Remember Your Approach

Let your wishes only be wants and never needs. Needs are too grasping, too desperate, too how will I live if I don't get this need met?

Make everything in your world a want so that you can remember--you want this, it is your choice to go out and get it, and it should be pleasant because it is a want and the world won't end if we don't get it.

It is a want and therefore it must be something we want to explore, not something that could take us down if we don't get it.

Remember to enjoy your wants and the pursuit of them.

Remember to enjoy. Don't be fast, don't be slow, just be who you are.

Simon Says with the World

The World wants you to be happy today (and always).

The World wants you to smile at someone today...
even if it's just up at the sky.

The World wants you to hug someone today...
even if it's just a teddy bear.

The World wants you to kiss someone today...
even if it's just a flower.

But mostly, the World wants you to know yourself...
and to tell you it loves you.

Thankful Thursdays: Career

I've decided to start a regular feature on the blog called Thankful Thursdays. I keep reading over and over again about how the best way to feel happy and fulfilled in your life is to be thankful for the things you have so that's what we're doing. Every week will have a theme and today's is career.

This is a tricky one for me because I can easily let the voice in my head say, "What career? You're not published! What can you be thankful for?"

But being thankful is not about wanting, it's about appreciating, and sometimes you need to ignore that initial voice and dig deeper.

This is what I found I have to be thankful for in my career as a writer:

1) I am thankful for the courage to query that I've recently found. Yay, courage! Why were you hiding?

2) I am thankful for starting this blog and having the inspiration to share my thoughts with others!

3) I am thankful for all the new techniques I'm learning on how to edit a novel! And for sticking with it!

4) I am thankful to myself for staying true to my purpose, and continuing to write no matter what.

5) I am thankful for all of the wonderful agents, editors, librarians, illustrators and all people connected to writing, publishing, and helping books to reach readers and enrich people's lives.

6) I am thankful for libraries! (I think this one is self-explanatory.) And for the wonderful librarian who was at my school from Gr.6-8. She took the time to invite writers to our school and to take us on field trips to meet writers, and she generally took me and my best friend under her wing. Thank you. You changed my life.


Well, it appears that I found some stuff after all : )

What are you thankful for today?

Make It Simple

You don't have to be amazing every day.

You don't even have to be amazing on any given day.

Just show up and put in the effort, the essence of what is you, and it will add up to people asking you how you did something so huge and amazing.

And you'll know the answer is:

"One step at a time."

But they won't believe you.

They'll say, "You're talented."

"You're a genius."

You'll smile and nod and say, "I'm talented at showing up."

And that's all the talented you need.

The Perfect Guide

There is a technique I've started doing whenever I feel nervous or scared about an endeavor.

I like to call it The Perfect Guide, and I usually picture a guy that's a mix between a psychologist and a guidance counsellor. I imagine he's my buffer and stands between me and all the scary things.

Let's do an example with querying (because that's one I always go to him with).

So everytime I sit down to send out queries, I send out a few, and then I think:

I'm sending these queries out to all of these agents. But really, I am giving my query to you, Perfect Guide.

Please show the query to the agents, chat with them, get to know them, and let me know which one of them is a good fit for me.

If they are not a good fit, I know I will receive either a "no" in my email or no response at all.

If they are a good fit, I trust that you will let me know at the perfect time. (Because The Perfect Guide is soo awesome, that not only does he know which agents are best for you, but he knows the perfect time for them to contact you back. He knows when you'll be at your best and ready for them.)

So that is how I use The Perfect Guide. I know it's a mental exercise, but it really makes most of my anxiety vanish. It just makes me feel secure and taken care of, and that's a great way to feel while you're querying : )

Celebrate Each Day

We often ask ourselves, "Are we working enough?"

But we also need be asking, "Are we celebrating enough?"

We are alive! Life is a miracle, but also a game.

Play.

With.

Life.

How Can I Serve?

Answer:

You already are.


You can serve by writing GREAT books that are fun and exciting.


Your books are your service.