The Next Phase of My New Years Resolution.

Decluttering.  I found this really cool website called FLYlady.  FLY means to finely love yourself.  The Website is a step by step way to de-clutter your life.  It has all kinds of way to do things, with really helpful hints, such as the 27 boogie.  Where you go into a room and take 27 things and throw them away. 

I started the baby steps and already my residence is showing signs of de-clutter.  Can you believe it? 

Every day I receive several emails with testimonies, and things to do today.  Some how they get under your skin and you find yourself cleaning.   It’s all about the baby steps and loving yourself while you are doing it.

Check it out.  Just another step in gaining control over your life. 

For FLYLadys website here. http://www.flylady.net/

Gain control by de-cluttering and throwing away stuff you don’t need or haven’t used in over a year.  You would be surprised how much garbage we keep without realizing it.  Start by baby steps.  Make them habits and see how much better your life can be.  Until next time.  

Back at Zumba Exercise Classes

I stopped everything extra I was doing during this last month of November to participate in the NaNoWriMo.  What is NaNoWriMo.  It is National Novel Writing Month.  To participate is to write 50,000 words in one month.   I was able to do that, but I put all my other interest aside to do it.  One of them was Zumba.   Between the Holiday and the New Years and getting back into my life, Zumba had to wait, until last night. 

I went to the class and saw a bunch of girls and a few guys getting ready.  It was wonderful to see everyone, and the crowd was huge.  My body was thrilled and couldn’t wait to start the exercise.   It was so weird, my body was elated.  Me, I was worried if I was going to be able to do the entire hour.    I didn’t have to worry.  My body kept up and we had a great time.

I promised my body I would get back for good and also to eat better.  Eating better is a whole different subject.  I am getting back to eating better but it is slow.  I have to re-do old habits and some of them I don’t want to give up. 

To re-cap on all the new years resolutions and my plan to accomplish them. 

1. Getting back to exercise.  Started Zumba classes again.
2. Eating better.
3. Reading a book a week or more.  For the 2011 Book Challenge. 
4. Started working on Three Ordinary Lives, my blog storyline.  Adding new dimensions to it. 
5. Started the revisions on the manuscript.  Doing it as often as I can.
6. Mediating every day.   
7. Doing a journal of my progress. 
8. Continue paying on my bills to reduce my debts.  This is something everyone can do. 

I’m going to post more on my plan to accomplish my goals soon.  Some of them are on a more personal level. 

To accomplish your New Years resolutions, and they are good ones, you must have a plan.  Have you thought of how you are going to accomplish them?  What will you give up in order to do that? 

v        Make sure you keep track by starting with smaller goals.

v        Make the reachable.

v        Take one baby step at a time. 

v        Always love yourself. 

Good luck and see how well you do over time.  Come on it will be fun.  Learning, growing, becoming the best you can be.   Join in the fun and bond with other women by sharing your stories.  Get encouragement, don’t be afraid to fail, just start again.   Until next time.   

All photos by pictures.com. 

   

Braveheart the Warrior: January 7, 2011

Braveheart is my rescued kitty.  I found him and took him home one month before I was to move out of my beautiful apartment.  He is doing great and being a sweetheart as usual.  You should see him, he is lean and beautiful.  Only about six months old, which means I have to get him fixed.  He has decided to spray in a few places.  There is no mistaking that smell. 

He has a new thing that is quite funny.  During the cold season I have been leaving the bathroom door open when I shower because the room gets too hot with the heater and the steam of the water.  After turning the water off and opening the shower door all the cats are looking at me curiously.  As I to ask why I would deliberately put water on myself.   (Disgusting.) 

Then I clamber out of the shower to wipe off, Bravehart usually is the first to come rubbing against my wet legs.  As the water is dripping off me and onto him I talk to him.  Sometime he even jumps into the shower itself to check it out.  I peak to see what his is so curious about.  He shakes off the water from his paws.  Then he comes out and is off running and getting into whatever he decides at the moment. 

Today however he actually jumped into the shower with me before I got out to dry off.  I was quite surprised.  He went to the faucet and took a quick drink by the drain then jumped out.  He gets bolder every day, I guess by now he is getting use to the shower itself. 

