Find Purpose to Write

My journey to find purpose for the words I pour out each day continues. A breakthrough occurred yesterday. The moment I look around and realize I am NOT able to do it always seems to be the moment the blinders come off and I can see.

I am not able to make the schedule work.
I am not able to make the income level rise.
I am not able to make the kids act the way they should act.
I am not able to make the weight magically disappear.
I am not able – in the flesh – to do anything that is worth having, remembering or even doing.

The Light broke through the clouds when I surrendered to this reality and I understood that I am not expected to do it. The strength, wisdom and knowledge of the Spirit that dwells in me do it when I get ME out of the way.

Now that I do not bear the burden on my own I can begin to recognize the passion that burns in my heart and follow it to become who I was woven to be.

Finding the Passion

1. What makes your stomach flutter? The first time I held my children, I was overwhelmed with love. Each time I take the time that I took during those first days, that same love comes overflowing into my life again. I have a passion for the children that God has placed into my care. I will choose to reflect that passion through my actions, time and words.


2. What gets you excited when you have the opportunity to share? Helping others discover their passion gets my blood pumping. Seeing the excitement and the light pour out when the understanding begins to set in sets my feet to dancing. I truly enjoy helping others discover the passion and purpose for their lives.


3. Where are your gifts, talents, hobbies and abilities? My gift of words started at a young age. My father will tell you that I did not start talking until I was two and that I have not stopped talking since that day. Even when I am unable to speak to others, I will write. My flair in letters led me to pursue writing in other avenues through the encouragement of others. Words are one of the gifts and talents that I have crafted into an ability.


4. What would you do – for others and for the Kingdom – if you knew that you would not fail? This is my stumbling point at this moment. Although I understand that my first purpose at this time is to be a mother and steward over the lives of my children, I also know that there is a place for writing in my life. What I am supposed to be writing and where those words need to go are not so clear. Maybe I am not allowing my heart to dream as big as the Kingdom can reach.

Do you know where your passion lies? Take some time to pray over these questions. Make lists, diagrams or sketches to help you visualize the things that make you unique in all the world. Once you recognize your God given talent you will discover that you really can fly!

Redefining Success

Victor Frankl wrote: "Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedications to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it."

I remember the resistance of my children to practice the piano, violin, trombone and harp - the instruments they had chosen to learn how to play. They wanted to play them - they just didn't want to practice. Even my husband, who was a professional trombone player, would spend time every day with exercises that were very boring but crucial in keeping the facial muscles toned for embouchure control and to maintain the quality of his playing. Playing those boring exercises never became easier - they just required discipline to turn practice into a habit. You didn't think about it - you just did it.

Discipline is a habit. There are many things we want to accomplish in life, but we don't accomplish them because we struggle with the discipline necessary to follow through with practice and more practice that develops the skills above the ordinary. After the excitement wears off, we get bored and it becomes hard work. There are longer periods of time without any payoff and it gets harder to maintain the motivation to continue.

As writers we too can get bored or discouraged. We want to get published - not develop our writing skills to a new level. We focus on success, not becoming a good writer. Yet writing, like learning to play an instrument, requires diligence, discipline, and careful attention to our craft while we work and struggle to perfect what we have begun.

Find time every day that is right for you to write and don't deviate from it. Write anytime and anywhere. Make it is as important as eating, exercising and getting sleep. Don't think of arrival - just think of developing the best you can be. Success will take care of itself.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

copyright 2010

I dedicate this to my son, who even in death, will see his work continued and completed. He never gave up. He worked against impossible odds, when others would give up, he would start over again and keep going as long as it took. He was one of the most gifted and talented individuals I knew who worked through all his handicaps to develop to great heights. I am honored to have had the privilege of raising such a fine young man and artist. Picture is of him in front of Crayola bus which he designed for them.

Do You Need an Agent?

Janalyn Voigt guest blogs on the roundtable session in which James Rubart, author of "Rooms," asked this question. To read this post, click here.

6 Tools Fantasy Writers Use to Create Worlds of Beauty

Read fantasy author Janalyn Voigt's guest post on Author Culture and apply her specific tools to your own descriptions, no matter what genre you write. Click here.

