The Birth of a New Book
About four months ago I began the process of putting new thoughts down on paper. This process requires me to stay still and think. Think about what I want to say and how I want to say it. It all seems so simple. But, it is not simple at all.
As ideas began to form, I realized that I wanted to change the format of this new book. The previous two were filled with observations and experiences that happen to all of us. We all share many similar joys and challenges during our time on this earth. The feedback from those who read them was encouraging.
This one would be different. Thoughts would appear in my mind as I was driving or answering mail or even visiting with friends. Ideas came unannounced. With the ideas came questions. Should this next book be the same? Should it be different? If it were different, what would it look like? Should it be longer? Shorter? How would I begin the writing? As a life experience?
I understand what is involved in putting a book together. So many decisions. So many revisions. So much proofing. Emails back and forth between the woman who formats and me. Constant conversation. Sometimes as many as twenty emails a day as we work through a challenge. No, it is not easy. There are many, many small details that require attention. My attention.
By the time a book is as together as it will be, I am exhausted with it. Tired of it. Critical of it. Until the proof arrives from the printer. Every emotion changes when I open the package and remove the proof. Turning the pages, seeing how it actually looks in book form is such a rush. Not tired anymore, I tackle the job of proofing. I do not do this by myself. The mind fills in words that are not there. Fresh eyes are needed to read the actual words, check the punctuation. Yes, I understand the work involved.
Thinking through the process, I realized that I wanted to write something different. Something that the reader could share in a new way. Readers shared with me that they had underlined, highlighted, written in the margins, dogeared pages. A few shared they had used parts of my books in speeches. I learned that a few of my essays had been used in conjunction with Sunday School lessons. Knowing how people were using the books gave me the idea for this new one.
I would write short thoughts. These thoughts would be placed on beautiful pictures of nature. Mountains, valleys, rivers, meadows, flower gardens, clouds, rainbows to name a few. I would use my photographs and ask friends to share their photos with me. So, the writing began.
One would think that writing short thoughts would be easy. Maybe for some it is. For me it proved quite a challenge. Every word has to count. Especially when there would only be a few lines on each beautiful photograph. The floor of my office became a huge garbage can. Discarded thoughts littered the floor. Yet the thoughts continued to come and eventually made sense.
Yesterday the proof arrived.
I wish you had been here to share this moment with me. We would have placed the finished product on a table and began turning pages. We would have talked about the beautiful photographs. We would have read the quotes. We would have noticed how wonderfully put together it is. We would have discussed the pages included for personal reflections by the reader. It would have been such fun.
All corrections made, the wait begins. In a few weeks a large box of books will arrive at my door. All the hard work, the thinking, the cussing and the crying will be replaced with laughter and joy. A book is born.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Patterns of Behavior
Patterns of Behavior--
Hello to you all. Just a short thought that has been swirling around in my head.
What we grow up with we pass on to the next generation. Much of what we pass on is good.
I like to believe that what was passed on to our son was positive. However, I know human nature, and I know my nature. A little of the negative found its way in the passing. I hate that.
To break that pattern or any pattern of behavior, adults have to first recognize the pattern and develop a plan to replace it with a better pattern of behavior. Old patterns never disappear, but once we realize what they are, we can choose new patterns. We might even need to apologize to those who were witness to us not being our best.
Life is a work in progress. We are never perfect, but we can improve. We have it in our power to model positive behavior for all children. Especially our own. When we improve, we are giving them the tools they will need to solve their own life challenges.
Adults must stop blaming their past. We must move beyond our raising. If we witnessed certain behaviors that were negative in our growing up years, now is the time to remind ourselves that we wish different ways of modeling for our children. Now is the time to make the changes so our children will be able to live better lives-capable of making better choices.
It is like going to a restaurant and being given a menu. We have choice. We can choose from what is presented. Some of the choices are certainly not the best for us. Others are better. And some are perfect. We don't blame the chef for placing all the choices in front of us. We understand that we must choose.
Ok. Maybe not the best analogy. But, I think you get the point. We are the product of our growing up years. Many things happened during those formative years. And now that we are adults with children to mentor, we get to choose how to help them grow into their fullness.
Hello to you all. Just a short thought that has been swirling around in my head.
What we grow up with we pass on to the next generation. Much of what we pass on is good.
I like to believe that what was passed on to our son was positive. However, I know human nature, and I know my nature. A little of the negative found its way in the passing. I hate that.
