5 Simple Tricks For a Happy Writer

June 9, 2011 by 5 Comments

Many writers find it hard to be happy in their jobs.  For most of them, it is their means to feed their mouths, put a roof over their heads, and pay their bills.  In other words, writing is reduced to being an obligation and not the craft they used to love.  Are you one of these writers?

Believe it or not, writing can be your source of joy and inspiration too.  it can be your means of venting out different feelings and stress.   You may be one of the writers who are currently experiencing a rough patch.

Don’t worry.  The road to happiness is just near.  Get through writer’s depression through the 5 simple tricks below:

  1. Read, read, and read. Reading works of other writers can and will inspire you to write and move others.  You can also acquire ideas for your post through reading.  Even skimming through posts in a newspaper can help too.

Reading can help expand your horizon so if you want something that’s in-depth, try reading books from authors like Ernest Hemingway or contemporaries from Paulo Coelho.  Pick anything that you like best.  It can be a piece or book that you have already read or something new.

  1. Write something that hits close to home. writing something that directly affects you is easier because you have emotions or feelings about the subject that you can use.  it’s just like pouring out your heart and soul to a diary or a close friend.

Or better yet, just tap on any subject that you want to discuss.  Come up with anything that interests you and write something about it.  this way, you are very eager to research about the subject and finish the article with ease because you are “into” the subject.

  1. Trust that you can do it. you will face many stumbling blocks in your writing career.  Editors, webmasters, or article directories will reject your articles.  Or you may be reprimanded by your boss for failing him.

Being a writer is tough.  But if you believe in yourself and what you can do, you will be able to pull this off.  Also remember that you will not appreciate success without failures.  It is normal to fail so enjoy it.

  1. Push yourself to the limits. All writers experience writer’s block.  This is inevitable.  If you find yourself in this position, stand up and take a break.  Inhale, exhale.  Relax and calm your mind.  Then go back to your monitor and start writing again.  Just type in anything.  You will find that creative juice will start to flow in no time.
  2. Be contented with your work. Most writers are never happy with themselves because they are never contented in their output.  I am guilty of this.  Very guilty.  I found out that this only stresses me out.  The point here is that we have to be forgiving of ourselves.  we berate ourselves because we want to give out the best or the perfect article that will impress or at least please everyone.  The truth is not everyone will find your article impressive because this is subjective.  The important thing is that, at the end of the day, you know that you did everything that you can to give the best output.

Writers, failing is inevitable.  This is completely normal.  What’s important is that you learn to stand up and forgive yourself.  Exercise the five tips in this post to keep yourself happy.

Good luck fellow writers!

Author’s bio: Marcy Gray is a writer who strives to reach out to other writers just like her. She also writes about baby care products such as the first years wave stroller and britax b ready stroller. She has been working in the baby care industry for three years now.

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Summer of Happiness

May 27, 2011 by 5 Comments

There is nothing better than the first really warm day of the year that ushers in the presence of summer. Summer is the season that most everyone looks forward to all year long and it sometimes feels like it takes forever to arrive, but once it’s here, you never want it to go.

There is just something about summer that makes it the sweetest time of the year. From the warm heat to the fresh produce to the laid back feel in the air, summer is arguably the best time of the year.

One of the best advantages of this particular season is the incredible free time that comes along with it. The kids are out of school and the sun lingers around for longer to be enjoyed by all. There is so much happiness to be had in the simple pleasure of seeing kids out riding their bikes, playing at the pool or beach and enjoying popsicles.

Even if you’re not a kid, it is so important to get out there and be a kid again! It will boost your mood and is likely to throw a positive spin on your life outlook.

The warmer weather is an incredible mood-lifter and a fantastic excuse to get outside and enjoy life! The activities in summer are endless. From water sports to bike rides to hikes to lazy days at the pool, summer is a fantastic bounty of fun. In places that typically experience a harsh, dreary winter, summer represents an eagerly-anticipated freedom to get outside and enjoy life.

Summer’s amazing weather finally lets people get outside and enjoy the warmth of our precious sun and enjoy activities that the heat makes possible. Use a sports authority promo code to save on all of your summer outdoor equipment.