LinkedIn - Reach Your Target Market and Be Seen As an Expert With This Social Networking Tool

by Christine Gallagher


I have had a profile on LinkedIn for a while now, but as with my MySpace account, I let it languish for a long time. I wasn't seeing LinkedIn as a place to make connections and find others in my niche. It also seemed heavily corporate, with people looking for jobs more so than small business services or products.
Originally, serving that more corporate-type population was why LinkedIn was established. However, I have recently noticed more activity among small business owners, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. While Facebook offers a more personal snapshot of a person, LinkedIn has really become a good place to create beneficial professional relationships as well as be found by potential clients and customers.
If you are interested in finding out how to use LinkedIn to help grow your business and boost your visibility, here are a few ways to use this social network to do so:
Do a search for people in targeted fields and positions. Send them a request to join your network and be sure to personalize your message.
Create a thorough profile with your photo, websites and title. It is a good idea to include past experience, positions and education as well--the more information you supply, the more ways you allow others to find and connect to you.
Answer questions posed by other members in your community that fall into your area of expertise. "LinkedIn Answers" provides a place for you to view open questions that you may respond to. This is a wonderful way to promote your specific knowledge.
Ask for recommendations of your work and offer to provide them for others. The glowing recommendations you receive will be posted right to your profile.
Develop a targeted group of contacts in your niche and start connecting each other. Try to help others expand their own networks.
Look through your contacts' networks. Select a few people each month you think would be good to know and request that your contacts introduce them to you.
As with Facebook, LinkedIn offers a way to feed your blog posts right into your profile. Add an application called BlogLink--this supports blogging platforms such as TypePad, Wordpress.com, Wordpress.org, Blogger and more.
Invite people in your network to ask others in their networks to a discussion group or an on-line networking event.
A great tip for increasing your search engine ranking with your website listing: when you go to type in your web address for your profile, you will have several choices in the drop down menu. If you choose "other" you have the option to type in any text you'd like which will then link to your site. Choose the keywords that you think would best get you found when someone searches in the search engines and voila, instant search engine optimization! (LinkedIn is ranked very highly in Google.)
Get some publicity. Many members of the media as well as some of the top bloggers have profiles on LinkedIn. Why not reach out to them and connect? You never know where the relationship will lead. Of course, don't spam them. Send a polite and personalized message and you will have a spot on their radar.
Finally, don't forget to add a link to your profile in your email signature. The great thing is that LinkedIn allows you to customize the link to your public profile to include your name. You should always include your social networking profiles in your signature so that every time you send an email, others have a way to connect.
As you know by now, connection is what it's all about!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/social-marketing-articles/linkedin-reach-your-target-market-and-be-seen-as-an-expert-with-this-social-networking-tool-866431.html

About the Author

Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches solopreneurs and small business how to boost their business and their profits by using online marketing and social media tools to communicate effectively and authentically. For F.R.E.E. tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com

The Best Reason to Write

If you build it, they will come. Building a platform to draw editors, agents and publishers has driven my life the last couple of years – even before I understood completely the meaning of platform. My goals and purposes centered on finding my income avenue.

Anyone that has seen the movie, “Field of Dreams,” knows that not everyone could see the amazing things happening in the corn field. Two people would look at the same scene – one would see baseball players and the other would see a wasted crop. It was only when the blinders were removed that all was revealed. In the end, they did come.

My blinders have been on. I was focused on the value of the crop. All that I thought about was how to make money with my writing and speaking. April brought the winds of change into my life and slowly I am starting to see things as they are, and not as I chosen to see them in the last months. Change will bring change.

The world tells us that things work a certain way, and for those following the rules of the world that pattern holds true. I am not of this world. The rules that govern my life will not make sense to the world, and neither will the results.

The words of my mouth (or my fingers) and the meditations of my heart (or my motivations for writing those words) should be acceptable to my Father. His opinion must be the driving force behind all that I do, or I am missing the point and I can no longer see.

Writing to please my Father is the best reason to write. Pleasing my Father is the best reason to do anything. The more I focus on doing the things that He leads me to do then the more that gets done in my life. My platform must be an altar to God, only then will all the desires of my heart begin to come into view.

Who do you follow?

There is a war going on - a war in existence since the beginning of time. I'm not talking about physical battlefields where soldiers kill and are killed. I'm talking about the war between God and evil - name it whatever you want. Have we become complacent about this war? Who do you follow?

As I listened to the news media report on a ruling made by an American judge that our designated national day of prayer was unconstitutional, I was reminded that this is an ongoing battle and it is my battle as well as every Christian who belives this country was founded on Christian principles. And the war keeps intensifying. We forget the skirmishes that preceded this one: the protests against prayer in school, removal of the Ten Commandments from state and federal institutions, no Christmas carols to be sung in our schools if there is any reference to the birth of Christ, no prayers before games or at graduations, no reference to God at all. The relentless assault to obliterate God from our country comes in cries to remove "God" from our currency and our pledge of allegiance.

When schools have to worry about mass murder by children, lock-downs, bullying that moves into violence; when school administrators have to be more concerned about lawsuits from parents than keeping order and teaching, we are in trouble. When professional workshops for the medical and counseling community design programs to inform and teach ways to deal with a new form of mental illness resulting from entitlement and overindulged chidlren, we are in trouble. As families fall apart and individuals stop living their principles we become a nation in crisis. The war has intensified. Who do you follow?

