Tag Archives: Inspiration

Add them Up!

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“There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase ‘to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy” ~ Stephen R. Covey

Hey! It’s a good day! 

I have just gotten word that my article on E-Marketing: Moving Books from Basement to Marketplace will be published within the next twenty four hours. http://bit.ly/ateGw7. 

That’s not all that is fulfilling in my life! There is so much more! Sometimes, when our lives are taken up with responsibilities in the workplace, in the home, as members of families and communities it is difficult to find quiet in the storm of life and remember that each and every day is a blessing, even during our most hectic times! 

For the next week, I am going to be completely engaged in some of the things that fulfill me the me most –volunteering for several events at Strings in the Mountains www.stringsinthemountains.org  which affords me the ability to enjoy the Arts, spending Sunday with precious, open-minded children learning about the value of faith and planning how I can best share the spirit of independent publishing with the writing community of Steamboat Springs, CO. 

Today, is fabulous Friday and I would like to share with you the miracle of nature. I have much to do this day, so rather than share words, I am going to share an image. Enjoy! 

See you in a few days!

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Click Now for Impact!

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After all, creativity comes out of art and creativity is what businesses need.” ~Judi Jedlicka

 Are you person who makes a living either directly or indirectly through the arts? Or perhaps the Arts adds value to your life in some other way. Then listen up! Become an advocate for the Arts.

 On Friday, July 23rd, the U.S. House Interior Appropriations subcommittee approved a 2.5 million dollar increase for the National Endowment for the Arts in its fiscal year budget for 2011. Chairman Jim Moran, acknowledged that the “increase recognizes the value we place, as a nation, on our artistic and cultural heritage.”

 Please take two minutes, and send a message to your members of Congress, telling them to support this funding increase that Chairman Moran supports.

Click on this link http://bit.ly/gMePk and add your name to the list of millions of other Americans who support the Arts Action  Fund.

 Won’t you join me today and ask your members of Congress to vote “YES” for this funding increase?

 

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Right Shoes, Right Occasion

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 “Without faith a man can do nothing; with it all things are possible.” ~ Sir William Osler 

How is your day going? Life has it’s up and downs, doesn’t it?  To be able to travel the path of life without getting your shoes dirty and distressed would be a real gift, wouldn’t it? 

More times than not, staying out of the dust of life means making good decisions, thinking before acting impulsively, and not putting self gratification at the top of the list. It also takes changing our shoes and attitudes for the occasion! Then, we are prepared for whatever comes our way. 

Deciding what pair of shoes is appropriate for the occasion can be distressing enough for those who own many pairs. To help get you started, think what your journey will be this day. Do you need:

  • Hiking Shoes to Climb New Heights?
  • Soft Shoes to Deal with Hurt?
  • Strong Shoes to Lead the Way?
  • Tennis Shoes to Court New Clients?
  • Handmade Shoes for Creative Ventures? 

Sometimes we need assistance from higher beings to help us decide what kind of shoes match the mission. There is help available when we call! If you are faced with ambiguity or indecision in your life, there is a book that may help clear the dusty path. Arrive at your destination with shiny shoes! 

For more information on this book, please visit http://shinyshoesondustypaths.wordpress.com or http://www. joannemahar.com.

What am I wearing today? I decided to put on elastic shoes…expanding with trust. Why? I have a lot of work to fit into this day! If  put my nose to the grind, I can get it all done! There is more time in the day then we think, especially if we forge ahead and stay focused. 

We never know what is just around the corner, though do we?  

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Second Encounters

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“ We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon”         ~ Konrad Adenauer

Arts in the Parks was one of the featured events this past weekend in Steamboat Springs, CO.  Judging by the attendance, I would say it was a great success. I enjoyed it all! 

I was so happy to see the return of photographer, Kenny Tong! http://www.kennytong.com/ Once again, in my opinion, his photography was a real standout! It seems to me, his images are of places in China, where no ordinary man walks. It is no wonder that his forays into the hidden paradises of China, to capture exquisite scenery, last 2-3 months each year. 

