The smallest thing happened today, and yet it altered my life. The tiny thing was that a friend was signing books at a book fair. Without giving it much thought, I tweeted a message, "If you're in Abu Dhabi, visit my friend Seumas Gallacher's book signing at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair."
It didn't hit me until a couple of hours later, when Seumas and I were chatting about the book fair on Twitter. We might has well have been chatting over coffee at a local cafe. Our conversation felt that casual and comfortable. We signed off with hugs and sleep well's that felt like the real thing.
Earlier in the afternoon I'd been chatting with my friend Molly Wishlade. We joked about eating peanuts for dinner, peanut butter for me and peanut satay chicken for her. She was savoring a piece of cheesecake that I wanted a bite of. Thing is, Molly lives in Wales, and I live in Mexico. We were chatting on Twitter.
What struck me, and I know it isn't news, but my heart's community, the people I interact with on a real, daily, and personal level, is now global.
I'm used to the idea of a long-distance family. My children live thousands of miles away, and we talk on the phone and Skype several times a week. Same with my sisters and some cousins. About a year ago I started following Melody Fletcher's blog, Deliberate Receiving, where I learned about the Law of Attraction. We email and Skype often, and she's become a third daughter. Melody lives in Barcelona. Close connection with family at a distance isn't a rarity for me.
It's not that I'm isolated. I live on an ordinary family street in Mexico, and have conversations daily in Spanish with neighbors ranging from young children to great-grandparents. Friends invite me to dinner and we go to the movies. Volunteering in animal rescue is a social as well as a spiritual activity. I love salsa dancing! In person community isn't lacking from my life.
Today felt like something different. What struck me today is that my life has been enriched a thousandfold by my global friendships. I'm deliberately avoiding the adjective 'virtual,' because the friendships aren't virtual, they're real.
Nathalie Thompson in Ottawa is as real, alive, and vibrant a friend as my amiga Sara here in Colima. Melody in Spain, Seumas in Abu Dhabi, Molly in Wales, Lori Gosselin in New Brunswick, and many other lovely people ALL OVER THE WORLD are now an integral part of my life.
Readers come to this blog from across the globe as well, and though I don't know all your names, I feel your presence. Welcome to, at last count, 9071 readers from China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Romania, Brazil, Greece, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Austria, Canada, Maldives, France, and many other countries!
Shamans say that global energy is rising. That our vibration as humanity is lifting us into a new level of consciousness. Today, I felt it. With one little tweet, I realized that my heart has expanded and a whole new One-Earth has flooded in!
I wish for every one of you the same joy that I feel. I wish for you more hugs than you could have imagined for a lifetime. I wish for you sunshine and rain and green and volcanoes puffing in the background.
Thank you every single person on the planet, thank you every animal and plant, thank you every rock and every molecule of water, thank you for existing! And thank you, dear and lovely readers, for sharing the journey!
Please share your thoughts, your musings, your questions, and your hugs. I look forward to a wonderful conversation!
And if you're in Abu Dhabi, drop by and visit Seumas. He'll be at the book fair all week.
This doesn't feel like a regular post, so I'm skipping, at least for now, the usual add-ons of other posts to visit and blogs to follow. Do click the links in the post and meet some fantastic new friends!
Showing posts with label growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label growth. Show all posts
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Blogging, the Law of Attraction, a Union, and Bats! What??? #TBSU #BAT
Last night I finished Seumas Gallacher's The Blogger's Guide to Absolutely Nothing. This isn't exactly a book review, though I do urge you to buy the book and enjoy a few hours of fun with an upbeat message. The Blogger's Guide is a humorously presented appeal to be our better selves, and all in a Scottish accent that I love and won't even try to duplicate.
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Whether you go to Amazon and buy the book or not, do yourself a favor and subscribe to Seumas's entertaining blog. It's joined my very short list of daily reads.
What I want to write about though today, is something a little different. Seumas' philosophy of life and blogging got me thinking. I had been moving in the same direction, but reading his words pulled it all together for me. And it all ties in with the Law of Attraction, wouldn't you know.