Church attendance alone isn't a defense against our lack of love or personal responsibility. We don't see the neighbor in need, we cross over to the other side and tell ourselves there are agencies who will take care of them; we can recite bible verses as easily as we can recite the Lord's prayer but too often use them to judge and condemn rather than quietly bind up wounds or apply those verses to ourselves. As a counselor and a Christian, I too stand convicted and am reminded daily of my need not only for increased prayer but for personal involvement. We are at war. Who do I follow?

As Christian writers and speakers it isn't enough to reflect God within our craft. It needs to be reflected in our everyday life as we interact with our families and everyone we come in contact every minute of the day. What do our behaviors and attitudes say about us as followers of Christ? Do others see Christ within us?

Who do you follow? It's not only "who" do we follow but "how" are we following? Are you willing to put yourself on the line, wherever, whenever, regardless of the cost? It is the price for obedience.

Marlene Anderson , MA, LMHC, NCC

copyright 2010

Guest Post by Joseph Bentz: The Future of Publishing: What I Learned at Mount Hermon

Joseph Bentz is the author of four novels and three non-fiction books. In March, 2010, Beacon Hill Press is scheduled to release God in Pursuit: The Tipping Points from Doubt to Faith. Other recent releases include the contemporary novel A Son Comes Home (Randall House, 2007) and the non-fiction Christian living book, Silent God: Finding Him When You Can't Hear His Voice (Beacon Hill Press, 2007). His other books include contemporary novels published by Bethany House and a fantasy novel, Song of Fire, published by Thomas Nelson. Some of his books have been chosen for the Guideposts and Crossings book clubs and have received various honors. Bentz is a professor of English at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, where he teaches courses in American literature and writing. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in American literature from Purdue University, and he graduated with a B.A. in English from Olivet Nazarene University. He and his wife Peggy and their two children live in Southern California. More information about his books and speaking is available at his website, http://www.josephbentz.com/.

Will books on paper survive, or will they be tossed onto the ash heap of history as electronic books take their place? If e-books do take over, how long will that transition take? A couple years? Ten years? Twenty? Is this upheaval in the book industry good for authors, or bad? Will traditional publishers adapt and survive, or will they go the way of cassettes, VHS videos, and typewriters?

These were some of the questions that dominated the discussions at mealtimes, in workshops and around the fireplace late at night at the recent Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in California. Teaching at this conference is always one of the highlights of my year. I have attended fairly regularly for the past 15 years. It’s a gathering of about 350 writers, book acquisition editors, magazine editors and agents. It’s the best place I know for taking a book or magazine article proposal directly to an editor or agent. I made the contacts that led to six of my seven published books there, and I also met my agent there. It’s also a spiritually uplifting conference, with worship services each evening and on Sunday, and conversations with some of the most amazing Christians at every mealtime.

I have noticed that each year, a different theme emerges at the conference, depending on what is happening in the publishing industry. It is never an announced theme that you can find in the conference binder, but it’s a dominant topic that keeps popping up in the discussions that go non-stop over five days. Several years ago, the term that kept cropping up was “edgy.” That was the kind of fiction all the editors wanted. “Branding” was all the rage another year. “Chick Lit” was big one year. Last year, “doom and gloom” was the prevailing mood. The economy was bad, the book business was suffering, and no one knew the future.

This year the gloom seems to have lifted, but the uncertainty has not. The discussions raised more questions than answers, but theories and predictions abounded. With the popularity of devices such as iPads and Kindles steadily increasing, there was a wide spectrum of opinions among authors, editors and agents about how much of a threat—or opportunity—the trend represents for everyone involved in publishing..

Almost no one was completely complacent about the trend, but those on the less alarmist end of the scale believe that e-books will comfortably take their place alongside print books that will continue to be produced by traditional publishers who will remain, if not unchanged, at least unthreatened. People on that end of the spectrum are less likely to be convinced by parallels between print books and the demise of technologies such as 8-track tapes or the dramatic drop in music CD sales that happened as everyone started downloading music instead. Unlike tapes or CDs, print books have been around for centuries, not just a couple decades, and these people believe paper books are so ingrained in our culture and habits that they will never be completely displaced by e-books.

Others believe the battle is already over, and within several years e-books will be the dominant format in which people read books. In that world, what will happen to publishers? Since it’s so easy to publish an e-book, will self-publishing crowd out traditional publishers? If those publishers no longer provide the gatekeeping function of deciding what should and should not be published, and if they no longer guide the careful editing and polishing that keep the quality of books high, then how will readers find good books among the blizzard of sloppily written, poorly edited “books” that anyone with a computer can upload and sell? How can professional writers stand out among this mob of amateurs? How can writers make a living at their craft in a world of low-priced e-books? How can bookstores survive in such an environment?

