Tag Archives: Inspiration

It’s All Good!

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“We immediately become more effective when we decide to change ourselves rather than asking things to change for us.” ~ Stephen Covey

You all must think that this blogsite only focuses on independent publishing. Not so! I will read any book or watch any film so long as it adds value to my life, independently published or not!

Although we all stop growing physically at a certain age in life, that does not mean our intellect and self improvement skills need to stop growing, too. Growth from that perspective should be never ending.  Our evolution as human beings should be ongoing, especially if we are to live the kind of life we want for ourselves.

Last week, I stopped by the library and picked up a book that I never expected to be as useful to my own life and business as it is. It is called “Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, published by Franklin Covey Company. What a treasure chest of writings this book contains for a values based business. If every business operated with the same synergy suggested in this book, we would all be living in a diamond mine.  Every company and organization would shine so brightly, we would all need blinders on! There is no “preachiness” in each short daily reflection in this book, only empowering principles for living life effectively and with great integrity.

We are all diamonds in the rough. This helpful book may add polish to your life, and contain the very things you have been searching for along your path to an enriched life. Check it out!

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Trim, Clip and Snip!

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“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I can stand it no longer! I feel like I am sitting amid chaos. It is time for me to switch gears over the next few days. I must become an editor and clean up my act.

Being all surrounded by mail, papers, files, e-mails and other extraneous things leads to the feelings of exhaustion and confusion. I can no longer think succinctly. This is not typical of the way I operate, clearly something must be done.

Organization experts say 80% of your desk should be empty. I have  a long way to go! Ridding myself of what is no longer needed will clarify and simplify my life once again. After all, the tax man will be coming to call pretty soon. I need to organize records that have accummulated all year long and be ready.

Now, where do I start? I think I will start with my hair. A new style! It will be like my desk – even if I don’t like the clean new look, it is bound to grow back .  But, at least for now, I will be able to see clearly once again.

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Weekend Indie Publishing News

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One of the best on-line guides to what is happening in the publishing world that I know of is the Southern Review of Books!

http://www.anvilpub.net/southern_review_of_books.com

This on-line resource is choked full of breaking news on books, trade shows, book fairs, book festivals, seminars  for authors, publishers and micropresses. Check it out, and subscribe!

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Guess who is featured in the March 2010 American Artist Magazine?  Artist Nancy Guzik! The March issue will be hitting magazine stands on January 26 and I have heard from one artist, that his issue has already arrived via subscription! The article features Nancy Guzik’s portraits and still life paintings and she shares her personal artistic journey with readers.  Don’t miss this important issue!  www.interweave.com.

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Being Caught Unprepared

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“All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Well, I have done it now. I do not mean this statement in a bad way, because I am happy to support a great cause. I have jumped in with all two feet and committed to something that may be beyond my expertise. I have volunteered to cook a dish for an International Dinner which is proposed to be in early March to benefit the Macedonian Mission for Humanity.  This worthy non-profit is hosting the dinner along with the Culture Club of the Steamboat Springs High School to raise money to ship a container of medical supplies from the USA to Macedonia. The medical supplies are needed for children’s hospitals in Macedonia, and the alternative would be for all of the no longer needed supplies to end up in America’s landfills.

As I have mentioned in my blog writing before, I am a comfort food junkie, so for me to commit to cooking a dish with international flair is a stretch! I will have to dig deep. Deep into all the international cookbooks at the Bud Werner Library, to see what recipe I can find that I can handle. Thankfully, I have some weeks to prepare.

I guess I could even call on my brother-in-law, a chef who has worked at some of the most impressive restaurants and a few embassies in Washington, DC and the Capital district. His recipe book might be a little too complicated for me, though.

This town is filled with all kinds of talent – good writers, good Artists, good restaurants, good cooks. Perhaps there are others that would like to join me in supporting the International Dinner and can rustle up some good international flavors and foods to donate to the cause. I challenge you and don’t forget to stay posted for more information on this event! It is a win-win cause, and the MMH could use all of your support, by attending the dinner or by bringing a dish to share. It is all about community sharing and the children in Macedonia are waiting!

Hungry yet?

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Cure All

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“All seasons are beautiful for the person who carries happiness within” ~ Horace Friess

I have a personal and business Facebook page now, as so many of you do. My Facebook friends include many artists, writers and others that work in all kinds of creative industry. Hardly a day goes  by that someone does not post on Facebook that they are stuck in a rut and are looking for ideas as to how they can set their minds free. Sympathetic friends post things to do to sir up creativity. Suggestions range from go get a massage, do some Tai Chi, go down to the local bar and “tie one on”, take a trip to an exotic, culturally rich city like Ohrid, Macedonia and the ideas go on and on.

This weekend, I hardly went out my backdoor and I saw the most beautiful source of inspiration one could ever find – nature. My husband, son and I spent the afternoon in the Routt County National Forest, showshoeing in Rabbit Ears Pass. For a day that started out at -20 below zero, we picked a winner of a day! By afternoon the sun was radiant and warm on our backs. The deep, powdery snow and the icicles hanging from the trees were glistening in the sunlight. We were surrounded by vistas that become subjects of the most beautiful landscape paintings of all.

Much to my dismay, I had forgotten to bring pen and paper. As I witnessed the beauty, the adjectives that came to my mind were free flowing. I wished I could have written them all down in the heat of the moment. Writers, like plein air painters, get the best results when they interpret what they are seeing right then and there – not afterwards.

The afternoon was nothing but a tease to our wounded warrior son. Spectacular back country skiing abounds for any one who dares go there. Yet our son was restricted to tame snowshoes due to a soccer injury that required surgery late this fall.