A few days ago, Nathalie Thompson at Vibe Shifting generously published a guest post I wrote. You can read all about my slightly twisted relationship with money, and how I recently got clarity on a little piece of the bigger issue. Letting go of the need to be the rich American who funds the Mexican dog rescue is a huge step for me. Huge! My ears are popping all the time, which is my own little personal sign from the Universe that energy is shifting. Pop, pop. There it goes.
Now, I am not, have never been, and probably will never be a rich American. I live in Mexico because I love it, with the giant added benefit that I live nicely on a relatively small pension. The urge to fund a rescue shelter had led me to release my novels on the Kindle market in the first place, to hit the jackpot of sales for a good cause.
The first day I 'met' Seumas, and I can't even remember who introduced us, I was in the middle of a partial meltdown. If I wasn't promoting my books because I needed lots of money for the dogs, why was I putting in twelve hour days tweeting, blogging, and Facebooking, not to mention trying to figure out Goodreads and now Google+? Arggg!
When I was ready to realize that the pressure to fund dog rescue was a purely self-imposed strain, the Universe put the lovely Nathalie in my path, to invite me to write a guest post, which gave me the opportunity to wrestle through to a happier emotion.
That's how the LoA works. Even when you're not ready, the opportunities are all there. You just can't see them. When you finally drop the blinders, the resolution is so clear and simple it makes you weep, or jump around doing a happy dance!
And here comes the Law of Attraction again. Just when I'm struggling with the next layer of the onion, I meet someone who can articulate a clear vision of where I'm going and why I'm going there. Thank you, Universe! Thank you, Seumas! I didn't even wallow for very long—just a day or two. When you open yourself to change, it comes roaring through.
By now I hope you're really curious about what this message is that I've learned, or reaffirmed, from reading The Blogger's Guide. It's simple really, and it's more like a booster shot for things I was already doing. We can blog from a spirit of generosity, nothing more, pure generosity. Seumas does, and I can too. Just share. Joy, bounty, encouragement, kind words. Just share it all.
Tweet this, okay? I have no idea how to set it up as a link. Maybe you can figure it out.
What Seumas communicates effortlessly, and what he reminded me of in The Blogger's Guide, is the sheer joy of touching lives and being touched. He writes about how he stumbled into the fun of blogging after starting his blog as a purely promotional tool. Me too! I realized about a month ago that what I really enjoy about blogging is not the promoting, but the writing about all the amazing things in my life. If you happen to see a book cover and want to buy a book, Woohoo! But it's kind of secondary to the other fun.
Right now, last night, today, I needed that reminder and I was ready to listen. And there were Seumas and The Blogger's Guide, ready to nudge me in the right direction!
Seumas has a group called #TBSU, the (arrg, I can never remember what the letters stand for!), okay, The Blog Scratcher's Union. It's a hashtag for bloggers who support each other's writing: You scratch my back, I scratch yours. As of today, please consider me a member.
If you are a blogger and reading this, consider putting #TBSU on your posts and Tweets. It's like a secret (but it's not a secret) handshake to other bloggers. You help me. I'll help you. Go to Seumas blog for a complete explanation of how it all works, or read the book! (Woohoo! A plug!)
My minor addition takes the idea a baby step further.
When I meet a blogger that I like, I want to read their posts. Not just the new ones, but all of them or at least most. Sifting through a whole blog full of archives is way too much. So what I propose is that the #TBSU adopt the additional hashtag of #BAT to identify a Blog Archive Tweet! There are some bloggers out there who are brilliant at tweeting me into reading their archives, and I really appreciate it! Check out
to name just a very few master archive tweeters. What makes this tactic work is that every single one of the archives they tweet is well worth reading! I search the Twitterverse for posts from them to read and RT.
How about if we make it a little easier, folks? Tweet your best archives, the ones that don't lose their timeliness, with the hashtag #BAT, Blog Archive Tweet. You'll make my Twitter searching easier, and maybe the idea will catch on through the #TBSU world! We can tweet and share and spread the joy not only across space but across time!