Some at the conference predicted chaos in publishing in the years ahead. Others envision a more smooth transition in which quality books will still rise to the top in this more democratic e-world, a place where readers, with their ratings and reviews and word of mouth, become the gatekeepers of quality, replacing publishers and agents in that role.

As a writer, I left the conference a little unnerved by all this uncertainty. Navigating the old publishing system was hard enough. Now do I have to not only write, but also figure out how to master a whole new publishing economy?

On the other hand, in the midst of all conjecture and prognostication, my editor and I sat down one afternoon and planned my next book. It is scheduled for publication two years from now. In a book made of paper.

©2010 Joseph Bentz

Purchase "God in Pursuit" by Joseph Bentz
 
My newest book, God in Pursuit: The Tipping Points from Doubt to Faith, identifies and celebrates the sparks that allow faith to catch fire in the lives of new believers who were once hostile or indifferent to God. It also examines the ways those tipping points operate throughout the Christian life as people confront spiritual crises or grapple with questions that did not arise at the time of conversion.


What is the turning point that causes a curious journalist and atheist to walk into a church and be converted the first time she takes communion? At what point is a lifelong atheist and head of one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs of the twentieth century persuaded to turn to Christ? What leads a woman who has a Mafia contract on her life and who appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list to become a Christian in prison and then start a national outreach ministry that has touched the lives of thousands of children? I look at these and many other conversion stories to find the patterns that allow people to move from disbelief to faith.

Focus for the Moment

The morning just started and I have already managed to become distracted from the tasks I was determined to tackle today. Developing my writing and speaking career seems to always include one more thing that needs to be done. Learning Twitter, Facebook and blogging only scratch the surface, and just when I think I have one of these avenues under control someone up and changes the traffic flow.

There are those days when I keep everything moving along the perfect path – make that day. The rest of the week I struggle with kids, my husband, chores, appointments and a dozen other distractions. I have tried locking myself away in the back room, but they find me.

The only thing I know to do is to stop trying to do it. I was reminded last night that nothing my flesh can accomplish lasts. Maybe spending more time looking to my heart will give me the wisdom to follow the path designed for my purpose.

Just for the Moment

I will choose to spend a few minutes in meditation and prayer. It keeps me focused on the things that are truly important.


I will do one more project before I take that break.


I will accept that life gets in the way of plans and all of the fits I can throw will not change that reality.


I will laugh more at life, situations and myself and my laughter will chase away the storm clouds giving way to the light.


I will encourage a friend or family member because encouragement grows encouragement in my own heart.


I will push to do more than I did the day before because growth requires pressure – no pressure; no diamond.

Shiny distractions always try to turn me from my path. There are times that the distractions accomplish their task. Today, for this moment, I am choosing to follow the way I know to go and am putting up blinders to all of those shiny and curious baubles along the path.

Letting Go

Psalm 32: "When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became day long groans - the pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. . ."

When I produced my relaxation CD's, I wanted them to be teaching tools, helping individuals become aware of the tension held in their muscles and then systematically letting go of that tension. The methods were well established by the medical community from research in the field of bio-feedback and body-brain physiology.

As part of a design team developing a ten-week program for individuals living with chronic illness and pain, my first relaxation tape was produced for Kaiser Permanente. I produced the second one with an Emmy nomination friend who composed the music. As you listen, the CD instrusts you to tighten each muscle group, starting with the face working down through the neck, shoulders, arms, trunk, legs and feet and then as you breathe deeply and evenly you consciously "let go" of all the tension that may be stored there. Listening allows you to simply focus on the process making it easier to accomplish the task. As you practice this simple 15 minute exercise each day, you become aware of where you hold your tension enabling you to use these methods to quickly release it anywhere. Our bodies that God designed are so remarkable they keep adapting automatically until they reach a saturation point when we feel the pain of tight muscles. The quicker you can release unnecessary tension, the better it is for your health.

But releasing tension accumulated in our bodies is only part of the process of letting go. It begins with "letting go" of beliefs and thinking processes that affect our responses to life and create the tension in the first place. Most of our stress is created by us. The accumulation of worry, anxiety, fear, anger, resentment, etc. quickly manifests itself within our bodies. The process of letting go on a daily basis allows us to reduce tension and work with God as He transforms our lives. Here are some typical stress-tension producers that affect our health.