This year at Arts in the Park, I had my son Marc, a recent film student graduate by my side.  Kenny’s professional life started in the film industry. He was able to share some of his experiences with my son, and some of the reasons why he traded in his craft of filmmaking for a career in still photography, which he finds so fulfilling. 

Keep up the great work, Kenny. I was glad to see on the Events calendar of your website www.kennytong.com that you will be sharing your art with the communities of Boulder and Carbondale, Colorado over the next few weeks. 

Thanks for the well wishes to Marc, as he ponders what is ahead on the horizon for him and as he establishes his life as a filmmaker.

 

 Photo – Marc in Ireland.

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Tender is the Night

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“The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind can not understand.” ~ Robert Valett

Tender is the night for tiny, premature babies and those who carefully and delicately nurse them through to another day.  I know all about that, firsthand. 

Premiering this week on Discovery Channel at 10 PM (ET/PT) is a 10-episode docu-drama series that visits behind the scenes of leading neo-natal intensive care units in Baltimore, San Diego and Cleveland. The Discovery Channel’s show NICU Diaries http://health.discovery.com/tv/nicu/   follows the lives of real families as they experience the rollercoaster than comes with giving birth to a premature baby. Watch doctors and nurses, as they work around the clock to serve the needs of their newborn, fragile patients. 

Without these dedicated professionals, neo-natal nurses and doctors, so many children’s lives would be lost and the dreams of parents seeing their child grow into adulthood could not be fulfilled. 

I am so grateful and appreciative of the extraordinary care that was given to me as a newborn many, many years ago, at a time when NICU units, as they are known today, were primitive at best. And for the blessings of God, without which I could never have survived. 

P.S. I am hoping to see my niece at work as a NICU nurse, in this upcoming docu-drama series! She works in the San Diego hospital featured. Thanks, E!! for dedicating your talents and expertise to the lives of teeny, tiny tots!

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Journalistically Speaking

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“I like putting my thoughts out there. Sometimes it is just a relief to get things out.” ~ Sarah Whitfield

Have you ever used a personal shopper? I haven’t, I am a good decision maker and I like to be in control of my own destiny! Besides, I know all that I like and all that I don’t like – usually.

The other day, I began browsing the shelves for a new journal. It’s time, my other one is filled with oh so brilliant ideas! But, gone are the days when a simple diary, with lock and key, will do!  Before I even start my search, I had better decide what kind of journal toting person I am!

First, I need to decide whether it will be leather(english bridle, croc, italian, suede), hand-tooled, silk covered, canvas for the rough and tough, hardbound, envelope wrap, softbound, lockable, a zero carbon notebook, a mini or a maxi or somewhere in between!

Secondly, how about the paper inside it? Lined, blank, recycled, tibetan paper, rice paper, replaceable/refillable, handmade, colored, white?

Not to be esthetically incorrect,I had better match my genre of writing style with my choice of journal style. Shouldn’t a person who writes about cowboy adventures carry real leather? Someone who writes about the arts certainly does not want to tote anything too serious and business like – what would people think?

Next, what are my reasons for keeping a journal? To capture my life story? Enhance my creativity? Help me focus? Gain better organizational skills, help me get in touch with my feelings? Reduce stress? Improve my health?

Not any old journal will do – I had better think long and hard. My choice  could effect the way I am able to come up with so many of those oh so brilliant thoughts! I don’t know, I don’t know!  Shopping for a journal these days is enough to drive you mad! It could consume a whole day! This whole process of selecting a journal has me in a tizzy! I think I will, for the first time ever, call on a personal shopper – perhaps she can tell me what to write too!

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Meaningful Morning Menu

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“All people should spend one third of their time in recreation which is rebuilding, voluntary activity, never idleness” ~ Brigham Young

Morning is my cup of tea! As far as I am concerned, it is the most fulfilling time of day. My energy is at it’s peak, and before the world even begins to stir, I walk and ponder.