I don't want to imply that I have any kind of endorsement from Seumas for #BAT. He has never heard of it before reading this post. And I hope I'm not shamelessly hanging my hat onto an already hugely successful hashtag. It just seems to me that maybe we could all have a little more fun, and make our blogs just a little more alive.
So what do you think? Are you already using #TBSU? If not, why not start? When you discover a wonderful blog, do you like to read archived posts, like me? Would you look for the hashtag #BAT? Will you start using it? As always, I'm eager to read your comments! How about a lively discussion of the joys of blogging? Thank you again for starting the conversation, Seumas. And y'all—buy his book!
Oh yeah, oh yeah. And buy my books too, okay? The links are on the right side of the page. Whew! Marketing done. Check.
.jpg)
Whether you go to Amazon and buy the book or not, do yourself a favor and subscribe to Seumas's entertaining blog. It's joined my very short list of daily reads.
What I want to write about though today, is something a little different. Seumas' philosophy of life and blogging got me thinking. I had been moving in the same direction, but reading his words pulled it all together for me. And it all ties in with the Law of Attraction, wouldn't you know.
The Money Bugbear
A few days ago, Nathalie Thompson at Vibe Shifting generously published a guest post I wrote. You can read all about my slightly twisted relationship with money, and how I recently got clarity on a little piece of the bigger issue. Letting go of the need to be the rich American who funds the Mexican dog rescue is a huge step for me. Huge! My ears are popping all the time, which is my own little personal sign from the Universe that energy is shifting. Pop, pop. There it goes.
Now, I am not, have never been, and probably will never be a rich American. I live in Mexico because I love it, with the giant added benefit that I live nicely on a relatively small pension. The urge to fund a rescue shelter had led me to release my novels on the Kindle market in the first place, to hit the jackpot of sales for a good cause.
The first day I 'met' Seumas, and I can't even remember who introduced us, I was in the middle of a partial meltdown. If I wasn't promoting my books because I needed lots of money for the dogs, why was I putting in twelve hour days tweeting, blogging, and Facebooking, not to mention trying to figure out Goodreads and now Google+? Arggg!
Here's the Law of Attraction part.
When I was ready to realize that the pressure to fund dog rescue was a purely self-imposed strain, the Universe put the lovely Nathalie in my path, to invite me to write a guest post, which gave me the opportunity to wrestle through to a happier emotion.
That's how the LoA works. Even when you're not ready, the opportunities are all there. You just can't see them. When you finally drop the blinders, the resolution is so clear and simple it makes you weep, or jump around doing a happy dance!
And here comes the Law of Attraction again. Just when I'm struggling with the next layer of the onion, I meet someone who can articulate a clear vision of where I'm going and why I'm going there. Thank you, Universe! Thank you, Seumas! I didn't even wallow for very long—just a day or two. When you open yourself to change, it comes roaring through.
The Evolution of a Blogger/Human Being
By now I hope you're really curious about what this message is that I've learned, or reaffirmed, from reading The Blogger's Guide. It's simple really, and it's more like a booster shot for things I was already doing. We can blog from a spirit of generosity, nothing more, pure generosity. Seumas does, and I can too. Just share. Joy, bounty, encouragement, kind words. Just share it all.
Tweet this, okay? I have no idea how to set it up as a link. Maybe you can figure it out.
Just share. Joy, bounty, encouragement, kind words.
Just share it all.
What Seumas communicates effortlessly, and what he reminded me of in The Blogger's Guide, is the sheer joy of touching lives and being touched. He writes about how he stumbled into the fun of blogging after starting his blog as a purely promotional tool. Me too! I realized about a month ago that what I really enjoy about blogging is not the promoting, but the writing about all the amazing things in my life. If you happen to see a book cover and want to buy a book, Woohoo! But it's kind of secondary to the other fun.
Right now, last night, today, I needed that reminder and I was ready to listen. And there were Seumas and The Blogger's Guide, ready to nudge me in the right direction!