Winter and fall can be so melancholy because of the looming gray skies and torrential downpour, so when summer comes, even the way we cook changes. We throw more barbeques, more parties, and thus, our social lives improve. We are spending more time with people enjoying a fun activity, which leads to a greater satisfaction in life.

The more we can decrease our stress, invest in meaningful relationships and nourish our whole person, the healthier we will be, and summer is most definitely the best time for that!

 

Makayla loves to write and can be found writing about therapeutic boarding schools and distance learning universities, among other topics. When she is not writing, she is out running with her husband and two Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies.

 

 

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Your report card has arrived

May 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It turns out that Ralph Lauren is more than just a fashion designer; he is also a philosopher:

“We all get report cards in many different ways, but the real excitement of what you’re doing is in the doing of it. It’s not what you’re gonna get in the end – it’s not the final curtain – it’s really in the doing it, and loving what I’m doing.”

Being a parent, I get report cards from my kids all the time.  It is easy to get caught up in the marks.  But it is much more important to make sure my kids are:

 

A) Doing their best.

B) Excited about learning and improving.

These are two things I can easily monitor from home and I don’t even need to understand the subject matter to keep tabs on the progress.  And these are two things that will actually mean something as my kids grow up and have to focus on matters beyond school and on living their lives.

After all, the real report card is whether we are truly living our lives and not just passing through

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It’s not like it’s the end of the world

May 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

OK, the word is officially in.  The world did not end today.  I have this from a reliable source.  He tells me not to worry if you didn’t rapture; it’s not the end of the world.

You will hear many other prophecies, and many of them will even come true.  In fact, the world will end some day, whether there are any humans around to witness it or not.  But I suggest you don’t worry too much about specific dates, because it is unlikely that any of us can predict with that kind of precision.  If we could, imagine how much more useful weather forecasts would be.  When we carry an umbrella, it might even rain.  And when we leave our umbrella behind, it might not.

There are plenty of things you can worry about, things you can actually change, things where you can make a difference.  Worry about those instead — but don’t just sit around worrying.  Do.  Something.  Make a difference.  Change the bad that might have been into the good that can be.

And now that the end of the world failed to make its scheduled appearance, that might just be what this guy will have to do…

 

Reader question: would you paint your car up like that if you knew it was the end of the world anyway?

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What The Humble Baked Bean Tin Teaches Us About Goal Achievement!

May 19, 2011 by 8 Comments

A recent series I watched on TV followed a young British engineer as he traveled around the country on a longboat, celebrating Britain’s industrial heritage. One episode featured the humble tin of baked beans, and in this article I want to cover what this teaches us about goal achievement…

Guy Martin is an engineer and well known bike racer. Well known in bike racing circles that is, I confess I had never heard of him before watching his TV series.

In ‘The Boat That Guy Built’ on the BBC, he wanted to remind people of a 150 year period when British inventions and engineering helped to change the world, to drive the industrial revolution.

He traveled around on his barge, fitting it out using traditional techniques, and I was drawn in by the whole series. One episode featured him making baked beans on toast, so he went right back to the basics and history of the can, making it by hand. This is where the goal achievement lesson comes in…

The patent for the tin can was given in the early 1800s in Britain, and it wasn’t long before it had been sold on and developed, as a way of storing provisions for the army and navy. This was state of the art stuff at the time, rather like NASA inventing ideas for the space program.

Within a few years though, maybe a decade or so, the baked bean had moved from being a novelty food for the posh to a common ingredient, and the tin can had gone from being experimental to being part of everyday life.

It was taken for granted.

150 Years Later

This is all over 150 years ago now, but the lesson we can take today is still fresh…

While it’s possible that your goal may be groundbreaking, it’s more likely that it has been achieved before. Someone, somewhere, will take it for granted. Someone, somewhere, will have gone through the trial and error process and got to the end result.

Yes, it will be new for *you*, there will be learning and set backs, but you can make the journey far easier if you seek out the knowledge of others who have gone before.

You will also have an easier ride of it mentally if you imagine yourself in the position of those who take your goal for granted.