To break that pattern or any pattern of behavior, adults have to first recognize the pattern and develop a plan to replace it with a better pattern of behavior. Old patterns never disappear, but once we realize what they are, we can choose new patterns. We might even need to apologize to those who were witness to us not being our best.
Life is a work in progress. We are never perfect, but we can improve. We have it in our power to model positive behavior for all children. Especially our own. When we improve, we are giving them the tools they will need to solve their own life challenges.
Adults must stop blaming their past. We must move beyond our raising. If we witnessed certain behaviors that were negative in our growing up years, now is the time to remind ourselves that we wish different ways of modeling for our children. Now is the time to make the changes so our children will be able to live better lives-capable of making better choices.
It is like going to a restaurant and being given a menu. We have choice. We can choose from what is presented. Some of the choices are certainly not the best for us. Others are better. And some are perfect. We don't blame the chef for placing all the choices in front of us. We understand that we must choose.
Ok. Maybe not the best analogy. But, I think you get the point. We are the product of our growing up years. Many things happened during those formative years. And now that we are adults with children to mentor, we get to choose how to help them grow into their fullness.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Taking a Break
Taking a Break
From time to time I need to take a break from writing the blog. Now is one of those times.
Thank you for reading. I truly appreciate having friends accompany me on this journey. My attention right now is on completing my book.
Take good care.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
We Are All Winners
We Are All Winners--
I marvel at all the creative people in this world. Now that fall is here, I see beautiful wreaths hanging on doors. Someone had the idea and the skills to put those lovely wreaths together. That is something I simply cannot do. Put a glue gun in my hand, and everything becomes covered in glue. After multiple attempts, I have finally given up on putting something pretty on my door--something that I made. It always looks like such a mess.
Then there are the people who can paint. They take a canvas, open tubes and jars of paint, gather brushes and begin to create. When I watch, I am in awe of their talent. They see things in their minds and then translate what they see to the canvas. How do they know when they are finished? How do they know that what they have on the canvas is exactly what should be there? It is a wonder to me. And I love to watch the creation take place.
Years ago I decided to take a beginning painting class. I explained to the instructor that I had no experience in painting. Knew none of the techniques he might ask us to use. Knew nothing about mixing paint. He assured me I would do fine. So, I joined the class. The group met at an old barn. We were told to set up our area and begin painting what we saw. I have never seen such a flurry of activity. In a matter of minutes everyone was busy interpreting what they saw. Colors and shapes appeared on paper.
And I stood there totally in the dark. Where to start? What did I see? What color should I use? It became obvious that I was out of pocket. These folks knew what to look for. I did not. So, when break time came, I gathered all my supplies, made my excuse and left. I felt like such an absolute failure. A sadness overtook me. I wanted to cry. Why did I have such a reaction to this experience? I think it might have to do with explaining my lack of knowledge but not being taken seriously. How wonderful it would have been had the instructor taken just a few minutes to explain things to me. That day I realized that painting or drawing was something I would never learn to do. Simply a talent I was not given.
How about musicians? Breaking into the music business must be one of the most difficult things in the world to do. Yet, those who feel the music in their bones cannot give up that dream. It overtakes all else. They compose then redo the composition endless times. They take any gigs they can so they can be seen and heard. Their life revolves around the creativity in their souls. I would imagine they see life in living colors. Then they take those colors and transform them into music. I so admire musicians. They can no more stop creating and producing music than they can stop breathing.
Chefs are amazing. Their food creations are not only beautiful, but they are also delicious. They teach us how to make our evening meals look just like theirs. Well, at least they try. Honestly, who has time to do all the shopping and creating for a busy family? I do enjoy browsing through cookbooks looking at the pictures of foods I have never seen in real life. Did you ever read all the ingredients needed for some of their masterpieces? However, they do inspire me to make my creations more appealing. Nothing appealing about slapping a piece of bacon, a boiled egg and toast on a plate. So, I appreciate knowing what to add to that to make it a food masterpiece.
Before we all become discouraged about what we cannot do, let's examine what we can do.
We can love others. We can provide a loving home for our families. We can select the best food to prepare for them. We can take those children to school, to practices. We can be available for friends. We can take care of ourselves so that we are around for a long, long time. They can learn new skills. We can create a safe haven for those who enter our space. We can let those we care about know that they are in our thoughts. We can take time to ourselves-even a few moments refresh our spirits. We can count our blessings and be grateful. We can encourage others who are struggling.
This list is a forever list. It never ends. While we recognize there are things we are not gifted to do, there are others we are. We can develop those talents and skills. We can continue to grow ourselves.
We often hear about winners and losers. Well, we are all winners when we develop our own particular set of skills and talents. We are all winners when we create a loving space for everyone. We are all winners when we refuse to compare ourselves with others and their abilities. We can celebrate others and ourselves at the same time.
I marvel at all the creative people in this world. Now that fall is here, I see beautiful wreaths hanging on doors. Someone had the idea and the skills to put those lovely wreaths together. That is something I simply cannot do. Put a glue gun in my hand, and everything becomes covered in glue. After multiple attempts, I have finally given up on putting something pretty on my door--something that I made. It always looks like such a mess.
Then there are the people who can paint. They take a canvas, open tubes and jars of paint, gather brushes and begin to create. When I watch, I am in awe of their talent. They see things in their minds and then translate what they see to the canvas. How do they know when they are finished? How do they know that what they have on the canvas is exactly what should be there? It is a wonder to me. And I love to watch the creation take place.
Years ago I decided to take a beginning painting class. I explained to the instructor that I had no experience in painting. Knew none of the techniques he might ask us to use. Knew nothing about mixing paint. He assured me I would do fine. So, I joined the class. The group met at an old barn. We were told to set up our area and begin painting what we saw. I have never seen such a flurry of activity. In a matter of minutes everyone was busy interpreting what they saw. Colors and shapes appeared on paper.
And I stood there totally in the dark. Where to start? What did I see? What color should I use? It became obvious that I was out of pocket. These folks knew what to look for. I did not. So, when break time came, I gathered all my supplies, made my excuse and left. I felt like such an absolute failure. A sadness overtook me. I wanted to cry. Why did I have such a reaction to this experience? I think it might have to do with explaining my lack of knowledge but not being taken seriously. How wonderful it would have been had the instructor taken just a few minutes to explain things to me. That day I realized that painting or drawing was something I would never learn to do. Simply a talent I was not given.
How about musicians? Breaking into the music business must be one of the most difficult things in the world to do. Yet, those who feel the music in their bones cannot give up that dream. It overtakes all else. They compose then redo the composition endless times. They take any gigs they can so they can be seen and heard. Their life revolves around the creativity in their souls. I would imagine they see life in living colors. Then they take those colors and transform them into music. I so admire musicians. They can no more stop creating and producing music than they can stop breathing.
Chefs are amazing. Their food creations are not only beautiful, but they are also delicious. They teach us how to make our evening meals look just like theirs. Well, at least they try. Honestly, who has time to do all the shopping and creating for a busy family? I do enjoy browsing through cookbooks looking at the pictures of foods I have never seen in real life. Did you ever read all the ingredients needed for some of their masterpieces? However, they do inspire me to make my creations more appealing. Nothing appealing about slapping a piece of bacon, a boiled egg and toast on a plate. So, I appreciate knowing what to add to that to make it a food masterpiece.
Before we all become discouraged about what we cannot do, let's examine what we can do.
We can love others. We can provide a loving home for our families. We can select the best food to prepare for them. We can take those children to school, to practices. We can be available for friends. We can take care of ourselves so that we are around for a long, long time. They can learn new skills. We can create a safe haven for those who enter our space. We can let those we care about know that they are in our thoughts. We can take time to ourselves-even a few moments refresh our spirits. We can count our blessings and be grateful. We can encourage others who are struggling.
This list is a forever list. It never ends. While we recognize there are things we are not gifted to do, there are others we are. We can develop those talents and skills. We can continue to grow ourselves.
We often hear about winners and losers. Well, we are all winners when we develop our own particular set of skills and talents. We are all winners when we create a loving space for everyone. We are all winners when we refuse to compare ourselves with others and their abilities. We can celebrate others and ourselves at the same time.
Monday, October 6, 2014
We Met the Challenge!!
We Met the Challenge!!
I have the most amazing friends. They have such caring spirits. It makes my heart smile just to think about each of them.
Last week I blogged about gifting women in difficult life situations. Friends replied. I am so happy to report that our goal was met and because of their generosity, others will have needs met. Thank you so much!
Being involved in this venture helped me see my friends through new eyes. They are caring, generous, loving. They understand that others need what we take for granted. They reached out with time and money to make life better for other women.
And that brought another thought to my head. This one is not so easy. At some point in our lives we all go through this.
It pains me to even write about this. But, there are people in this world who are always unhappy. I don't mean those who are ill. I mean those whose disposition is always on a downward spiral. No matter what you say or how you try to encourage them, they manage to find something negative in everything. Being in their presence is draining.
Wonder why some folks find nothing positive? Wonder what happened in their life that brought them to this place? They are certainly right. Challenging things happen everyday. We don't live in bubbles of joy and laughter. We live in the real world where things go wrong. People get sick. Relationships fall apart. Children disappoint us. Jobs are lost. No one gets out of this life without a few bruises.
So, what gives some the inner power to see beyond the difficulties and make good decisions for themselves and those they care about while others stay in the pits? If there were an easy answer, it would have already been written about in many books. It isn't easy to walk above the mess of life. Sometimes there is no way but to go right through.
Recently I had a wonderful visit with a friend who is a widow. Instead of crawling in bed and pulling up the covers-which I am sure she has done, she made the decision that life did not end. A huge portion of it did. One that can never be reclaimed. But, she understands that life moves forward. She is moving forward, too. I so admire her spirit and her determination. I admire her ability to accept what she cannot change and move forward to what might be in her future. It would have been so easy to be negative and down most of the time. She has willed herself to not do that.
And maybe there is the answer--her will. She does not want to burden others with her sorrow. She wants to live her life and enjoy people even though her heart is broken. She wills herself to get up and go. I love her so much for her strength. She is certainly an example for others who have walked her path.
Many years ago I decided to stay clear of negative folks. Sure, we are all negative sometime. We all get our feathers ruffled. But, these are temporary things. I avoid the company of those who only see the down side of life. I avoid them not because I don't care. I avoid them because they have the power to pull me down. That is not a place I wish to reside.
So, I have learned much from my friends this past week. They have given of themselves. They saw a need and worked to meet it. They are positive women with generous spirits.
I am so lucky to call them friend.
I have the most amazing friends. They have such caring spirits. It makes my heart smile just to think about each of them.
Last week I blogged about gifting women in difficult life situations. Friends replied. I am so happy to report that our goal was met and because of their generosity, others will have needs met. Thank you so much!
Being involved in this venture helped me see my friends through new eyes. They are caring, generous, loving. They understand that others need what we take for granted. They reached out with time and money to make life better for other women.
And that brought another thought to my head. This one is not so easy. At some point in our lives we all go through this.
It pains me to even write about this. But, there are people in this world who are always unhappy. I don't mean those who are ill. I mean those whose disposition is always on a downward spiral. No matter what you say or how you try to encourage them, they manage to find something negative in everything. Being in their presence is draining.
Wonder why some folks find nothing positive? Wonder what happened in their life that brought them to this place? They are certainly right. Challenging things happen everyday. We don't live in bubbles of joy and laughter. We live in the real world where things go wrong. People get sick. Relationships fall apart. Children disappoint us. Jobs are lost. No one gets out of this life without a few bruises.
So, what gives some the inner power to see beyond the difficulties and make good decisions for themselves and those they care about while others stay in the pits? If there were an easy answer, it would have already been written about in many books. It isn't easy to walk above the mess of life. Sometimes there is no way but to go right through.
Recently I had a wonderful visit with a friend who is a widow. Instead of crawling in bed and pulling up the covers-which I am sure she has done, she made the decision that life did not end. A huge portion of it did. One that can never be reclaimed. But, she understands that life moves forward. She is moving forward, too. I so admire her spirit and her determination. I admire her ability to accept what she cannot change and move forward to what might be in her future. It would have been so easy to be negative and down most of the time. She has willed herself to not do that.
And maybe there is the answer--her will. She does not want to burden others with her sorrow. She wants to live her life and enjoy people even though her heart is broken. She wills herself to get up and go. I love her so much for her strength. She is certainly an example for others who have walked her path.
Many years ago I decided to stay clear of negative folks. Sure, we are all negative sometime. We all get our feathers ruffled. But, these are temporary things. I avoid the company of those who only see the down side of life. I avoid them not because I don't care. I avoid them because they have the power to pull me down. That is not a place I wish to reside.
So, I have learned much from my friends this past week. They have given of themselves. They saw a need and worked to meet it. They are positive women with generous spirits.
I am so lucky to call them friend.
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