#TBSU
Seumas has a group called #TBSU, the (arrg, I can never remember what the letters stand for!), okay, The Blog Scratcher's Union. It's a hashtag for bloggers who support each other's writing: You scratch my back, I scratch yours. As of today, please consider me a member.
If you are a blogger and reading this, consider putting #TBSU on your posts and Tweets. It's like a secret (but it's not a secret) handshake to other bloggers. You help me. I'll help you. Go to Seumas blog for a complete explanation of how it all works, or read the book! (Woohoo! A plug!)
My minor addition takes the idea a baby step further.
#BAT (We could have a bat signal, or something!)
When I meet a blogger that I like, I want to read their posts. Not just the new ones, but all of them or at least most. Sifting through a whole blog full of archives is way too much. So what I propose is that the #TBSU adopt the additional hashtag of #BAT to identify a Blog Archive Tweet! There are some bloggers out there who are brilliant at tweeting me into reading their archives, and I really appreciate it! Check out
@CassandraPage01
@Kevin_Hanrahan2
@MindfulHealth
@VibeShifting
to name just a very few master archive tweeters. What makes this tactic work is that every single one of the archives they tweet is well worth reading! I search the Twitterverse for posts from them to read and RT.
Tweet Your Best Archives with the Hashtag #BAT
How about if we make it a little easier, folks? Tweet your best archives, the ones that don't lose their timeliness, with the hashtag #BAT, Blog Archive Tweet. You'll make my Twitter searching easier, and maybe the idea will catch on through the #TBSU world! We can tweet and share and spread the joy not only across space but across time!
I don't want to imply that I have any kind of endorsement from Seumas for #BAT. He has never heard of it before reading this post. And I hope I'm not shamelessly hanging my hat onto an already hugely successful hashtag. It just seems to me that maybe we could all have a little more fun, and make our blogs just a little more alive.
So what do you think? Are you already using #TBSU? If not, why not start? When you discover a wonderful blog, do you like to read archived posts, like me? Would you look for the hashtag #BAT? Will you start using it? As always, I'm eager to read your comments! How about a lively discussion of the joys of blogging? Thank you again for starting the conversation, Seumas. And y'all—buy his book!
Oh yeah, oh yeah. And buy my books too, okay? The links are on the right side of the page. Whew! Marketing done. Check.
Check out these related posts:
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Encouraging Words from Nathalie Thompson
Welcome to our third Encouraging Words guest author, Nathalie Thompson! Nathalie came into my life through our mutual interest in the Law of Attraction. We quickly became friends. This spring, Nathalie started an exciting, creative new venture called Vibe Shifting, all about raising your energy and living an awesome life!
In addition to being friends, I'm an avid follower of Nathalie's wisdom as displayed on her various sites. Her words are always wise, kind, and uplifting. Plus she's Canadian! I lived in Canada for 27 years, and seeing Canadian spelling again is great fun! Introducing Natalie to my amazing and wonderful readers is a true pleasure. Enjoy!
Hmmm... What to Write?
When Carole asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I was excited; I’ve never been asked to be a guest writer for anyone before, and I was honoured. I was also, however, at a little bit of a loss.
What does one write for the audience of an erotic romance blog? I had a vague idea for using the lyrics of one of my favourite songs as a starting point (the chorus would have tied in well with the whole steamy thing), but it just wasn’t working – the inspiration was not there.
Finding an Authentic Voice
And then it occurred to me that the reason I was not inspired to write was because I was trying to be something I’m not. I was trying to write something with a romance novel kind of twist to it, and that is just not my style. It’s not me. And while I probably could have banged something out, it just wouldn’t have been believable. I realized that in order to write something well, it has to be written in your own authentic voice. It has to be a showcase of your own style; letting your own personality and the song of your own soul flow through every line.
And I also realized that, just as this is true when writing, it is also true of life. Each of us has a unique perspective and a unique blend of talents and skills, preferences and desires. The exact recipe of things that makes one person’s heart sing is different than what makes another’s sing. And these differences are vital to the music of the Universe because it is this harmony of viewpoints and interpretations, voices and experiences that creates the beautiful symphony of our existence here.