I love all of the cats’ curiosity and how they deal with life.  Of course their life is pretty cushy since I spoil them so much.  I buy toys and treats and play with them.  They have each other for companionship when I’m away at work.  They sleep and play.  I work to pay for their food, treats, toys and kitty litter.   It ain’t cheep. 

Their latest toy, a stuffed mouse that makes a squeak whenever you touch it.  

Monday Jan 10, 2011

Braveheart was seen peaking at me through the shower door this morning.  I could see his shake and eyes watching me.  After the shower he stepped in and I watched as he tried to get the drops with his mouth, which was leaking from the faucet.  He is so funny.  After a little bit of getting wet he decided not to go that route to get water. 

Oh the joys of having a cute animal in the house.  It never gets boring with them around.  Until next time. 

2011 Book Challenge.

2011 Book Challenge

I heard about the 2011 Book Challenge from an email I received.  I clicked on another blog site and read about her challenge.  I was going to keep track of how many books I read this year anyway so I am putting on the blog my list of books I read.

I will be doing review on them also.  But understand some of the books I read are from my favorite authors and am finishing up books they have written years before.  I’m just getting to them now. 

My favorite genre is fantasy fiction, urban fantasy, and paranormal, but I will be trying new genre’s, as of yet I am unsure as to what.  

My challenge is to read 50 books this year, including how to write books.  I’m going to be working on my manuscript.  All while I hold a full time job.  This should be interesting. 

Check up from time to time on my progress.  I will have a page in the headers for the updates on the books. 

If you are interested in joining the challenge keep track and we can compare notes. 

I wonder how this will affect my writing?  Until next time. 

The Greater Cleveland Writers Group.

I’m a member of The Cleveland Writers Group and last night was our monthly meeting.

This is a place where writers of all levels and any genre can get together and discuss what they are working on, get critiques, network, socialize and learn. 

I always have a great time.  The Group is full of very interesting writers in the area and when we get together it is a leaning experience.  

I’m working on my manuscript right now and don’t read anything in front of the group, but as I hear other people read their work I see what they are doing, either right or wrong, and I learn from it.   The feedback they received from some of our veteran writers is priceless.  It is great being around professionals. 

This meeting we didn’t have a large group.  Apparently there was a sports event that kept a lot of writers away and I also suspect the weather and life, being right after the holidays.   The meeting only had about twenty members show up but the group has over two hundred members.  

The discussion was lively and filled with really good information.  The professional writers explained how the business changes and lets us know how to make the best of our time.  What’s important for our careers and why, such as platform and to blog or not to blog.  Some of us like me enjoy blogging. 

The feedback part of the discussion was quite interesting.  Six people read to the group their work.   We had a very shy poet finally get up and read after a lot of coaxing.  What she read was so good, but in her nervousness she read it almost too fast.  We tried to get her to re-read it slower but she was just too shy.  As a person who doesn’t get poetry.  I totally understood her poem and was really surprised at the depth of it.  

We had another poet who got up and read two things.  I didn’t like either.  They sounded so cliché. 

When it came to the feedback, the professionals were trying to get her to understand something and the poet was resisting and defending her work.  With a few changes her poem could jump out, and really make a statement but she just didn’t want to hear it. 

Hearing feedback is difficult.  Listening to the professionals in the group and what they are trying to explain, if you think about it they are right, can make a difference in the quality of your work.   Some basic changes will tell your message in a better way and will be appreciated much more. 

Also learn humility.  We all want everyone to love our work.  Sometime a little humility and re working the piece will make the best changes and make your work stand out.  

One thing we all have is a blind eye.  The professionals can see things that we can’t.   Let them teach us to be the best we can be.

After the meeting we all got up and started networking.  The discussion went over the time limit so we didn’t get out until late.  

Walking to the car was once again freezing, being right near the lake.  I came home and spent some time with my kitties.  I haven’t seen them all day so I spent an hour petting and smooching on them.  

I said it before and will stress it again.  If you have a hobby, find a group within your area and meet, network and socialize with them.   If you can’t find one then start one.   It will make the difference in your success or happiness and will greatly enrich your life.   Until Next time. 

