imconfident

I sincerely believe that it is far more beneficial and far less costly to help a child build confidence than it is to fix an adult who has little or none.

Writer’s Blogging Tour

A few weeks ago, I was asked by Christine at Our Soul’s Purpose to join her on a Writer’s Blogging Tour.  I have never been on a tour before but I am always open to trying something new, especially if it involves writing.  I have been following Christine’s blog for several months now and have enjoyed reading her interesting and thought-provoking posts.  She tries to encourage people to become the best they can be by writing about gratitude, forgiveness and love, things that will improve the quality of our lives.

Here is some information about my own writing:

1.  What are you currently working on/writing?

My current project is writing more workbooks on building self-esteem.  In my workshops and coaching I have been using my first workbook ‘Caterpillar to Butterfly’ and it has served me well.  However, when I am working with different age groups it doesn’t always meet their specific needs.  I am planning on creating one for teens and one for younger children with more hands on activities to keep their interest and help them learn better.  I will also be writing a Christian self-esteem workbook that will fill in the last important step that is critical to building esteem.   It took me 2 years to write the first workbook, so it won’t be coming out for a little while.  I am hoping to have the teen workbook ready in the next few months.

Since I have a very active mind, I am always working on several projects at a time.  In the works are more short, informative books on different topics under the series called “Grandma’s Notes’.  My first attempt was on parenting advice: gathering information from experts and combining it with personal experience into a book called ‘Grandma’s Notes on Parenting’.  I’ve started one on relationships and have a list of other ideas including: esteem, healthy living and communication.

I also have been writing articles at Ezine Articles since August 2013.

2.  How is what you write different from others of the same genre?

My writing is different from others because I always do extensive research on the topic and then combine it with my own personal experience.   Once I have collected my thoughts, I try to write in a simple, logical way so that everyone can understand exactly what I am trying to say.

3.  Why do you write what you do?

I am very passionate about helping people learn how to build their esteem, communicate more effectively and become a better parent because I personally struggled with low esteem and depression throughout my life.  I know how difficult life can be when you feel worthless and believe that nobody really cares about you.  I know what it feels like to look at the world from a negative perspective and believe that life will never get better.  I know how distorted our thinking can be and how much it can destroy us if we don’t have good esteem.  I also know what can happen when you learn how to change your perspective and become more positive because I have been on both sides of the coin.  I have learned how to turn my life totally around and I want to share my thoughts with others in the hopes of inspiring them.

4.  What is your creative process?

My family is all creative in some way, so I’m sure my creativity came naturally.  We have writers, artists and crafters in the family.  I have always enjoyed reading, writing and creating for as long as I can remember.  My mind never stops working; it takes in everything I see around me.  When I see people or hear about events, I am inspired to write a story.  When I hear a quote, hear a statement or read a story, I am inspired to share the information with the world.  Sometimes I am inspired by my grandson and the amazing things he does.

Thanks again to Christine for inviting me on this tour. Please take time to visit her blog at Our Soul’s Purpose and have a blessed day!

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Go ahead and write that book!

grandmaGrandma’s Notes is the name that I came up with for a series of books that I’m working on.  It is appropriate because I am a grandmother to a wonderful young man who just turned 2 years old last month and I am always writing down notes.  These have accumulated over the years in notebooks, scribblers and pages stuffed everywhere in my office.

I’ve always enjoyed writing but I never really considered writing an actual book and having it published.  This seemed to be a complicated ordeal, but then one day I came across a company called Blurb and then another one called Lulu.  These are both self-publishing companies where you can upload a book or pictures and have the content published as a beautifully bound professional looking book.

So, in February of this year, I published my first book which is called “Grandma’s Notes on Parenting“.  The content is based on tons of research and my own personal experiences as a child and a parent.  I’m certainly not an expert on raising children but in all the research I did, there seemed to be some agreement on certain topics and I tried to bring these together in a short, simple, easy-to-read book.

I’ve gotten some great feedback from family and friends about the book, but I wanted to know what a company thought about my work, so I sent it for review to Reader’s Favourite (http://readersfavorite.com).  Was I ever excited when I got the review.  The reviewer gave my book a great review and recommended it to everyone!   My book is available in the Blurb Bookstore (www.blurb.ca) and also in the Amazon Kindle Bookstore.  Here is the review and the link to Amazon.  http://readersfavorite.com/book-review/12123

If you are thinking about writing your own book, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and write that book!

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Blogging is great therapy

writing on paperWriting is a powerful tool that can help you move forward in life.  When you write down your thoughts down on paper it can have a positive effect on your well-being.

Research shows that journaling can help you:

  • reduce stress
  • keep your brain active
  • understand yourself better
  • clarify your thoughts and feelings
  • effectively solve problems
  • keep focused on daily tasks
  • reach your goals

Blogging is journaling that is shared with others.   There are definite benefits to blogging.  It helps you:

  • get your emotions out by putting them down on paper
  • think and listen better
  • practice your creative writing
  • connect with others who have similar interests
  • become motivated
  • expand your knowledge base
  • learn how to research topics
  • develop ideas

In my opinion, blogging is great therapy.  When you share your thoughts with other people and get positive feedback, it certainly can help boost your esteem.  Of course, you may get some negative feedback, but you have to accept that others may not always agree with you and you should consider it a learning experience.   Just keep your blogs informative, interesting and considerate of others.   Happy blogging!

 

 

 

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Blogging from my heart

MOUSE WITH BOOK

Since my childhood, I’ve been an avid reader.  Books have always been my friend; entertaining me, encouraging me and educating me.  When I became a mother, I started sharing my love of books with my two wonderful daughters.  A library of children’s books grew and I particularly liked reading the ones about animals.  Mice were especially cute and I started thinking about writing some books using mice as the main characters.   It didn’t take me long to write the first two stories, but then life seemed to get in the way and I became so busy being a ‘supermom’ that I gave up writing and put my stories up on a shelf to collect dust.

look at drawing

The next venture in writing came a few years ago when I started a newsletter to promote my business.  It included articles about housekeeping,  yard maintenance and various other home services along with interesting stories, pictures and humour.   When I gave up my business, I started working with a depression support group and wrote a newsletter with articles about mental health and ideas on how to overcome depression and anxiety.  The support group folded and I decided to combine my life experiences with my intensive research to create my own project on self-esteem.   My project includes a website www.imconfident.com that contains articles, information, slide presentations and also a copy of my quarterly newsletter that I am currently writing.

clip lady typing

Blogging is my newest project.  It gives me the opportunity to connect with others and share my thoughts about life.   I am passionate about helping people build their esteem and improve their relationships.   Reading has been such an important tool in my own recovery and I know what a positive effect it has on my life.   Learning helps us understand things better and empowers us to see life from a positive perspective.  I already know that my blogging has benefitted some people from the comments I receive.  I know my blogging won’t change the world, but I can at least do my small part in making a positive impact.   If we all use our talents to help a few people, it would really change the world.

As for those children’s books that I wrote, I am hoping to get them published along with some other books that I am now writing.

My motto is – Learn what you can, love people and live positively.

Here is a poem by Nora Eason that I like:

Live, Love, Learn

Live your life, the way you should, Love the life you have, Learn from the mistakes you make.
Live your life on the path,  that seems so hard to take, Love your life now, for  your future’s at stake, learn to hold tight with all your might, to the one’s you love, for you never know when they’ll be out of your sight.
Live your life, for heaven’s sake, love your  life, come what may, learn to accept the things you cannot change.
Live with  the things you can, Love your neighbor as yourself, Learn to do your best, and God will do the rest. Live, Love, Learn as the world turns.

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