But that harmony can only exist when we allow ourselves to be who we are. Most of the problems we encounter in life are a result of trying to be something that we are not. They are the result of lying to ourselves, in an effort to fit into roles or occupations or situations that we were never meant to fit into. They are the result of listening to voices that are not our own telling us what we should do, what we ought to do, and what is most logical, rational or reasonable; the voices that tell us to reign in that which makes us unique so that we may better fit in with the expectations of those around us.
Live Your Unique Heart-Song!
The problem with this is that when we try to negate our own self-ness in order to fit someone else’s, we smother the unique heart-song within us, distorting our beautiful, natural melodies. And then we suffer in the dissonance it causes, because it is not possible for us to ever truly become something we are not. There will always be that element within us that rebels against those constraints with everything it has, and we can never be truly happy while this conflict rages within.
You have nothing to give the world if you’re trying to be someone else because that someone else has already got it covered. But you have everything to give by remaining true to who you really are. Your thoughts, your views and your voice mean something; they are critical components of the masterpiece that is the Universe. Your story matters and you are the only one who can tell it. Believe in yourself, and be true to the best within you, and you will find that your happiness and creativity overflows as you share your unique gifts with the world.
When you find your centre there are no limits to what you can, and will, accomplish. Find your heart-song; find the melody that is yours alone and let it sing! Make a promise to yourself, today, that you will be the best that you can be.
Isn't Nathalie wonderful! Her words always make me smile. Click these links to read more:
Vibe Shifting web site: http://www.vibeshifting.com/
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/VibeShifting
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/VibeShifting
Pinterest: http://www.Pinterest.com/VibeShifting
I'm still getting a kick out of the Canadian spelling! How about you? Which of Nathalie's words strikes a chord for you? Do you feel inspired to go out and spend a glorious Sunday just being yourself? Nathalie and I look forward to chatting with you! Please join us for a lively conversation.
Check out these related posts:
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Wait! Change! It's the Law of Attraction!
The Carole Remy blog came into being on January 14, 2013. But something didn't feel quite right.
Following the Law of Attraction and Taoist principles, I immediately stopped posting and waited for inspiration. Waiting is a really important aspect of the Law of Attraction, one that is often overlooked. If something doesn't feel quite right, keep paying attention, but pause.
Two weeks later, the blog fell into place, and it's been humming ever since. What was off in the first place? I had thought exclusively of marketing my erotic romance novels. I'd looked at lots of writers' blogs, liked what I saw, and thought I would do the same thing. Trouble is, that's not me.
To work for me, this blog needed to be an expression of my life, something personal. It needed to include animal rescue and the Law of Attraction, for starters. Both are integral to my life and needed to be well represented on this blog.
Why does waiting for inspiration work? It can be frustrating to do nothing when you want to do something, anything! Trouble is, doing 'something' often ends up being counterproductive, if it's not the right something.
The willingness to wait is a neon signal to the Universe that you are ready to receive abundance in whatever form it comes. When we act too quickly, it's like we're saying, No thanks for your help, Universe! I know best. When we relax and wait attentively for signs that we're on the right path, the world opens before us. What looked like giant obstacles become fun jumps on the agility course of life! (You knew I'd get dog agility in here somehow, right?)
How do I know the pause worked? Once I included dog rescue and the Law of Attraction on the blog, it was like I released a giant sigh, Yes! This is me, this is right. And readers responded immediately. The blog's bounce rate is under 20%. That means readers come for one post, and they stay to read more, a lot more. Yeah!
One of the wonderful aspects of Internet publishing is that you can fix things! Whew! It took several tries to get a look for the blog that feels right. Unlike with a print magazine or newspaper, the earlier versions have vanished into the ether.
The same is true for the e-book versions of my novels. Twelve Nights and Who Is Candid? have gone through two cover changes and three blurb changes each, in just two months! And Beauty of the Beast, releasing on May 7? Check out the post about the Epic Fail Frankenstein Book Cover!
