A-Z Challenge Letter Q

Q is for question. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you are sitting in a classroom and don't understand something, ask. There are probably three to five others who don't understand either. Question things you are presented with as truths. If it is too good, it is probably not true. You won't know until you question.

I ask questions to find information. To clarify things I'm not clear on. I also ask my characters questions...is this really the way you want this scene to go? Is this who you really are? Are you leading us on a wild goose chase for a reason? Do I need to rein you in.

I question the things our governments do...state, local, federal. I question the stupid things they spend time and money on while totally disregarding the important things, hunger, poverty, homelessness, veterans services, senior care. They do a lot I don't see as productive and give lip service to the things which matter. So, I ask questions.

I ask questions when doing research. I want to know how someone might react in a situation similar to one I am writing about.

If you want to be informed, ask questions. You learn nothing if you don't ask.

TTFN
2047

A-Z Challenge Letter P

P is for persistence. Never giving up. Despite all odds staying the pace.

If it can be done, you can do it. Just look at the little plant above. Yes, I know it's a weed. However it's an edible weed. You can cook dandilion greens, you can make dandilion wine. The point is, it kept pushing through even the asphalt.

The same thing applies to work, school, and writing. The more you do something, the better you become at it.

You wrote a great novel. It's been rejected by several agents with the standard form letter. Do you throw it away and start over? NO, you submit it twenty more times. If you believe in it, someone else will eventually believe in it.

Those who know me know, I sometimes persist when there is only failure facing me. But I keep going.

TTFN
2048

A-Z Challenge Letter O

O is for optimism. Believing you can do something and setting goals to get to it. Everyday offers us an opportunity for being optimistic. If it's a grey day outside, what can you do inside to be positive and uplifting?

Everyday you have two choices, be optimistic and find the positve in the things around you or be pessimistic and dwell on the negatives. It's your choice to make.

To have more happiness and to be self-satisfied. I propose you choose optimism daily. See if things don't look a little better.

TTFN
2050

A-Z Challenge Letter N

N is for nurturing.

We nurture plants. Getting our hands dirty to give them life. Bringing us beautiful flowers and bountiful crops. In doing so we give them love and support to grow.

To be successful in business we nurture our employees. We give them the opportunities to grow and when they grow we all flourish. When they flounder we pick them up and nurture them some more. Otherwise our employees leave and we must start again.

As people we nurture relationships. Within our families, our friends, and our neighbors. As each relationship flourishes we grow, thrive, and become successful.

I personally nurture new writers. Some have potential and I give them the opportunities to grow. Others have no potential and while I provide opportunities, these folks often drift away. Each person I nurture who goes on to write in whatever form they choose makes me a success. I don't necessarily get a monitary benefit from this, but I do get to share in the success. So, it's all good.

Who do you nurture?

TTFN
2052

A-Z Challenge Letter M

M is for motivation. Something I have been lacking for the past week. Something we all need to carry out our dreams, get our jobs done, or just to survive.

You have to start somewhere at some time, so why not start here and now. Do one thing you've let slide. Tomorrow do another, the next day another. By day four you won't even have to remind yourself, you'll just do it.

You have to be the one to make things happen. It all starts with you. If you want to write a novel, write it. If you want to paint a master piece, pick up your paints and get started. What ever it is you wan to do, start now. Make it happen.

TTFN
2053

A-Z Challenge Letter L--Me catching up

L is for love. What many fail to remember is you have to love yourself. Embrace your uniqueness. It includes your flaws, your strengths, your weaknesses, all the things making you, you. Once you love yourself, spread you wings and love others.

Loving others can be as simple as making cookies and passing them out to the homeless in your town. Or donate them to an elementary classroom, for no other reason than you can. Love can be as simple as reaching out a hand to someone who needs it. There doesn't have to be a cost involved. Just doing the right thing when you have the chance. Showing someone you care.

Share a skill you have with someone else. No matter what the skill is, teach someone else. Help them to feel the accomplishment you feel.

But start by loving who you are.
TTFN
2053

A-Z Challenge Letter K

K is for knowledgeable. Being knowledgeable, means to have knowledge. What you do with the knowledge you have is up to you.

You can share your knowledge in the form of teaching. You can use your knowledge to build a business. You can use your knowledge to tell stories (write books). Knowledge has many uses. Use your knowledge to become a doctor, nurse, or other medical personnel. Use your knowledge to become a police officer, firefighter, service personnel.

It can be used for good. To volunteer what you know to help others get ahead. You can use your knowledge to make life better for the people around you. Create a charity, provide food or shelter for the homeless. Reach out to the people who are shut-in.

On the flip side, you can use knowledge for the not so good. You can set up a con to cheat people out of money, property, or other goods. You can use your knowledge to ridicule others.

How you use your knowledge speaks about your character and the type of person you are. Use your knowledge wisely. Make the best choices.

TTFN
2055

A-Z Challenge Letter J

J is for judgement. We often stand in judgement. We judge people for their clothes, hair, car, education, jobs, writing, and just about anything else you can think imagine.

Judgement is not all bad. We have to use our judgement when making life choices. We have to use our judgement when choosing friends, jobs, colleges, autos, loans, and credit cards. These are not all bad judgements.

We also ourselves using others as standards. Not such a good thing as we are all different. We make assumptions on what a person is or isn't based on the clothes they wear, when for all we know they are just trying to fit in.

We tend to be harshest when we judge ourselves. Our looks, our weight, our jobs, our homes, all get judged by our standards which might be higher than we have attained. Or by the standards we see others living by. Knowing our budgets don't stretch to keep up with the Jones.

Using our judgement for good instead of detrimental is a struggle. You want to do the right thing, yet find yourself falling into old traps. It is a daily struggle.

TTFN
2057

A-Z Challenge Letter I

I is for intuition. The feeling you get when something is off. The gut feeling telling you to do something differently.

This is my favorite definition of intuition: a keen and quick insight. Being able to sense something others might not.

Listen to your intuition, sometimes it's smarter than you are. 

TTFN
2059

A-Z Challenge Letter H

H is for happiness. On any given day, happiness can be something different. I'm going to just post some photos I have of happiness.

2009 a Mother/Daughter vacation in the US Virgin Islands.

All the nieces and nephews in one place for Christmas, this one has been a while.

My daughter and son-in-law.

Seeing Jojo with a gold medal...definitely won with grace.

My daughter, grandchildren, and my parents. Thanksgiving a few years ago.

My grandkids first day of the 2015-16 school year.

Me with the love of my life.
TTFN
2060

A-Z Challenge Letter G

. G is for grateful. I am grateful for the opportunities to put my writing out there for contests. It is a big leap of faith in my own work to put it out for someone else to judge.  I put a book before the panel at Book Linker.  I did not make the cut. It's okay. They gave me a look and pass, maybe the next one.

Today I received the result of the Independent Publisher awards (IPPY). Again I did not make the cut. Once again I am grateful they looked at my book.

I still have a book out there in a contest. I'm not even sure when they are making the decision. I'm just grateful they are looking at my book.

There are many things to be grateful for, however I'm not going to bore you and list them. I'm just going to live in the knowledge I am grateful God put me on this earth, gave me the ability to write, and people willing to read what I do write.

TTFN
2061