Developing an assurance that your goal will happen, helps to motivate you when you come to step that are wary or nervous about – you’ll be much more confident to take it when you know others have been there before.

So to sum up, the humble tin of baked beans can teach us about trial and error, and it can teach us about repositioning goals in our mind as taken for granted rather than experimental.

I loved Guy Martin’s show, and the next time you are struggling with a goal, open a cupboard and stare at a baked bean tin for some inspiration!

Gordon Bryan is a writer from the UK, who loves writing about goal achievement. Grab his free 8 Step Goal Achievement Formula at http://thegreatgordino.com/free-8-step-goal-achievement-formula

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Resentment is Poison

May 16, 2011 by 8 Comments

When we hold onto resentment, the only person we are hurting is ourselves. Let go. Let go. Free yourself!

I love this quote by Carrie Fisher: “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

She talks about resentment, but I have pretty much said the same thing about anger and blame and hate.  In fact, any negative feelings you hold toward someone else fits this quote well.

Why?

Because negative feelings hurt the feeler.  In very few cases does the other person even know – and if she knows, doesn’t even care – that you hate her or resent her or blame her.  But as long as you feel these things, you are burning up inside.  These feelings are poison, and they will eat away at you – all the more so out of frustration that the other person isn’t dying from the poison you swallow.

Is there an answer to this problem?  There is, but … you might not want to hear it.

Forgive.

You might not be able to forget, but you can forgive.  Yes, pretty much everything can be forgiven, no matter how odious the crime.  Forgiveness does not make anybody more or less guilty.  Nor does it undo anything that has been done.  But it does let you come to terms with what has happened and move on to live the rest of your life without a huge weight around your neck.

I am not saying that despicable criminals should not be brought to justice.  I am saying that hating and resenting and blaming them won’t bring them to justice – but it will unjustly corrode your own self.

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How to inspire your kids to greatness

May 12, 2011 by 2 Comments

To be able to go on to do great things, children need encouragement and inspiration. A child will try his or her best when a parent’s support is behind them. Sometimes it’s not easy to figure out exactly how to help kids with this, but there are some things you can do that are sure to inspire.

Follow Your Child’s Bliss

Pay attention to what your child loves. If he or she loves art, encourage the creation of paintings, sculptures, drawings, or whichever media they have an interest in and keep plenty of art materials on hand. If you notice your child looking at the stars and gravitating toward astronomy topics, make plans for trips to a planetarium. Know what your child is interested in and feed that interest in every way possible.

Give Your Child New Experiences

There is nothing like learning about different cultures and seeing new things to open a child’s mind. It isn’t necessary to take a trip to Japan or Africa to accomplish this. Learning about how things are done in a culture on the other side of the world can show a child that all humans are different and interesting. Going to plays, ballets performances, and museums also fall into this category.

Turn off the Electronics

On at least one night a week, turn off the television, computers, phones, and any other gadget that the family is attached to, and have the family create something together. Any child, regardless of interests, should learn to create. Whether you paint something on a canvas, put together a birdhouse, or build a piece of play equipment for the back yard, make something that your child can see every day and be proud of helping to create.

Look into Extracurricular

Whether it’s a day camp for a particular interest, Scouts youth organization, or sports team, get your child into some extracurricular activity. This gives kids the opportunity to work with other kids outside of a school atmosphere. It is important that your child be interested, though. Some children won’t mesh well with all activities.

Expect Good Things, but Don’t Go Too Far

Letting your child know what you expect in terms of school and activities is a good thing. But be careful not to apply too much pressure. Becoming angry when one of their activities doesn’t work out the way you expected it to will only discourage your child. Celebrate over your child’s efforts toward something, rather than only rewarding a perfect result. Also realize that not all children will be good at everything. It may take a few tries before you and your child figure out the best activities and interests for him or her.

In conclusion, do not underestimate the importance of building your own inspiration as a parent. Read parenting books, discover inspiring family quotes, exchange with other parents and do not hesitate to try new activities.

And do not forget, the key is to spend quality time with your child. This is something your child will remember forever.

