Category Archives: literacy

Transported to Another Realm

Leave a comment

The book to read is not the one which thinks for you, but the one which makes you think. ~James McCosh

I purposely disassociated myself from my home reading environment over the past few days. For three hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I sat in our local library on a hard wooden chair sitting bolt upright at a table, sequestered in a corner, engaged in a story. I wanted to remove myself from as much external stimuli as possible and fully commit myself to a paranormal reading experience, literally and figuratively. Away from all thoughts of jumping up to do the laundry, do the dishes, or pay bills. You know how it goes -there is always something we can think of that we ought to be doing besides reading. I took no chances of being distracted by a lovely “cuppa hot tea” while reading the book, or let myself experience how nice it is to settle in and read surrounded by soft pillows. 

book transporting-520x366Sure, there were plenty of cushy chairs I could have chosen in the library, but the only thing I wanted to get comfortable with was the story. It worked! I forgot all about my aching derriere as I sat on a chair that felt as hard as stone. Completely engrossed in a fulfilling narrative,  I was transported into some other realm. Here are other tips for focusing while reading.http://bit.ly/12lWpdY.

In the coming days, I will be featuring information about the publication I was reading, which I perceive would be put in the new genre of books, that is growing – paranormal fiction. The book also fits into the context of what is beginning to take up more space in library catalogs  – electronic books (e-books or as some refer to them, digital books). 

Return tomorrow. We will be broaching a subject on human behavior. What with the news stories we learn of in this in this day and age, I am beginning to think the behavior we will discuss is paranormal. Perhaps by focusing on it, we will find that it is  more common than what we realize. For our future world, I certainly hope so.

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

Books and Films with Inspirational Messages

1 Comment

“No heart has ever suffered when it has gone in search of its dream.” ~ Paul Coelho

heart pillows stuffedFebruary is Happy Heart Month! Over the course of the past month, messages from inspirational books and films have been at the core of our minister’s sermons at the UnitedMethodistChurch in Steamboat. Many people without religious backgrounds have read and appreciated these books also. They have been New York Times bestsellers. Here are the titles:

  • The Alchemist by Paul Coelho  (the movie is coming in 2014)

Click for info & ordering

  • Tuesdays with Morrie  by Mitch Ablom   (film adaptation also available)

Click for info & ordering

  • The River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean  (film by Robert Redford)

Click for info & ordering The authors of each of these books have created stories that take the reader on a journey into their own hearts, in search of the meaning of life and the Universe. Thought provoking, illuminating and inspiring, they raise awareness of some of the best parts of human nature, as well as stir up more difficult issues we are faced with as people who were created with faults, weaknesses and a full range of emotions that run from admirable to undesirable. The truth of the matter is that good books and films give us reason  to stop and ponder.

If you are searching for good reads with heart and soul content, you may want to consider Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected.

Visit us tomorrow on 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.

New Generation Libraries

Leave a comment

“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things….create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut  

When I moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado back in 2008, I felt like I had hit the jackpot when I saw Bud Werner Memorial Library. It had just undergone renovation and had opened only three months prior to my arrival. The improvement in physical structure (addition of approximately 26,000 sq feet) is not all that  impressed me, however. Since then, the library has become a real hub of community activity. Library services have been expanded and updated to accommodate for the digital age. The library’s computer technology is relied on, heavily, for people in the surrounding rural communities where internet access is a problem. 

quote on librariesI enjoy learning about other communities, throughout the country, who have recently built or expanded libraries with an eye on the next generation of readers. There is a library, in Tiverton, Rhode Island, which I am very excited about. It has been in the planning and developmental stages for many years.; construction begins this coming May.

Union Studio Architects: Architecture and Community Design of Providence, Rhode Island was instrumental in bringing the vision for the project together. http://bit.ly/WMDsiX . A young, hip firm, founded in 2001, draws plans for what they see as being fulfilling living in community development for the next generation. I am proud to say one of my nieces, Kara, is a contemporary in the company and helped design the Tiverton Library.

To learn more about the Union Studio Architects and their philosophy on new urbanism, here is a short video. http://bit.ly/YC4yyf .  Check out the movie star, Stanley, in this video – he is as charming as Barney, President Bush’s, dog who  sadly went to doggie heaven this week.

I look forward to seeing this facility when it is completed.

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.

 

On the Bookshelf, Eye Level

1 Comment

“Only one thing is impossible for God: To find sense in any copyright law on the planet.”  ~Mark Twain

copyright clearance for creativesWelcome back.  Today, we will provide you with very useful information. If it is not helpful to you now, it may be in the future, so bookmark and save it.

A new book, independently published, titled Copyright Clearance for Creatives: A Guide for independent publishers and their support providers has just been placed in my bookcase, on an eye-level shelf, right where I can find and reach for it easily.

A desperately needed resource book, the publication includes very valuable information on things like:

  • Sample letters for seeking permission on using quotes, photos, song lyrics.
  • Laws and regulations regarding use of copyrighted content
  • How to create a tracking log for permissions
  • On-line search sites for obtaining copyright information for periodicals, books, music and images such as maps, labels, cartoons and fine art images.
  • Visual art permissions agreements
  • The differences between public domain, stock  and private collection images.

