we’re off to the airport…Burlington VT to Newark, NJ then 14 hrs to Bejing, from there to Mongolia and the Gobi–the first leg of the journey has begun!” ~writes Clemma Dawsen from Sandgate, Vermont.

I doubt my friend Clemma has taken her feline. She’d be more likely to transport her horse. She’s an equestrian, and finds the same kind of fulfillment in owning an equine as the Dali Lama does in having a cat. If you missed the story about His Holiness and his feline, scroll down to yesterday’s blog.

clemma dawsen

Clemma is part of a group that is traveling from Vermont to Tibet to learn more about personal fulfillment. This group is made up of artists of all types. She will be journaling as she travels, she is the poet/writer of the group.

I am so proud of Clemma. She is deserving of this assignment. I met her when I worked as education coordinator at the VermontStateCraftCenter “Frog Hollow.” She is one of those kinds of people you feel as if you have known forever – warm, loving and friendly. We “clicked” immediately. Although we only worked together for a relatively short time, she has never left my heart. When we met, we had a lot in common – both of us had sons, who were only children. They attended the same high school and both boys have artistic spirits. We’d share notes on teen rearing a lot.

I encourage you to follow Clemma and her fellow adventurers on the blog Triptych Journey: The Alchemy of Stories, Art and Travel. http://triptychjourney.org/  .

The group is also comprised of a project advisor (a Buddist who has more than two dozen books on spirituality to his credit), a documentary cinematographer, a photographer, and a choreographer. Their mission “is to tell compelling world stories that speak to all of us. Using multimedia arts and expression, Triptych Journey connects audiences to vulnerable people, cultures and ecology, instilling values of conservation and preservation in a rapidly changing world.”

Happy Travels to All! I can’t wait to be enlightened about what is learned from this experience that will take  these artists to far off reaches of the world.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com. Come on back to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow.

Curling Up with Cat Books

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In ancient times, cats were worshipped as Gods, they have not forgotten this. ~ Terry Pratchett

Ok cat lovers, wherever you are….today’s blog has been written with you in mind.

Have you ever wondered why people chose cats over dogs? Two of the top reasons cats are preferred over dogs by so many people is their independent spirit and their low decibel level. So it’s no wonder that the Dalai Lama has been smitten with a kitten. A feline fits much better into the serenity picture than a canine. After all, a fulfilling life for His Holiness is a peaceful co-existence with the world and a purring kitty indicates supreme contentment.

A canine just wouldn’t cut it with Buddhist traditions.  Interruptions in meditation would be too frequent having to let a dog in and out, whereas cats are self-sufficient. Furthermore, a yapping dog breaks the silence and concentration required to live the lifestyle revered by monks.

dali lamas catThere are two books that are hitting the top of the sales charts about the Dali Lama.  The Dali Lama’s Cat is written from the perspective of an animal describing what it is like to be the pet in residence. Greeting dignitaries and always having to be on guard and exhibit good behavior is of utmost importance.

Many readers are also curling up with a second book by David Michie called The Art of Purring. In this publication, His Holiness’ Cat enlightens the reader and shares wisdom about what makes for happiness and everlasting contentment. Both of these books are  good reads.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the spiritual ways of the Tibetan people, and how the relationship between mankind and feline is harmonious and satisfying will enjoy these books.

art of purring

Do return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow. I am going to share with you a blogsite that will be chronicling a journey of a group of people who have begun their travels to Tibet to gain insight from their first hand experiences on the meaning of personal fulfillment.

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

Happy National Read a Book Day

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“Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.” ~ Carlos Ruin Zafon

bookdayHappy National Read a Book Day! Reading is one of the best resources for personal growth and development. We can enhance our lives greatly by being open and considering ideas presented by others. One concept, one spark of an idea, from a book can change us for a lifetime for the better. Today, on All Things Fulfilling, I am going to leave you with a list of the top 10 spiritual growth books that have been published over the past fifty years. You will notice that the Bible is not on this list. Perhaps that is because in modern times, the definition of religion and spirituality are two different things.http://bit.ly/19oUydj How many of these publications grace your bookshelves?

There is a book that I recently encountered that contains some synchronistic element from each of the books on this list. The writing is so straight-forward that is it easy to grasp each and every concept presented without having to spend precious time trying to discern what the message is all about. The author knows something about the best road to travel to soar with success in one’s life because he has ministered to the spiritual needs of others for sixty-six years.

I will be presenting the book on All Things Fulfilling and will give our readers a “heads up” before I post a blog about it, so you will not miss it. You’ve already fulfilled the mission of the day, by visiting this website and reading an on-line missive. Have a wonderful Friday and come back on Monday to this space where independent thoughts, words and views are 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 & ordering

Labors of Today’s Innovators

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“Thou, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labor.” ~ Leonardo daVinci

Today, I am going to spare my labors and shift the spot light to an author who has a lot of good things to say in his books about how to think and work creatively. He has written a number of publications that contain fascinating thoughts and concepts.  For more information on Michael Gelb’s writings and workshops, please visit his website. http://michaelgelb.com/

Here are a few of Michael Gelb’s titles:

Work Like DaVinci: Gaining the Creative Advantage in Your Business and Career  Click for info & ordering

michael gelb book 1

 Mind Mapping: How to Liberate Your Natural Genius Click for info & ordering michael gelb4

 Innovate Like Edison: The Five-Step System for Breakthrough Business Success Click for info & ordering
michael gelb 2

Body Learning: Regain your Natural Poise Click for info & ordering

michael gelb3

I’ll be back tomorrow with some information for parents about a contest that encourages children to use their creativity by writing a story. There are no entry fees, so every child can participate and use their God-given artistic abilities.

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Find something that fulfills your own sense of fun. I’m going for a bike ride!

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for info & ordering Return tomorrow for more independent thoughts, words and views from All Things Fulfilling.

Art at the Heart of the Story

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“Life is a quarry, out of which we are to mold and chisel and complete a character.” ~Samuel Butler

Yesterday we featured a soon-to-be released book by Pearl S Buck. The unpublished manuscript was found many years after her death, and the story is projected to be one of Buck’s best publications yet. If you missed out on the blog about The Eternal Wonder, scroll down and read it.

Photo Below: Pearl S Buck

Pearl S BuckToday I’d like to highlight one of Pearl S Buck’s lesser known stories, called This Proud Heart. The story is about a sculpture artist who is torn between her second marriage and her craft. Her life becomes a juggling act to try to find balance between her relationship with her husband and her art. I wonder how many artists worldwide have this theme weaving in and out of their own personal life and career.

The struggles of the main character, Susan, were particularly burdensome because in the 1930’s when the story takes place, few women ever made difficult choices between marriage and a profession. Overwhelmingly, women stayed the course and made self-sacrifices in the best interest of the marriage. And gaining credibility during that era as an artist or in any business, for women, was much more difficult.

Artists, put This Proud Heart on your reading list. Click for info & ordering
 It is fulfilling to read something other than contemporary fiction every once in a while.  Reacquaint yourself with a classic from time to time, you’ll most likely rediscover some of the characteristics of why novels like this become classics in the first place.

This Proud Heart can be downloaded on Nook and other digital readers, as an e-book. Click for info & ordering

Do return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling. I will be interviewing an artist about all sorts of things. This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for Info & ordering

Pearl S Buck Fans: Get Ready

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“I am always glad when any of my books can be put into an inexpensive edition, because I like to think that any people who might wish to read them can do so. Surely books ought to be within reach of everybody.”  ~ Pearl S Buck

I learned something exciting today. There is a new publication by the late Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973), that is about to be released, in October.  The Eternal Wonder will be available on-line and in the brick and mortar book marketplace.Click for Info & Ordering

In her late years, Pearl S Buck resided in Danby, Vermont, a quiet rural community in southern Vermont. Surprisingly, Buck’s unpublished manuscript, a coming of age story, was found in a storage container in Texas some forty years after her death, please visit read this article about the discovery.  http://n.pr/19ZgzTu.

This book will be available in digital format, as well as in print, and it is bound to be popular with fans of Pearl S. Buck. As with many of Buck’s other novels, inspiration for this story came from being the daughter of Southern Presbyterian missionaries and living in China. Her other classic books such as The Good Earth, The Good Mother: A Novel, Sons, East Wind West Wind, This Proud Heart have seen a resurgence in interest since many were out of print and now they have been converted into e-books.

More than seventy of her literary works had been published by the time of her death, and The Good Earth was adapted for film by MGM in 1937. She is a Pulitzer Prize Winner and a Nobel Peace Prize Winner for this masterpiece also. To read more about the life of Pearl S Buck, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/19Z5eD9 .  

The Eternal Wonder I look forward to reading The Eternal Wonder once it is released. Amazon Books has said The Eternal Wonder “is perhaps her most personal and passionate work, and will no doubt appeal to the millions of readers who have treasured her novels for generations.” 

If you are a fan of the great classics novels, many of them are now available as free e-books thanks to Project Gutenberg.

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected. Click for Info & Ordering Do return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Conflict and Lessons

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Life is a circle. The end of one journey is the beginning of the next.”
― Joseph M. Marshall III, The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History

I read a marvelous article recently in Poets and Writers Magazine about character development in stories and it got me thinking about real life people. Is it not true that some of the most interesting individuals you have ever met have incredibly complex life journeys?

If every thing in life was smooth, easy and breezy, our personal stories would be boring and there would be little reason for memoir writing. Out of strife and struggle comes personal growth, and by reading tales written by others we meet some very interesting characters who inspire us to become better people.

art of perseveranceThere is a book I encountered on Goodreads called Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance.  This book may be a good resource for writers who are frustrated and disappointed in their progress or at a loss for direction. Sage advice on not giving up is incorporated into this book. Rather than the typical new age jargon, wisdom of the ages from the Lakota Indian is shared through the writings. Click for info & ordering

Author Joseph M Marshall III, a Native American writer, inspires others in his workshops on character and leadership and through his other publications. Please visit his website to learn more about Marshall as a writer and motivational speaker. http://www.josephmarshall.com .

This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime:Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.Click for info and ordering See you tomorrow on http://www.AllThingsFulfilling.com. The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

Film Friday: Grace Unplugged

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 “In the rhythm of life, sometimes we find ourselves out of tune.” ~ Azgraybebly Josland

grace unpluggedLet’s start the morning with a little movie trivia on this Film Friday. Alabama is the setting for Grace Unplugged, a new movie that will be released in theatres on October 4, 2013. Parts of this movie depended on a lot of extras, however, the producers found that Saturday filming made it difficult to recruit the people needed. Why? People were unusually disinterested – it seemed they didn’t care about getting their “mugs” in the shooting of a movie for cinema. That’s because the movie was filmed during football season in a state where the sport is King.

So, what is Grace Unplugged all about? A young musician who has found her audience yet outside of her community of fans, she is undiscovered. In her desire to become a top recording star Grace rejects everything she has ever known and moves to Hollywood in search for stardom. Are there elements in her previous life that will help keep her grounded?

The name of the Director, Brad Silverman, may be familiar from his other movies “No Greater Love” and It Really Happened: The Flight of Apollo 11 (TV documentary short).

Put this film produced by Lionsgate on your list for fulfilling fall movie viewing.

Click here for info & ordering Grace Unplugged
Have a good weekend, everybody.

Return on Monday to All Things Fulfilling. This blog brought to you by author Sue Batton LeonardClick for info on Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com . The space where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.