Just as waiting is an often ignored aspect of the Law of Attraction, so is willingness to change. When we are open and flexible, we see opportunities. When we let go of the notion of being right, we can recognize better options, which we can then let go of for even better options!
How does willingness to change fit into the Law of Attraction? The underlying principle of the LoA is that your present energy attracts similar future energy. Joy attracts more Joy. Rigidity unfortunately is also self-reinforcing. If you think one path is the only way, you aren't even going to see all the more useful paths open before you.
So even if you love, adore, and cherish the current cover of your novel, be aware that an even more awesome cover might be possible. In fact, the changing covers of my novels are a perfect manifestation of this phenomenon. I LOVED each original cover design. Because I loved, adored, and cherished each original cover, the Universe placed before me the opportunity for even more adorable, lovable covers!
The secret to successful, tranquil change is to truly love where you are now, but without clinging. Adore your awesome life, but keep your eyes and mind open to mind-blowing possibilities!
Have you ever waited for just the right moment? How did that work out? Are you comfortable with change, or does it scare you? Please join the conversation! I'm eager to hear your thoughts.
The Value of Waiting
Following the Law of Attraction and Taoist principles, I immediately stopped posting and waited for inspiration. Waiting is a really important aspect of the Law of Attraction, one that is often overlooked. If something doesn't feel quite right, keep paying attention, but pause.
To work for me, this blog needed to be an expression of my life, something personal. It needed to include animal rescue and the Law of Attraction, for starters. Both are integral to my life and needed to be well represented on this blog.
Why Waiting Works, and Boy, Does It!
Why does waiting for inspiration work? It can be frustrating to do nothing when you want to do something, anything! Trouble is, doing 'something' often ends up being counterproductive, if it's not the right something.
The willingness to wait is a neon signal to the Universe that you are ready to receive abundance in whatever form it comes. When we act too quickly, it's like we're saying, No thanks for your help, Universe! I know best. When we relax and wait attentively for signs that we're on the right path, the world opens before us. What looked like giant obstacles become fun jumps on the agility course of life! (You knew I'd get dog agility in here somehow, right?)
How do I know the pause worked? Once I included dog rescue and the Law of Attraction on the blog, it was like I released a giant sigh, Yes! This is me, this is right. And readers responded immediately. The blog's bounce rate is under 20%. That means readers come for one post, and they stay to read more, a lot more. Yeah!
Learning as You Go
One of the wonderful aspects of Internet publishing is that you can fix things! Whew! It took several tries to get a look for the blog that feels right. Unlike with a print magazine or newspaper, the earlier versions have vanished into the ether.
The same is true for the e-book versions of my novels. Twelve Nights and Who Is Candid? have gone through two cover changes and three blurb changes each, in just two months! And Beauty of the Beast, releasing on May 7? Check out the post about the Epic Fail Frankenstein Book Cover!
Being Open to Change is Part of the Law of Attraction
Just as waiting is an often ignored aspect of the Law of Attraction, so is willingness to change. When we are open and flexible, we see opportunities. When we let go of the notion of being right, we can recognize better options, which we can then let go of for even better options!
How does willingness to change fit into the Law of Attraction? The underlying principle of the LoA is that your present energy attracts similar future energy. Joy attracts more Joy. Rigidity unfortunately is also self-reinforcing. If you think one path is the only way, you aren't even going to see all the more useful paths open before you.
So even if you love, adore, and cherish the current cover of your novel, be aware that an even more awesome cover might be possible. In fact, the changing covers of my novels are a perfect manifestation of this phenomenon. I LOVED each original cover design. Because I loved, adored, and cherished each original cover, the Universe placed before me the opportunity for even more adorable, lovable covers!
The secret to successful, tranquil change is to truly love where you are now, but without clinging. Adore your awesome life, but keep your eyes and mind open to mind-blowing possibilities!
Have you ever waited for just the right moment? How did that work out? Are you comfortable with change, or does it scare you? Please join the conversation! I'm eager to hear your thoughts.
Check out these related posts:
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