Category Archives: living positive lives

Developing Wiser Ways

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Individually, people are finding that a simpler lifestyle provides greater satisfaction than relentless pursuit of materialism. ~ Laurance Rockefeller

Millennials who were wise, learned something from seeing their parents go through difficult financial times when the “crash” came in 2008.

Many have become more creatively economical in their way of living than the previous generation. They are designing lifestyles that are more sustainable rather than acquiring massive debt just to “keep up with Joneses.”  I found this article interesting.

What do we really need to personally fulfill us? That’s the big question. I recently was a guest on a radio blog talk show called a Living a Richer Life voicing my opinion about this very subject. You can listen in by following this link.

It’s been evidenced time and time again by people who have obsessive buying habits that after they go on a buying binge, the feelings of fulfillment lasts only for a little while. In order to be satisfied once again, they need to go on another buying fling. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Here is a great article from the wellnessbucket.com that states five daily habits that contribute to feelings of satisfaction and personal fulfillment.

mistakes as stepping stonesFor those who have done research on the topic of finding joy, many say emptying the bucket of materialistic things and replacing it with these five daily habits can start your journey toward personal fulfillment and happiness.

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

 

 

 

Strength Comes with Setbacks

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“The beautiful thing about setbacks is they introduce us to our strengths.” ~ Robin Sharma

A large population of the  American people were thrown into an unexpected financial “dither” when the economy came to a nearly screeching halt some eight years ago or so. “The crash” forced the American people to look at sustainability in different industries. Economists and “the think tank” has been studying how to creatively deal with a whole new economy and how best to survive it ever since.

The publishing industry looked long and hard at environmental issues associated with books in print. More sustainable ways of publishing, such as e-books and print-on-demand have been developed. The way music and audio books is now distributed is also more sustainable. Downloading digital files rather than shipping product has brought new ways of doing business to the industry.

Thankfully hardback and paperback books have not completely disappeared from the planet. I like reading from a paperback book as much as my neighbor. But with print-on-demand, huge warehouses full of large inventories of  books have been reduced, as have the numbers of books being discarded in landfills. Thats good news!

Living Well, Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life is a great read for those who doubt that living with less is the key to happiness. The book may help you to adjust your thinking and put balance back in your life.

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As the economy rebounds, it will be interesting to see whether the American citizens will return to their old ways of being or whether a true “renaissance” has taken place. Have people fully realized that in order to live a fulfilling life, we can do it with less stuff? Will we continue to put our energies into finding sustainable ways of doing business? If so, there were great gifts in the downturn of the economy.

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

 

Vintage Ski Family

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Stretch pants – the garment that made skiing a spectator sport.  ~ Author Unknown

IMG_20150526_111915_634I was greeted by sweet Sophie, a stunning cocker spaniel, when I walked into Mountain Traditions. With her smatterings of white and black markings, she reminded me of a container of Oreo cookie ice cream. I’m such a softie when it comes to dogs. I heard her say she wanted to come home with me, I swear I did.  But her owner, Kenton Stratton wouldn’t let her. He said she likes greeting customers too much and she would miss it.

So, I stayed awhile and visited with Sophie and enjoyed the nice variety of vintage ski images in the store which took me back to my childhood days of skiing with my family. Seeing the wooden posters was almost as good as a trip through a ski history museum, such as The Tred of Pioneers here in Steamboat or the ski history museum in Vail or the Vermont Ski Museum in Stowe. I love seeing the old ski fashions and ski equipment displayed. It’s fun stuff.

If you are a baby boomer who grew up skiing with your mom and dad and your siblings like I did, you’ll relate to these images. They make great gifts!

I am grateful that I was able to get permission from Kenton Stratton to take these photographs to share with you. Take a trip down memory lane through these vintage ski images or better yet, go visit Sophie at Mountain Traditions in her new location in the Lower Courtyard of Old Town Square, 635 Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat Springs, CO. Take a dog biscuit with you, Kenton says Sophie is always hungry!

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Want some of these vintage placards to decorate the walls of your ski house or chalet but it’s too far to travel? Visit the website. http://www.mountaintraditions.com/

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So, family – when are you coming out to Steamboat? 

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

 

 

Rise and Meet the Moment

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Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take many small steps. – Helmut Schmidt

I’ve had memoir writing on my mind lately since I gave a presentation on the topic on Monday. When you think about it, our whole life is comprised of stories we tell.

The internet has changed the way we tell our stories. Words and images are now so easily shared through digital platforms, such as by publishing e-books. If you know how to use social media effectively, marketing e-books is made easy.  If properly “indexed,” finding your target market is no longer like taking a shot in the dark.

To further explore my path of thinking, the other day I was looking in our kitchen cabinets for something portable to put in my backpack to stuff my mouth with. I came across a box of Blueberry Crisp Clif ® Bars that I didn’t know we even had.

Hiking ArtistI noticed the verbiage on the packaging “No. 14 Adventure Challenge ‘Embrace the Uphill’ then followed the words “Share Your Adventure #MeettheMoment.”

The point is, we all have dreams, adventures and challenges in life and careers. If you are working on an  independent publishing project and don’t know how to use digital platforms effectively to draw people who are truly qualified leads, social media can be a big time waster.

There are companies who specialize in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. “Embrace the Uphill,” as Clif ® Bar suggests. Don’t shirk away from challenges. Get help if you need it in order to finish your writing and publishing project. There is no shame in that!

I can tell you as a published author that the feelings of accomplishment that come with having a published book far, far exceeds what having unfinished manuscript feels like. Every step, big and small, was well worth the effort in feelings of personal fulfillment.

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

 

 

What is on Your Fulfilling List?

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Last week I was on a blog talk radio show called Living a Richer Life. The discussion of the evening was Finding Your Path to Personal Fulfillment.

The next morning after the show was broadcast I received e-mails from a few listeners who said the show began them thinking about their own lives and their own personal fulfillment. One listener admitted it made him consider his own epitaph. Upon reflection he said he wants his headstone to read “He played every inning.”  If you missed the radio broadcast the evening of the airing, it has been archived and you can listen in at your convenience –  Click here.

Have you begun your  own journey towards personal fulfillment? It is different for each and every one of us. No matter what it looks like it is a fascinating trip towards self-discovery and self-awareness. Listen in to the show and start your trek into parts of yourself that perhaps you’d never realized or thought about before.

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This banner is from Natural Life. They have all sorts of wholesome products.

See you on Monday on All Things Fulfilling. We will be featuring a story about a 100 year old woman who has found fulfillment in publishing her first book. Her entire life has been devoted to art and writing and publishing is her latest accomplishment.

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

Good News, Dear Margaux

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May 27, 2015

Dear Margaux,

What a pleasant surprise when I opened my mailbox last week and found that the U.S. Postal Service had delivered this notecard from you!

Girl Scout Margaux letter without last name

I am so glad you enjoyed my presentation “One Day in the Life of a Writer.” I was happy to learn that I am not the only one who wakes up in the middle of the night wanting to jump out of bed to write down ideas. It makes me feel better that you said the same thing happens to you. 

GS scribe badge I was not aware that my visit helped your troop earn your Scribe badges until I read the Girl Scout blog.

Tomorrow I am attending the  Girl Scout Fundraiser for adults at the Catamount Ranch and Club.  I am excited! I have my ticket! What a cool fundraising idea to have some of the best chefs around creating savory appetizers from sweet Girl Scout Cookies.  It will be interesting to see what the chefs will be serving up. I’d better take my camera! If your mom is coming, tell her I have saved a book for her and will bring it along incase she hasn’t yet ordered a copy.

Enjoy your outings, meetings and the friendships you have made through the Girl Scouts. I think I mentioned to your troop that I made life-long friends through scouting.

Keep on Writing! And remember the good news we shared about life “There are always flowers for those who want to see them!”

Sincerely,

Mrs. Sue Leonard (aka author Sue Batton Leonard)

Award-winning author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected 

and short stories – Lessons of Heart & Soul.

The First Nostalgist

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Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days. ~ Doug Larson

There is an interesting article in the New York Times about nostalgia and the value of it. 

According to the article being nostalgic used to be associated with “physical or mental maladies.” However, researchers have found that nostalgia, more often than not, is associated with fulfilling feelings rather than bad. Nostalgia gives us a sense of rootedness and continuity in our lives.

And according to Dr. Sedikides, a psychologist, there is a difference between homesickness and nostalgia. He says one of the first nostalgists was Odysseus, “an itinerant who used memories of his family and home to get through hard times.”

Last week, I had a wonderful couple of days in Park City, Utah with my husband. While he attended a conference I traveled around the area. I came across memorabilia that although much of it was Western in nature, and I am an East Coast gal, it gave me warm feelings of this homeland called “The United States of America.”

I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. I shot these photos at Pinto Pony Designs in Heber City and Park City Clothing Company. Park City Clothing Company is another outstanding shop that is fun to poke around in. I love the Coca-Cola memorabilia. The store is in the heart of historic downtown in Park City.

Thank you to both places for letting me capture these images for our readers of AllThingsFulfilling.com

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Above photo – My twin sister and I had a Kat Kat Clock identical to the black one hanging in our bedroom when we were children. Talk about bring back memories!

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nostalgia 3 signedThis 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.

Finding a Good Fit

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“Religion is like a pair of shoes…..Find one that fits for you, but don’t make me wear your shoes.”
― George Carlin

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Today on this Thirsty Thursday, one day of the week All Things FuIfilling is dedicated to good news, I’d like to share an architectural wonder that perhaps has greater meaning than what was intended by the firm who created it.

I was drawn to an article about this holy place since the building of churches goes way back to the first generation in the history of my family’s five generation construction business.

There is a house of worship designed and built by the architectural group, Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, in Borgloon, Belgium that takes seeing religion from different perspectives to a whole new level.

The good news is that there are many kinds of religions throughout the world. If you live in a truly free society, individuals get to select the religion that best aligns with their own principles and values, or we can opt out of being a believer of any sort.

Images in the article I’ve linked to this website tell the rest of this story. Put your Sunday shoes on, any kind will do, and take a few minutes to enter into this unique church. View the images and you will see what I mean. To learn more about the construction of the structure, visit this website.

That’s all for today! See you tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling. We will be sharing an upcoming educational event that is good news for independent publishers or for people who are thinking of writing their own stories of any type (faith stories, memoirs, fiction, non-fiction or creative writing through the form of poetry, song lyrics or screenwriting).

 

Time with the Seniors

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“Language allows us to reach out to people…, it’s the greatest legacy you could ever leave your children or your loved ones: The history of how you felt.”
~ Simon Van Booy

On Monday, June 1st, I look forward to speaking with the Routt County Senior Citizens. Since AARP has determined that at age 50 we are “senior citizens,” we could have a wide range of ages in the group. Many would argue that age 50 is too young to be tagged as “retired.” People go on to live vibrant lives for many more decades beyond that landmark.

There can be gifts in early retirement and even forced retirement, as it provides plenty of opportunity for new beginnings and starting new life chapters. Having the gift of time and thanks to the independent publishing industry an increased number of “seniors or retirees” are taking the opportunity to share their careers, life journeys and life experiences through writing.

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On June 1st, I look forward to sharing an overview of my memoir, Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected, an anthology of short stories, with the Routt County Seniors. We will also be discussing the value of memoir writing  and how to get started writing.

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

 

Talking Personal Fulfillment

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finding-joyLast week when I presented “One Day in the Life of a Writer” to the Junior Girl Scouts, I mentioned that although I write books, my small business geared around publishing provides me with many other tasks that I handle in the course of a normal work day. Tasks such as maintaining a website/blog, e-marketing for independent publishers, responding to reader’s correspondence, scheduling and doing book talks and other promotion are also on my daily to do list. Not to even mention keeping up with ever-changing news about the publishing industry.

Over the next couple of days I am going have a change of work space. You’ll learn more the following week. A change of scenery will provide me with new sources of inspiration as I  sit with many ideas that will be discussed during my upcoming appearance on “Life Changing Talk Radio.”

From www.blogtalkradio/livingaricherlife.com , the program overview for the May 21st broadcast is as follows:

“Most of us have learned we can not find happiness, making it our goal. Happiness is the unintended benefit of pursuing personal dreams and living true to yourself.

When you proactively connect the person you are with the things you choose to do, a deep sense of fulfillment will emerge. Fulfillment is a form of happiness or satisfaction that is the direct result of fully developing your abilities or character.

Personal fulfillment is best described as the achievement of life goals which are important to you, in contrast to the goals of society or even your family. Personal fulfillment is an ongoing journey for most of us. The journey commences when we start becoming conscious of ourselves, our surroundings and our past. But for many of us, finding your path to fulfillment can be buried in the unexpected. How can you find your path to personal fulfillment?”

What I do in my business, personal and professional life is extremely joyful and satisfying.  I am so very grateful that I have been able to create the kind of life that feels good and right.

Join us in the discussion on May 21rd by going to www.blogtalkradio/livingaricherlife.com . If you are in the East coast listening area, tune in at 9pm, 8pm Central time, 7pm Mountain time and 6pm Pacific. You can call in with your comments and your questions #855-345-4714.

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