Let go

• of the need to be right


• of resentment - it leads to entitlement and grievances


• of fear - fear is only protective if you are in physical danger


• of the need to be perfect - we can never be perfect - it is a journey of transformation


• of comparisons - it keeps you from developing your unique talents and skills


• of the belief you have no worth or are unimportant - "God does not make junk"


• of your anger - anger has a purpose and we need to listen to it and take appropriate action. However, hanging on to anger only relieves us of our responsibility for taking such appropriate action


• of always minimizing accomplishments - humility can become a source of pride


• of focusing on your failures -start focusing on your successes


• of "have-to's, shoulds, and oughts" and start making purposeful choices instead.

We are responsible for all our responses to all things, events, people and situations. God gives us the information, strength and ability to make more appropriate responses. In that process we are letting go and letting God.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

copyright 2010

Platform Building 212: Promoting with a Facebook Fan Page

What does it take to get a Facebook fan page up and running? What does a person do with one anyway? And, for that matter, do you even need one?

There's no "right" and "wrong" to that last question. Some writers decide a blog and/or website are enough to maintain and so forego having a Facebook fan page also. My job here is to inform rather than persuade you. When all's said and done, you must decide what will and won't work in your situation.

At my editor's request, I recently started a Facebook fan page for my Tales of Faeraven trilogy. She felt having a fan page was an important promotional tool, and now that I've lived with one for a few weeks, I agree with her. My fan base grows on a daily basis. I invited my Facebook friends and my Twitter followers and placed widgets on my blogs and websites as well as direct links to my fan page from my various account signatures and beside my book video on youtube. In short, having a fan page gives people who become interested in DawnSinger through my early promotional efforts a place to connect with my book as it moves toward publication. If my fan page did not exist, they might read my blog entries or watch my book video and, although their interest would be peaked, that's as far as it might go. A fan page allows me to capture, prior to its release, my book's audience. Now, not all of them will buy my book, but some of them will.

Besides collecting a reader base, I gain demographics through my Facebook fan page. I can see the gender and ages of those who join my page and for those who actively engage with it. Once I draw more people who are not my facebook friends to my fan page, my demographics may adjust to reflect my friend demographics less. Combined with the Insight I receive from my book video on youtube, I should gain a clear picture of just who to market DawnSinger toward.

There are indirect benefits to having a fan page, as well. Since its inception, for instance, I've received daily friend requests on my regular Facebook account. I've also benefitted from a well-placed fan's help in getting the word out about DawnSinger in an unexpected way.

My fan page has not been difficult to maintain, since I feed into it posts about my journey toward publication from my WaySinger blog. These posts tend to be cathartic for me to write, as I go through all the requisite changes a debut author experiences. Every once in awhile, I plan to update my fan page with exclusive content also. I'll do this more frequently the closer I move to publication, to increase intensity for the anticipated release.

You may not be in the same position as me. Perhaps your book contract is still a gleam in your mind's eye. You wonder if you should maintain a Facebook Fan Page for yourself. I suggest you wait until you have a contract and the need to develop a readership and instead spend your energy on developing your writing craft and finding publication. Having a fan page right now will only take time away from those pursuits and won't make you look any more professional. You can certainly reserve a fan page in your name and/or in the name of your book or series now, but don't publish it or list it in Google yet.

Notice, too, that my fan page is not for me, specifically, but rather for my trilogy. It makes sense at this stage in my career to promote my books first and myself second. Now, if I were an author with five series out, it would become cumbersome to maintain a fan page for each. At such a point, it's just easier to put everything under your name, and by then you'll have enough of a following to justify a fan page in your name. These are just my thoughts. Your opinions and/or experience my vary. Please, feel free to post from your own perspective, below.

Homework

Determine if and when you will use a Facebook fan page. If the time is now, get yours in shape and publish it this week or schedule a completion date for this task. Brainstorm for ways you will provide content of interest to your fans.

What are your thoughts on having a Facebook Fan Page for yourself and/or your work?

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Want to be a Fly on the Wall at the Mt. Hermon Writers Conference?

Next Monday, author Joesph Bentz will post insights on recent developments in the world of publishing gleaned from the recent Mt. Hermon Writers Conference. Don't miss it. Sign up for the Author Haven feed or to receive blog posts by email.

Joseph Bentz is the author of four novels and three non-fiction books. In March, 2010, Beacon Hill Press released his God in Pursuit: The Tipping Points from Doubt to Faith. Other recent releases include the contemporary novel A Son Comes Home (Randall House, 2007) and the non-fiction Christian living book, Silent God: Finding Him When You Can't Hear His Voice (Beacon Hill Press, 2007). His other books include contemporary novels published by Bethany House and a fantasy novel, Song of Fire, published by Thomas Nelson. Some of his books have been chosen for the Guideposts and Crossings book clubs and have received various honors. Bentz is a professor of English at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, where he teaches courses in American literature and writing. He earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in American literature from Purdue University, and he graduated with a B.A. in English from Olivet Nazarene University. He and his wife Peggy and their two children live in Southern California. More information about his books and speaking is available at his website, www.josephbentz.com.