About the author: David is the manager of FamousQuotesIndex.com, an interactive database containing close to 30,000 quotes and citations from famous people and popular movies. This post has been featured in the Spring Homeschool Carnival and the Garden of Learning homeschooling carnival.

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How To Find Happiness in Five Minutes

May 10, 2011 by 4 Comments

Life is crazy isn’t it? And sometimes being happy and content just seems impossible. Life is hard, long, and at times painful. But the good news is that it is possible to find joy and be happy. It really is. Here are a few tips that can change your dreary day into sunshine and smiles. And you can make that happen.

• Realize that rain falls. When you accept that life will and does get tough and sometimes for entire season you can smile. Sure ,what you are experiencing may be really painful and even difficult, but those very things can help you grow. Know that this life will be filled with hard things but strive to overcome them and look for the light on the other side. You really can smile even in a thunder storm. Remember that things don’t stay the same and seek to learn all you can about yourself and other people when life hurts and feels unfair.

• Smile at a stranger. Take the time to care about other people. Even people you don’t know. It really is true that even small things like smiling are not only helpful. They are contagious. Be kind to the grumpy salesperson, let the rude driver pass you and buy a coffee for the person you don’t even know. Why? Just because you can. Make the world a better place.

• Forgive and move on. Most of us carry around hurts from the past. Some are huge and some go way back into our childhood. But guess what? You gotta move on. Don’t dwell on the past. You don’t have to forget or give up boundaries to protect yourself from an unhealthy relationship but letting go and forgiving can do wonders to your heart. Realize all the wrong and hurt you have caused, yes maybe even back in elementary school. Give grace to people and let yourself heal and grow by forgiving.

• Slow down. We all move way too fast in life. Sure there is a lot to see and many responsibilities but busyness steals away from the simple joys of life. Take time to visit that grandparent, pick up the phone and call a friend you miss. Pause and see the new flowers budding in the middle of the city. Open a door for someone or simply slow down when walking to your next destination. Cancel meetings that don’t need to happen, hug that little one that is changing by the minute, sip your coffee and quit making your schedule so full. Enjoy the time you have been given. Life moves fast. Don’t miss it. You know there are no dress rehearsals so get it right the first time.

• Be grateful for where you are at. Even if you are in a terrible divorce, have been wronged by a boss, or are grieving a major loss, seek to find the good. It may feel impossible and against what you want to do but you can choose to focus on the positive. Even in the worst of situations there are things to be grateful for. How about a healthy child? Food to eat? A family or even one person who loves you? Be happy and thankful for the big and small things you have in life. If you focus on what isn’t or what you don’t have you will only make life exasperating and no fun. Each day seek to focus on what you have to be grateful for. In fact, why not make a journal. You can do that right now. List all you can rejoice about. It may be as simple as a new bloom on a flower, or a hot shower, but even these little things will help your heart enjoy the life you have been given.
Try these things and see that happiness is right in front of you!

This is a guest post by Diane Johnson, who primarily writes about online classes and anything else that interests her. She enjoys traveling, reading, and sports.

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Opportunity Knocks

May 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Have you heard this one before?

“Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Opportunity”

“Opportunity who?”

*silence*

Yes, silence.  When opportunity knocks, so often we respond with silence.  Perhaps it is the silence of fear.  Or perhaps it is the silence of inertia.  Or perhaps it is the silence of uncertainty – what to do next.

When opportunity knocks, you have to answer it.  If you wait around asking questions, opportunity will wander off somewhere else, knocking on someone else’s door by the time you answer.

Worse than hesitating and questioning opportunity, is ignoring it altogether.  Perhaps we don’t want to hear the knocking.  Perhaps we are too busy or careless or introspective or afraid to pay attention.

I am convinced that the biggest difference between people who are successful in life – however you choose to define “success” – and those who are not, is how they respond when opportunity knocks.  Successful people…

  • Remain constantly alert, so they hear the knocking.
  • Answer right away. with open arms.
  • Welcome opportunity in with open arms.

What do you do when opportunity knocks?  Do you answer?  Do you stand near the door and hesitate? Do you even hear the knocking?

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