Every month, our local thrift store calls and asks if we have any donations, and every month we say, “Sure, we’ll leave a bag on the porch for you.” It forces my husband and I to walk through our entire house every 30 days, dig through all our closets, and ask ourselves what no longer...
Tag: ideas
Complaining Is Getting Me Nowhere
I recently finished reading Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza. It took me a few months to get through it because I was determined not to rush the learning. In the book, Dr. Joe covers so much information it would be difficult to summarize it here. But one thing he encourages...
When Was the Last Time You Got Lost in Contemplation?
When I was 19, I did that dirt-poor college trip around Europe. I was so poor, I didn’t even have a backpack, I just had a free tote bag and my college book bag. My traveling companions and I spent a lot of time riding in trains and buses. Because we weren’t getting along too...
Should You Tell Your Story?
Last night, my husband and I went to a PechaKucha Night. These events are billed as showcasing “the art of concise presentations.” Presenters are allowed to show 20 slides for 20 seconds each and talk about those slides. The presentation advances automatically, so the speaker has to keep up. He/she can share ideas, work, passions,...
New Video – How to Manage Your Research and Outlines
I’m taking a moment this week to draw your attention to my new writing video “How to Manage Your Research and Outlines.” I know many of you are becoming more and more interested in stretching your writing skills and moving in new directions with your work. You may have been inspired by the start of...
The Pendulum Theory of Art and Politics
When I was pursuing my history degree in college, I learned about the Pendulum Theory, or so my professor called it. According to the theory, history (and especially politics) swings to one direction until it reaches a tipping point (usually driven by popular mood) and then it swings back. This makes living in a two-party...
Are You Living Up To Their Expectations?
On the last day of classes during my senior year of college, I dropped in to say good-bye to my professors. I was graduating in a few days with a degree in history and had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with my education. When the dean asked me about my plans,...
In the Company of Artists – The Benefits of a Retreat
I’m up in the mountains this week on a writing retreat with a couple of friends. We hunker down and work during the day (emerging now and then for snacks or lunch) and stop in time for dinner. As writers, we are usually holed up in our home offices writing, researching, promoting, etc. But there’s...
Does the Universe Take Our Ideas?
I was having lunch with a friend the other day, and she said she’d heard that the universe sometimes gifts us with ideas, and if we don’t act on them, it pulls the idea and gives it to someone else. I startled when she shared this. How many times have I thought of something, told...
Spontaneity vs Planning
I was sitting in a focus group the other night, and the facilitator threw out an icebreaker question: “What do you miss most about being a kid?” I said, “I miss spontaneity. You know, deciding you were in the mood for tag and then knocking on doors until you found someone who could come out...