Failure Must NOT be an Option

Not trying provides the only guaranteed path to failure. Everything else creates an experience that can be used to grow, modify and fulfill my purpose. Failure can never be the option that I choose for my life.

My writing will never be where I want it to be as long as I am not writing.

My speaking career will never be more than a thought in my mind as long as I am not speaking.

My garden will never be more than a breeding ground for weeds as long as I am not working in it.

What are you choosing to not try that continues to lead to failure for your life?

The other day I decided that the only excuse that I had for not stepping out was my fear of failure, and if ultimately failure can only come from not trying then in reality I had no excuse. So I started stepping.

• Last year I sent a query to a magazine and received an interested response but no formal request for an article. It is a summer article so this year I queried again with a reference to last year’s query and received a request for the manuscript on spec. My instincts told me that if the editor wanted the article then she would contact me but my persistence reminded me that the only thing she could say would be no and at least I would have practiced my follow up query. • Last year I had the opportunity of my first professional speaking engagement. Since then I have waited on pins and needles for others to contact me with regards to speaking (and have even been given two more chances). Last week I jumped in with both feet and began telling people that I would like them to consider me for speaking engagements and when others ask for recommendations. This week I have two new speaking engagements on the near horizon. • Last month I began to return to the eating habits I learned through the Weigh Down Workshop and Thin Within. By refocusing my heart on Christ the weight has started to fall off. But losing all the weight in the world will not make me strong enough to keep up with my three boys. This week I began to push myself to do a little more each day to reshape my body and make it healthier all around. Yesterday my husband told me that I already looked smaller.

The choice really is simple. I can choose to do what I know to do or I can choose NOT to do it (either because I am worried about the circumstances surrounding me, the potential outcomes or the words of others). The reason behind the choice does not change the simplicity of that choice.

I refuse to be guided by the results – or what I deem the results – any longer. I will boldly crash through the path that I am led to follow. My eyes are focused on the finish line and that will make all the difference.

Today make your dream one step closer to reality. What can you do right now that you have hesitated to do in the past? Remember that your only guaranteed path to failure is NOT trying. Beyond that, you have nothing to lose.

AAUUGH!!!

How often have you felt like screaming at the top of your lungs when everything that could go wrong has gone wrong? I know I have. A critical piece of work should have been completed yesterday, office gremlins keep hiding the information you need, you are five minutes late for your dental appointment and the school just called and told you your child is sick. And while you're running around in circles trying to decide what not to do, what to do and how and when you will do any of it, you are screaming, "AAUUGH!"

Even when you are organized and on top of things, there come those moments when everything falls apart and your stress levels go through the ceiling. So how do you pull it all back together again?

If there is a real emergency, use that accelerated stress to help you. But most situations are non-life threatening. What to do? Hang a "closed" sign on your door and "go fishing", advice given to people years ago when problems became overwhelming. In theory it works because shifting our focus away from problems allows the mind to work more effectively. Today we have simpler ways to bring stress levels down. Here are a few:

• Take a mini-vacation. Close the door to your office or find a quiet spot, close your eyes and slowly take deep, even breaths. Redirect your focus inward and imagine yourself at the beach, by a quiet pond or whatever place your mind creates that is pleasant to you. Allow yourself to become totally immersed in the beauty and relaxing atmosphere. This simple exercise is quite effective and can be done anywhere, while waiting for appointments, etc.


• Take a coffee break with your Lord. Ask His Holy Spirit to calm your spirit. Breathe slowly and evenly while doing this. Resist focusing on your panic or time pressure. Instead focus on how wonderful it is to be having coffee with your Lord. Think about all the times He has helped you and all the blessings you have already received this day. Thank Him.


• Take a ten minute walk. Purposefully walk slowly. Take slow, even breaths. Imagine you are holding a handful of balloons. Place each of your problems, situations, etc. in a balloon, then raise your arm and let them go. Stop a moment and "watch" your imaginary balloons sail into the sky taking your stress with them. Then put a smile on your face and think about all the fun times you had as a kid and feel your spirits lift. (Science research indicates that when a smile is held for a minute or two it changes brain chemistry)


• Stop what you are doing. Start breathing slowly and evenly and as you do, slowly raise your arms above your head. Hold your breath for a second as you gently reach for the ceiling and then slowly release your air as you lower your arms to your side. Do this several times until your stress levels have been reduced.