I returned from our trek into the forest feeling refreshed, renewed and ready for the week that lies ahead. Inspiration comes to all of us in so many different ways. Whatever floats your boat – “just do it!” It is bound to be a cure all.

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I’ve Got to Crow!

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“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some months ago, someone came to me with a book of poetry that had been published by print on demand. The poet admitted that because the book was still in rough development, she only had three copies made to show to a few people who were supporting her efforts. She was still playing around with a few things such as back cover text. When she was satisfied, she would have a larger number printed. Ah, the benefits of print on demand and the Northshire Bookstore www.Northshire.com!

After much discussion regarding the back cover, she said “I have won a few poetry awards, but I have decided that I want the back cover text to tell what in my life inspired me to write these poems.” My response to that was “great, but you need to promote yourself as a poet by mentioning your poetry awards – we all have to crow about ourselves. Self promotion is such a necessary part of a writer’s success!”

As I reflect on our conversation, this morning, it has come to me how difficult it is to promote  ourselves as bloggers. Clearly, blog writing is not for self promotion.

In my blog writing during the holidays, I neglected to mention a competition – the Blog Off II hosted by www.communitymarketingblog.com. There were bloggers from six countries and it was a great educational experience for all! To give you a little insider information – I was one of the finalists.  Oops, I’ve slipped. Pardon me, I just had to have one quick moment in the sun!

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Who is on Your List?

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“If we were all like angels, the world would be a heavenly place.” ~ Author Unknown

Are you a list maker? Not all of us are, but I have always been. I make lists of things to do, books to read, movies to see, friends to call, bills to pay.  They all keep me going in the right direction and organized. For businesses, database lists are essential and they take real effort to update and maintain.

The other day, I decided to start a new list. One I have never thought of making before. It is a collection of angels! I read an article in the newspaper about a new kind of angel that I have never heard of before. The subject of the article was micro-nutrients that are added to our food – things like iodine, zinc, vitamin-A, folic acid, and other vitamins. Without these supplements to food, children in many countries suffer from heart-breaking defects. There are groups such as Project Healthy Children, Helen Keller International and Vitamin Angels who give aid to countries that are deficient in providing essential vitamins and other micro-nutrients. A variety of these essentials are only about 30 cents per person per year. Yet, many countries do not have the resources to invest.

I am going to put Vitamin Angels right at the top of my list along with book angels, providing books to needy children and film angels, investors in films. All are important contributors to physical health or cultural well-being.

Is there a non-profit organization or individual that you would like to add to our list of angels? Perhaps we are missing some one!

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The Winds of Change

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“The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being.” ~ Lech Walesa

I am of the belief that in order to change the world for the better, all of us as human beings need to join hands within communities and between communities to inspire change. In my opinion, a change in values needs to happen on a familial level, political level, community level and within the workplace. When folks with the same moral compass share beliefs and convictions, and join forces to get a job done, change can happen.

Over the past year, I have increased my participation in community involvement. And you know what? It feels good! I have found support from others in all kinds of ways that I have not expected. It has kept me focused on positive things rather than the daily sobering news of our country and our world.

Through one of my social media networks, a question was posed to all of us that share the network. It read “Is your glass half empty or half full?”  The response has been a revelation! Regardless of the news of rising gas prices, real estate foreclosures, terrorist threats, companies going bankrupt, very few persons have stated their glass is half empty! These are the folks that I want on my side!

I choose to believe that the positive responses that have come out of this question are a result of steadfast belief in our fellow man to bring about change! However, without active participation, words mean nothing. We need to move from rhetoric into action. It would benefit us all!

Think! If there was one single thing that you could change to make your own world better, what would it be? Share it with us! I bet there are others that feel the same way you do. Let’s see!

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Order in the Court

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“Good order is the foundation of all good things.” ~ Edmund Burke

Before the holidays, I was feeling stuck in the snow. I had decisions to make, tasks to accomplish, unsolved business to attend to. All things that had me feeling bogged down.

It is difficult to move into a New Year with unfinished business, whether it is in your personal life or business life. Indecision only brings delays!

What a freeing feeling it is when we finally make decisions, right or wrong! What power we give to ourselves when we step out of indecision. Making a decision paves the way for movement, change and growth. It puts us one step closer to our goals!

You will notice, that as of today, we have put into place some changes in the appearance of our blogsite. It improves functionality of the site for our readers and positions us for exciting changes in the future. Stay tuned, as things develop!

For our independent publishing clients, if you are stopped in your tracks and unable to finish a project, no need to struggle. There are freelance publishing professionals that can help you with every step along the way. If there are decisions that you have put off making, be brave! It is all part of being independent – you can make your own decisions regarding what is best for your own publishing business. Use those freedoms to bring the results and outcome you have been striving for!

Clear the way for success – act now!

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New Beginnings

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“All time management begins with planning.” ~ Tom Greening

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? For alot of people, New Year’s resolutions are the same year after year. They include determination to loose weight, to stop smoking, to include a fitness regiment in their daily living. My New Year’s resolutions include things such as adjustments in attitude – choosing action vs. inaction, taking a new path rather than the same trampled route, focusing on forward motion rather than remaining static.

Determination to move into new territory is scary and uncertain, but the way I see it, it is better than quiet desparation. It involves a leap of faith. Without faith, there is no hope! What it really comes down to is, I would rather feel a sense of accomplishment knowing I have done all I can to succeed.

There is always something in all of our lives that can be done a little differently. Discard what is not working and pave the way for more efficient ways of doing things. It can make a world of difference in your publishing success.

What would you change that would allow you to focus better on your business at hand as an independent publisher? Let us hear from you!

Wishing you all a thoughtful, productive, prosperous and Happy New Year!

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