Husband and wife team, Joyce L Miller, and Dr. Daniel C Miller, authors of Copyright Clearance for Creatives, provide leading edge information on rules and regulations and licensing of digital content. This book will need to be updated frequently to keep pace with ever changing copyright regulations. Thus, it is available paperback and e-book format, so that it can be easily revised and kept current. Click for Info & Ordering.

joyce l millerA little background about the qualifications of the authors – Joyce L. Miller is a consultant to independent publishers and is co-founder and co-owner of Integrated Writers Services. http://www.writerservices.biz/. She has over twenty years experience in publishing, copyright and copyright compliance including being an intellectual property manager for NASA’s Classroom of the Future.

Dr. C. Daniel Miller has served as dean of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association College (CIPA) and past president of the organization. www.cipabooks.com He has been “a technology consultant to architects to computer design and telecommunicationsdan miller, author infrastructures.” He also served as Executive Director of NASA’s Classroom of the Future and has been a university professor and department chair. His latest venture is “a project manager and researcher to discover relevance in large unstructured data.”

For every writer, musician, filmmaker, or any other individual involved in the art, marketing or design field,  Copyright Clearance for Creatives should be in their library, either in paperbound copy or on as an e-book acquisition.

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.

Words to Live By

Leave a comment

Good Morning! To describe the resource book that will be featured tomorrow,  on All Things Fulfilling, will take more words than I usually use in  blog writing.  People in all creative industries, will want to learn about this newly-published independent publication. Don’t miss out.

So, today, I’ll use my words sparingly along with images to tell a story:

Flourish. Learn something new every day!

flourish

Grow.  Always strive to enlarge your world.

growingbook

Succeed.  Much better than the alternative.

succeed

Inspire. Actions speak louder than words.

 ifitdoesntchallenge

Smile. Progress is good for the world.

laughing-girl-lying-on-grass-with-a-book

Friendship. Connect!

green-business

Create. New beginnings gain strength with time and energy. 

 green screensjpg

Believe. In anything, higher than yourself.

grow in grace

Share. Makes life more fulfilling!

sharing storms

 Tomorrow. Another chance to get it right!

hands with green world tomorrow

Return on  Tuesday 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.

Using a Blog as Vision Board

1 Comment

“Never mind searching for who you are. Search for the person you aspire to be.” ~Robert Brault

Yesterday I discovered All Things Fulfilling was featured once again on author Mara Purl’s blog. http://bit.ly/11hneiN. Purl had this to say about the content that we post on this site. “Just one glance at Sue’s extensive, multi-faceted, eclectic and intriguing blog will demonstrate she actually practices the fulfillment she talks about.” 

I would agree with Purl’s assessment of this blog; the subject matter is always a little different. I write about what is  in my heart on a daily basis. We all find enjoyment in different things in our lives, so I try use my intuition to steer me in knowing what others might find appealing and interesting in the arts and humanities field. Perhaps All Things Fulfilling could be described as my vision board for committing to and exploring possibilities for creating a lifestyle filled with heart and soul.   I use my emotional energy to help others follow their hearts desires to do what makes them happy in their careers and find personal fulfillment in their personal lives.

Mara Purl’s fictional characters in her Milford-Haven books, are people who have decided to think outside the box and create a life that is uniquely suited to their personalities and interests. I like that, Purl’s characters “sit right with me.”Click for the Milford Haven Novels ink pen with heart

So, I’m going to put Purl’s next (3rd) Milford-Haven novel on my vision board, and I’ll let you know when it is available.

Did you know Mara Purl is now a national best selling author of women’s fiction? Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

In Search of Soul and Self

2 Comments

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” ~ Charlemagne

Note: Today’s blog is devoted to all beautiful soul building individuals in the family of man. The message below, in red and black, is a reminder that the fabric of the world’s population is so interesting due our diversity as individuals, woven together, living on one planet.

I am a very proud aunt! I have five nieces, and two nephews, not even including two more lovely nieces on my husband’s side of the family. There’s notto my neice a bad apple in the bunch of them; each has a unique personality and career choice so different than each of their cousins. All are in their twenties, except the youngest who will be off to college, in September, with ambitions of becoming a veterinarian specializing in horses.

0814329616In a few short days, one of my nieces will be going to Japan to teach English as a second language. Wisely, she has chosen to travel abroad for an extended period, now, while she is young, with few encumbrances. She will be working at a very reputable school, has an apartment arranged, and is up for the challenge. Her personality traits, I believe, are well suited to the task. She is very resourceful and a beautiful soul building individual.

According to an article published by Cornell University, there are many benefits of elevating the spirits and minds of children by teaching them a second language. To read the full article, please go to  http://bit.ly/VMI4WT

Not to put  pressure on her or anything, but, I hope she will  start a blog; she is a fantastic writer. I would love to see photos and learn, from this side of the world, about her experiences in the classroom, as well as more about Japanese art, history and other interesting cultural information that she encounters. 

I love and will miss  my dear niece, and I hope it will not be too long before I see her again. But,  I know it will be a fulfilling experience. She’ll grow, as a person, as a result of sharing her talents with children abroad.

 “Ki wo tsuketekudasai”! 

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

Film Friday: The Great Courses

3 Comments

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. ~
John Dewey

great-courses

 Are you a person who has an insatiable thirst for knowledge? A type of brain food is currently on sale until February 15, 2013. The Great Courses ww.ordergreatcourses.com  offers educational DVDs and CDs from top college professors. Available on a full range of subjects, from the arts and humanities to history, religion, math, health and science. At very reasonable costs, you can learn and be inspired in the comfort of your home, office or while you are stuck in traffic. Some of the topics contain as many as 24 half hour lectures, most ranging in price from $19.99 to $69.99, far less than enrolling in classes at a top university or college.

Here is a small sampling of The Great Courses Offered:

  • A History of European Art
  • How to Listen to and Understand Great Music
  • Nutrition Made Clear
  • The New and Old Testaments
  • Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writers Craft
  • The Everyday Guide to Wine
  • Our Night Sky
  • Optimizing Brain Fitness
  • Practicing Mindfulness
  • The Science of Natural Healing
  • What are the Chances: Probability Made Clear
  • Secrets of Mental Math

This is just a small list of courses offered by professors from colleges such as:  University of Iowa, Johns Hopkins University, University of Virginia, GeorgetownUniversity, Northwestern, Colgate, Scripps Center for Integrative Healing, Vanderbilt UniversityDivinitySchool, Yale School of Medicine, The Peabody Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

It is important, at every age, to continue to grow for a fulfilling life. Seek new knowledge; become a life-long learner.  Baby boomers will enjoy keeping their minds active through the topics offered.  Search for brain food that suits your individual taste. Click for DVDs of The Great Courses

Visit us on Monday, on 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.

The Art of Meandering

4 Comments

“Wondering is healthy. Broadens the mind. Opens you up to all sorts of stray thoughts and possiblities.” ~ Charles deLint 

Have you ever walked as a way to help sort out your thoughts? I find fulfillment in using it as a method of putting things in perspective.  Far too often, however, my objectives also include giving myself a cardio workout, so I move at a very brisk pace. 

 One day as I walked this past summer, I was behind “a slow poke.” I proceeded to pass the woman. I reached my endpoint, turned around to go back home and passed her again going in the other direction. As I zoomed by her, she remarked to me that I sure walk fast, and that she was impressed. 

walking in waterWalking at a fast pace is all well and good but my thinking tries to keeps pace, so it is hard to quiet my mind when I move along too quickly. There is value in letting our thoughts wander, roam and journey off the beaten path. 

Since my goals for walking are not to lose weight, I need to practice the art of  meandering. I have made a deal with myself that a couple of days a week I will: 

Go on a meditative walk

Be more focused on observing the surroundings

Imagine a personal paradise and escape to  it 

 Marcel Proust says “the only paradise is the paradise of lost.” I interpret that to mean being lost in our dreams, imaginations and thoughts. That kind of oasis can be found by all of us, if we allow it. 

If you were to write a book  about your personal utopia, what would it look like? Do you think you will ever find it? How?

Visit us tomorrow on 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.

Steps to Extending Life

Leave a comment

“Only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way you use them.” ~Unknown 

looking up cover_Cynthia Olsen’s book, “Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond is part resource and part personal testimony. It very effectively tells a story of someone who recognized at a young age, the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection. The insights she shares about her ancestors health gives the reader motivation to know that we need not be inheritors of poor eating habits, and diseased bodies and spirits. We are in charge of our own experience. 

“Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond is an IPPY Gold Medal award-winning book. The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has recognized the book for excellence in independent publishing. This book is not the first book Kali Press has published for Olsen. Here is a list of her other publications, all health related: 

  • Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (lst ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (2nd ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Handbook: 101 Ways to Use Australian Tea Tree Oil (1st ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Handbook: 101 Ways to Use Australian Tea Tree Oil(2nd ed)
  • Essiac: A Native Herbal Cancer Remedy (2nd ed) – 1997 IPPY Gold Medal Award Winning Book.
  • Birth of the Blue: Australian Blue Cypress Oil 

For more information on Kali Press’ books and other products, please visit www.kalipress.com.  Olsen’s publications are available at the following libraries and bookstores:  

  • Walgreens- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Off The Beaten Path- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Bud Werner Memorial Library- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Boulder Bookstore, Boulder, CO
  • Wilkenson Public Library- Telluride, CO
  • Between the Covers Book Store- Telluride, CO
  • The Book Worm- Edwards, CO
  • Eagle County Libraries, Eagle and Avon, CO 

picture of cynthia olsen belliniThis book is highly recommended for anyone who is seeking change and improving their habits for a fulfilling life at any age. There is some great advice, especially for Baby Boomers in this publication.

 (Photo: Author Cynthia Olsen)

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