• Reframe your thinking. Most stress is generated between our ears and is perpetuated by us. The world will not come to an end if your work is delayed five or ten minutes. You may be late, people might have to wait another day, but stress leads to mistakes and accidents.

When stress levels rise, hormones and chemicals are dumped into your system that affect every organ in the body. These are necessary if you are fighting or fleeing from a physical danger. But you are not. Taking five to ten minutes to reduce your stress levels will give you more constructive energy, enable you to think clearly and work more effectively.

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC

copyright 2010

Guest Post: Promoting Books on Facebook: Six Strategies for Success

Promoting Books on Facebook: Six Strategies for Success

By: Dana Lynn Smith
Many book authors set up a profile on Facebook, but fail to take full advantage of this powerful networking tool. Below are six strategies for promoting books and authors on Facebook:
1. Take full advantage of the promotional opportunities on your Facebook Profile. For example, just below your photo is a small box where you can enter a concise description of what you do, including the title of your book and a link to your book sales page.
The About Me box (under Personal Information) is a good place to describe your book and your business. In the Contact Information section you can enter multiple website addresses. Post your book cover in your photo album or another application and display it in the left column of your profile.
Mention your book in your status updates, without being too promotional. For example, announce your book launch, mention reviews and awards the book has received, talk about your book promotion activities.
Remember, your Facebook profile must be registered in your real name. If you create a profile for your book or business, you risk having your account cancelled.
2. Facebook Pages are similar to personal profiles, but they are created for business use and they are an ideal place for promoting books. You can create a page for your book, your business, or even one of the characters in your novel.
People join a page by becoming a fan. You can send messages to your fan base, which will show up in their Facebook newsfeeds.
You may want to offer an incentive to join (or at least visit) your page, such as a free download or a coupon for one of your products. Another way to attract fans is to set your page up as an information hub, offering links and resources.
3. Groups are a great place for book authors to meet people who share their interests and find new friends, while subtly promoting books.  Search for groups by entering keywords in the Search box at the top of the page and then clicking on the Groups tab. You can gain visibility on a group page by introducing yourself on the wall, participating in disucssions, and posting your book cover, photos or videos.

Forming your own group can also be beneficial. Be sure to encourage discussions and offer valuable information such as free downloads and links to resources. You can send direct message the entire group.
4. Hosting an event is another way of promoting books. Set up a Facebook Event and invite others to live or virtual events such as book signings, teleseminars, speaking engagements or virtual book tours. Joining other people's events is a good way to get visibility because you can write on the event wall and post photos.
5. Facebook displays pay-per-click ads on most pages on the site, and ads can be targeted by age, gender, location, education level, relationship status, or keywords in people's profiles.
Consider advertising if you have a very specific target market that can be targeted by more than one of the above criteria. For example, if you have written an exercise book for women over 50, you can target that demographic on Facebook and you can even target the keyword "exercise" in their profiles.

6. The Facebook Marketplace is a classified advertising area where you can post a free listing promoting your books. It's worth an experiment if the topic of your book is something that might be searched for on a classified ad site. For example, if you list a book about collecting costume jewelry, people searching for "costume jewelry" will see your listing. (Don't forget to use this strategy on Craig's List and eBay as well).

There are a number of ways of promoting books and authors on Facebook, but remember to be subtle when using profiles, pages, groups and events. If you are too promotional or make promoting books your main focus, you will turn people off.
About the Author
Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach and author of The Savvy Book Marketer Guides. For in-depth information on how to promote your book through Facebook, see the Facebook Guide for Authors. To learn more about promoting books, get your free Top Book Marketing Tips ebook at Book Marketing Maven blog and follow @BookMarketer on Twitter.

(ArticlesBase SC #1562840)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Promoting Books on Facebook: Six Strategies for Success

Who Surrounds You?

Who surrounds you? It might not seem fair, and it might not seem right, but your life will rise or fall according to the people who surround you. At a time of great darkness in my life, when I stood separated from the godly and faithful, I found a group of friends who delivered my life to depression. These so-called “friends” did nothing but follow the path of dissipation. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” Until I separated myself from those life-draining companions and ran back to the fellowship of God’s people, I continued to sink deeper into despair. So, before I go any further, I want you consider the people who surround you and ask: do these people build my life or tear it down?

The Scriptures speak to this in Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” There are some clear indicators of whom you should cultivate as companions on the journey. Before that, however, I want you to know that I’m not speaking of disconnecting from everyone who does not add something to your life. The truth of the matter is, those who are needy and sap your strength will always find their way to you. God allows those people in your life to provide opportunities for you to love them as Christ loved you. You pour your life into those people—and it is right to do so. But whom do you allow to pour their life into you?