Have you found peace yet?

I want to start something new on the blog.  My blog is about woman’s issues.  Sometimes I stray from that and put some of the things that happen in my life. I don’t want to put only bad things for women to watch out for.  This posting is about meditation and finding that inner peace.  Helping women take control of their lives.  

Finding peace in a world like ours is tough.  Think about what may make you happy.   Is it money, things, people, places, traveling, your job, your children, your pets or anything else? 

Out of everything that we have to do, such as keeping our bodies well, working to shelter us, keeping the house clean, paying bills, caring for our children or older generation, etc…

Are you happy?  I’m sure most of the time you are, especially if you found your passion as I have in writing.  But there are times when the unhappiness evades into our lives.   What do we do in times like these?  In looking everywhere else for happiness the best place to look in within.  Look within.  How will I find happiness there? 

Have you ever tired to meditate, to calm those thoughts of restlessness, to connect to the inner quietness? 

There is great peace in calming those thoughts.  Have you ever tired to stop those thoughts that spiral within your mind?  It’s those spiraling thought that can be devastating.  Are you award that you don’t have control over those thoughts?  Did you know that those thoughts have a mind of their own and those thoughts actually attack your body? 

Here is an experiment.  When something is bothering you, try to take control of those thoughts and stop them.  Say to yourself thank you but no thank you.  I don’t want to think about it for now.  Were you able to stop those thoughts or did you keep thinking about them, feeling terrible, your heart hurts, your body cramping up in turmoil.  You may have to tell yourself several times to stop thinking those terrible thoughts.  Do it until you stop and move onto something different.  Something that makes you feels good. 

Here is the hard part.  Don’t under any circumstances go eat.  Bad.  Using food to fill an emotion is not good.  This is something that I have to work at everyday.  Sing, dance, watch a funny movie, read a good book, look at some baby animals, do anything that will change what you were thinking and feeling.

Believe it or not, as a person who meditates regularly and feels the inner calmness I have found peace during those times.  Calming those thoughts is very difficult; it takes diligent practice and patience. 

Here is another experiment.  Try to meditate for a moment.  Breathe, calm yourself and just breathe.  Take a breath, a large breath, hold it in your chest for a count of five then breathe out slowly.  Do that several times.  How do you feel?  Did you get the first glimpse of peace? 

Do that everyday as much as you can and as often as you can and the peace that is within will make a great difference in your life. 

What have I learned while meditating? I’ve learned to have better control over my mind and the spiraling thoughts that float around.   I learned how to stop that incessant chatter that tells me I’m no good, that I heard for years from others, and to change my thoughts in new directions.  It has made a difference in my life.  No longer am I plagued with re-living hurtful times or arguments, trauma that happened to me long ago.  I live for today and in the present.  I continuously try to keep my mind clear of all garbage from outside and inside forces to undermine my happiness.  It is something I work at everyday. 

 Sometimes the inner thoughts can be worse that anything anyone else says about you.  You are loved and are perfect.  Love yourself first, and then you can love others.  More to come on this subject soon, there is much to cover.  Until next time

Photos by pictures.com. If a photo on the site is your and you do not wish me to use it tell me and it will be removed immediately.  

New Years Resolutions goals for 2011

Like a lot of other bloggers I decided to post my New Years Eve resolutions.   Of course those are the writing one.  I have personal goals also but not listed here.  

such as lose weight, save money, etc...

1. Edit my manuscript.  I have two but I want to start with the NaNoWriMo manuscript since it is where I want to start in the story.  
2. Put more time into writing.  Chart your discipline.

3. Exercise:  Start back up with Zumba, twice a week. 

4. Read and go over each of the writing books and apply the info to my manuscript.

5. Do more blogging. 

6. Write more short stories and try for contests if you can afford them.

7. Continue with the blog storyline.  Three ordinary lives. 

8. Continue the Diligent Writers Group. 

9. Organize my office. 

10. More research into your platform, 

11. Connect with more writers.

May your goals be grand and your new year better than the last.  
Until next time.