What glory nature provides in the dawn’s early light. The grass glistens with dew, the wildflowers stand at attention, birds cry out their excitement, the sun rises up from it’s night sleep, and the world comes alive before my very eyes.

Breakfast of nature’s most beautiful provisions feeds my soul, during the hush of the day,when I can appreciate the unfolding of the new dawn. The menu put before me, as I walk and observe, is there to celebrate and enjoy each and every day, as long as I rise to greet it.

Sunrise is the appetizer! The main course of the day for those who reside, work, live and play in Steamboat Springs, Colorado is what God has created for us – the river, the mountains and the scenic vistas. We can recreate till our hearts are content in this wonderous place!

Let’s see – what shall I do today, after the work is done? What ever it is, it is bound to be good!

Good Morning, Sunshine!

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Play it Again, Sam!

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“Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it” ~ George Bernard Shaw

Have you ever wished you could have a “do over” – a repeat of a day, an hour,  a moment? I’d like our country’s citizens to have a “do over” of yesterday, for one moment, each and every day.  America was hard at work celebrating all things patriotic. We waved our flags, pledged our allegiance and sang “America the Beautiful.” We celebrated with baseball games, parades, barbeques and fireworks. Forgotten were the woes of stock market statistics, the high price of living, and the lackluster economy. Instead we had fun celebrating the liberties and freedoms that we so enjoy. The American spirit reigned supreme!

Don’t let the 4th of July be the only day of the year that you show your appreciation for this country of ours. Play it again, Sam, for each and everyday you are alive in this fabulous country, The United States of America – the land of independence! Every time you hear the words of our National  Anthem “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” put your hand over your heart, cause that’s where it belongs, in remembrance of our honorable countrymen who have fought the battles for us. We continue to live the dream, in a land relatively free of strife and struggle, compared to many countries around the globe. Thank, God.

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Authors, Build your Whuffie!

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“Friendships are fragile things, and require as much handling as any other fragile and precious thing.” ~ Unknown

What’s your whuffie, you say? Why, it is the way of the world, these days! Something that all authors and business people need to include in their marketing plans.

Whuffie is built through forming relationships with communities of people on-line. By developing an audience and customer base on-line, you will build support and increase visibility for your products. That means sales of  your independently published books, cds and DVDs.

One of the best resources I have stumbled upon is “The Power of Social Networking” by Tara Hunt. www.threeriverspress.com. This book provides great stories of on-line business successes through building whuffies!

Make no mistake, building your whuffie on-line takes time. But, building a business does not happen overnight. Even after reading this book, the concept is still very foreign to many. Where do you start? Call on an expert, a company who specializes in e-marketing for independent publishers. While you are at it, you had better ask whether they handle order fulfillment for independent publishers too ! You will be needing that !

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Smell a Blog

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“All glory comes from daring to begin.” ~ Unknown

The day of independence is almost upon us! In honor of this holiday, one of the things I have decided that I am going to do is to strike out, be bold, and add more herbs to my diet. Today, I thought I would cook up a batch of flavorful gazpacho soup in readiness for the holiday weekend.

I will begin with tomatoes, not common beefsteak tomatoes, but some juicy, ripe off the vine, heirloom tomatoes! May as well start out right and stew them up! Now comes the good part – I’ll add some of those herbs that the Indians used to keep their bodies in tune with nature and helped them maintain proper balance. Into the pot will go:

  • Basil for a little Love
  • Chives to make myself more Useful
  • Parsley for some Merriment on this 4th of July
  • Thyme – why not? I said I was going to become more independent minded and daring in my cooking!
  • Rosemary – to help me Remember the loved ones
  • Chervil – to add Serenity, and just because!
  • Garlic – I don’t think so! That won’t make me any friends!

Umm – Smells good! Can you smell it? Of course you can’t, silly me! Until some entrepreneurial soul decides to spice up the blogging world by adding smell a blog as a new feature, you won’t be able to! Rest assured, that entrepreneurial soul will not be me! I am too busy trying to make my life more fulfilling! How about you?

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