First, don’t surround yourself with “yes-men.” In 2 Chronicles 18, Ahab surrounded himself with yes-men prophets who only told him what he wanted to hear. Only one prophet, Micaiah, spoke the truth but Ahab would not listen. Therefore, Ahab went to war and was killed. Second, don’t surround yourself with the distracted. The devil himself tried to turn Jesus aside with various distractions (Matthew 4). You need a focused fortitude to follow Christ and those who are easily distracted will turn your eyes away from the path of God’s purpose. Third, don’t surround yourself with the worldly. The Scripture says, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.” (Proverbs 25:26).

As a writer, surround yourself with those who will “speak the truth in love.” Build lasting relationships with those who will uphold you in God’s purpose. Cultivate friendships with those who have walked the path ahead of you and can help guide your steps. Spend time with those who can add to your storehouse of wisdom. Go to conferences, sit with a critique group, find like-minded writers and you will discover this truth: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

©2010
Rev. Michael Duncan

Discouragement Hinders Writing

Troubles have a way of seeping into the best laid plans. Creating a freelance writing career does not seem to be immune to the trials and tribulations. Missed opportunities, undiscovered opportunities or sometimes the normal moments of my life have the ability to squeeze into where I am going and get me off track. These discouragements and distractions work to get in the way of finding my freelance writing success.

My husband has been without work for 2 ½ years (and not for lack of trying). His discouragement crawls over on to me and then I have a hard time finding words to inspire or encourage. The words to make a complete sentence can slip through my grasp.

Discouragement can find its way to my life through the attitudes and actions of others, the media that I choose to watch, read or listen to and sometimes just from the real weather outside. It drags me down and makes doing anything a little tougher.

I am a positive, optimistic person by nature. When others see the clouds, I remind them the sun shines even behind the clouds. But finding the hope of sunshine in the middle of the storm is not always easy even for me.

Getting Around Discouragement

1. Read something inspirational. Filling your mind with words that encourage will help you begin to share your own words.


2. Do something that you love. Doing requires action. Get moving and you will find that your attitude begins to rise.


3. Sing a song. “Sing of good things, not bad; sing of happy, not sad.” Just belt out a song that makes you smile and that smile will begin to translate to your written words.

Overcoming discouragement means that you are living in peace. Life will never be all lollipops and rainbows. It can be still, calm and quiet even when the storm rages around you. Defeating discouragement gives you the strength and ability to press on to the purpose that you are pursuing.

Free to Choose

"If you desert God's law, your're free to embrace depravity; if you love God's law, you fight for it tooth and nail" Proverbs 28 - The Message

FREE - You are free to choose. In this Easter season, and especially during Holy week, we are reminded of what our God chose to do for us; to send His son to die for our sins. Anyone who has been a parent will understand the depth of that choice; to experience the incredible pain of seeing your child in pain.

God chose to send His son to die for our sins. He loved us that much. Jesus chose to die for our sins - that choice was given to Him. We are invited to be a part of God's family. That is His gift to us along with the gift of choice. We can choose to walk away or we can choose to accept God's invitation and gift and walk with Him.

As a therapist and teacher I help people understand their ability to make choices. We are given the ability to respond (response-ability) through those choices. Even when we think we are not making a choice - we are choosing; you cannot not choose.

When life has been harsh, cruel and unrelenting, and as we are swept along in its painful aftermath, we may "feel" as though we have few, if any, choices. And I emphasize the word "feel" because we experience life through our emotions - and at times they can seem overwhelming; your child is ill, your spouse is straying, your finances have tanked, your writing has been rejected for the umpteenth time and the oncology report was not what you wanted to hear. Yet connected to all your emotions are accompanying thoughts and beliefs that we can challenge and re-frame to stabilize our responses.

We can choose to bring our difficulties to God. We can choose to accept His grace, peace, strength and intelligence to meet each challenge. It doesn't mean you won't be required to do your part or that you won't feel pain, fear, sorrow, anxiety, depression, or even feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. It does mean, however, that by choosing, you are not alone. You ahve Almighty God, Creator of All, as your strength and insight. You have His Son who has already given you the model on how to live. You have His Holy Spirit who will dwell within you forever. Who could ask for anything more?

I thank God for my tough choices because it is within the struggle to make them that I discover myself. I am given the opportunity to see my need for Him. It is in the tough choices that I learn humility, and am reminded I am not the center of the universe. It is in the tough choices that I am assured again of God's power and majesty and incredible unconditional love and grace. It is in Jesus Christ that I am assured of my salvation and that whatever tough choices I have to make on this earth, they are nothing compared with the choice He made for us.

Put down your pens and pencils and keyboards and spend some time with your Lord this Holy weekend.

Thank you God, for your great gifts. Hallelujah!

Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC