I know that I speak for several aspiring authors out there, that is is such an inspiration to meet a published author.  Especially one that has written several books and is making money at it. But that does not mean that writing should or is all about making money. I came across the following article on USAToday.com – Octavia Spencer kicks off day two of BookExpo America. 

The headline seduced me into reading the article, because I was wondering why Octavia Spencer was at the Book Expo, which led me to read the subheadline – Jim Carrey, Giada DeLaurentiis, Octavia Spencer and more celebs celebrated books at BookExpo. I was intrigued, so I read more of the article and was inspired.

The article was more of an overview and a name dropper of who’s who in the world of famous authors. But it did have a great snippet of the following inspirational nuggets from some of my favorite authors. Four leading crime novelists were asked the question by Author Marcia Clark, “What would you tell an aspiring novelist NOT to do?” I just love the answers that followed:

•  Don’t “stop,” barked Scott Turow (Identical, out Oct. 15). In writing, “the race doesn’t go to the swiftest, but to those who keep going.”
• “Never lick your finger to test where go the winds of commercial fiction,” said Michael Connelly (The Gods of Guilt, Nov. 21). The material “has got to come from inside you.”
•  ”Leave the business stuff to the professionals,” counseled George Pelecanos (The Double, Oct. 8). “Write what you’re passionate about.”
• “In our nano-second world…take your time,” advised David Baldacci (King and Maxwell, Nov. 19).
• “Don’t start with a preconceived timetable. Get up each day and write, whether it takes a year, or two years, or six years.” – Minzesheimer

Several of my friends and colleagues know that I have been working on a novel for awhile, on-and off. It is my goal to complete the novel this year and self-publish the book.  I would like to say there is a story that has been burning inside me for years that I have been grappling with, on paper (several journals  in fact).  It is one that does not have an ending that I am satisfied with, so i keep re-writing chapters.  I plan on getting this book finished this year, because the story must be told…

USA Today, Thanks for the inspiration in your article and video

Thanks 365daysofreading.com for keeping me inspired to read more books and to write all year long.

Click on the following to read more:

Happy Palm Sunday….. Pompano Beach

I enjoyed a great Sunday morning exercise on the Beach…

Take a look at some of the beautiful snapshots that I took with my phone in my Beach Photos Gallery

Pompano Beach Morning Exercise Photos

                                                               Photographer: Melinda Nagy | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Happy Monday!!! I am happy to be back on track….

I had a successful workout regimen this weekend doing 3 miles and 90 min of yoga. This morning I did 60 minutes of yoga and stretching exercises.  It feels great to be alive and well.

Yesterday, I did partake in some Gluten-free cornbeef with my cabbage and potatoes, but not that much. I am happy that I avoided bread and had two large servings of veggies. I did however eat a few Lorna Doone cookies – but they were 100 calorie packs, so that was not too bad.

Overall I feel great and see things clearly today. It is amazing how different you feel when you exercise and try to eat healthy. I have been off track for sometime now and understand how someone feels that has gained an enormous amount of weight. I am there, unfortunately it is hard to admit that I let myself get off the straight and narrow with weight management.  However, I promise to stay on track and to stay healthy.

I now understand.  Life just happens and you get busy and eat bad things, neglect exercising and get into a rut. And then one day you wake up and say what happened to myself.

This weekend, I was sent a video on Tony Robbins – The motivational speaker called: Tony Robbins Reveals Greatest Secret Ever.  I have not heard him in years, but his message spoke to me loud and clear. I must say thanks Tony Robbins for doing this 45 min video.  I listened to it as I was writing on the computer, so I really wasn’t concentrating, but the message hit hard and resonated with me loud and clear.  It is not about falling down, but rather how “you” handle getting back up.

Successful people know how to keep it all in perspective and focus on what is important. Having a mentor really helps too. This is something that we all need. I feel so inspired…. Check out the video below:

I can’t leave out the ever amazing author, blogger, and inspirational teacher Chris Trout at Strengths in Focus. He gave excellent insight in the  blog post: How to change your mind about yourself?

My favorite part to this answer is yes, we have been telling ourselves the same thing over and over, year after year. It starts with your thinking. I must say that this message is for everyone that needs a boost and a wake up call. I like how Chris breaks this down into bite sized steps. Take a look at the first step below: 

Step One: Entertain the idea that you are more than what you have allowed yourself to see.  Consider that what you notice in others – that they could be so much more if they could stop holding themselves back – is also true of you.  And, in that quietest and most protected of places inside, allow that you may be worthy, loved, accepted and precious.

Today I am happy to be back on track. I will surround myself with positive thoughts and will stay focused with healthy living and proper exercise.  When the body is good, the mind works so much better.

Quote:

“ Never hurry; take plenty of exercise; always be cheerful, and take all the sleep you need, and you may expect to be well. ”
—JF Clarke

1 – Utilize a professional proof reading service  

The most common mistakes are things such as misspellings, incorrect use of punctuation, and improper  word use. Commonly used words that trip up writers are : their, they’re and  there.  When you have a professional proofreader that reads your text, it will help your writing immensely.  I know that software programs have spellcheckers that catch spelling and “grammatical errors” but trust me it is not the same as a professional proofreader.  As a writer, we are very familiar with our work and sometimes get sensitive about making changes, because we love what we wrote so much. Having someone else read the work, will help you catch glaring mistakes. They will also help make suggestions that will help improve your writing style. There are several services out there. One service that I have used and find very affordable is Proofreadnow.  The company has proofreaders that can read any language and can edit any level of text.

2 – Put It Down and Walk Away From Your Writing – Take a Breather and Come Back Later

As a writer, sometimes we are so into our writing that we do not wait long enough before we start putting a red pen to it and starting the editing process. I know that I find myself guilty of editing myself as I write, when I type as I write. It is an automatic reflex that slows down the creative process greatly. Personally, I find my writing is better when I get everything down and come back to it later.  Using this method allows my brain not be tricked into thinking that my written work is error free or ready to go. It also helps me in the rewriting process, where I typically have a fresh set of eyes when reviewing my work. Usually I try to revisit a short piece that is 1000 words or less after an hour. If the piece is much longer I walk away from the work for a few hours or even a day. This allows me to see the work with a fresh set of eyes and a clear mind.

3 – Read your Writing Out loud – Tape Yourself if Possible

Reading your work out loud may seem silly at first, but it forces you to concentrate on the material you are reading. It takes you longer to read out loud than it does to read silently. This helps you with your train of thought for the text. It also helps you with sentence structure. I found it helpful to tape myself and listen to the words played back. This gives me a different perspective and another sounding board for critiquing my written work.

The key to successful writing is that you must continue write frequently.  I was reading tips from an all time favorite Best Selling Author, Nicholas Sparks and he suggested writers to write at least 2000 words a day.  This may sound like a lot, but when you are writing a book or a novel, it really is not that hard to accomplish.  When you start the process with measurable goals, it makes it easier to achieve the desired results.

Click on the following links to read more:

Proofreading Service – Proofread Now

Nicholas Sparks – Advice for Writers

Copy Editing Service – Wordy

Recently, my LinkedIn profile was deleted by accident, unfortunately I will never know why.  I guess you can imagine my amazement when I went to change my profile photo, to find that my LinkedIn account no longer existed.  I began to wonder if it was because I had not updated my LinkedIn profile in over a year. I contacted the help team and a nice customer support person from LinkedIn was able to reactivate my profile after a few days. I was relieved that they were able to restore the account, because I did not know how I could ever reconnect with all of my LinkedIn contacts.

Once my LinkedIn profile was restored, I was able to update my profile photo.  Believe it or not, this had been troubling me for sometime, since I was using a photo that was taken 5 years ago on all of my profiles. Since I am not really a photo person, this was a big deal for me to have a photo to start with.  It is on my list to have a professional photo taken this year, by a professional photographer.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. When I came across the following article by Gerry Moran – author and blogger, entitled Your LinkedIn Profile Photo Is Scaring People, I was happy that I had just changed by photo. The article brought out so many good points on why you should change your LinkedIn profile photo, that I decided to do a blog post on it. Gerry Moran also has an awesome Infographic on how to Build The Perfect LinkedIn profileas a part of a series on having a successful LinkedIn Blueprint. Check it out… Great reading and super easy tips to implement.

Here are the top reasons why you should change your LinkedIn profile photo:

• Recent Photos Are The First Steps Toward Your Authentic Brand
• Your Photo Is Part Of Your Personal Brand, So Be Consistent Across Social Channels
• Your photo Creates Instant Conscious Awareness
• Your photo Helps people Remember You
• The LinkedIn network is key to getting a job and to networking

I like how J.D. Gershbein, CEO of Owlish Communications sums up why your LinkedIn profile pic is so important,

Over time, recollection wanes and people may forget how and where they met. First-time visitors to your LinkedIn profile must be able to recognize you.

Your LinkedIn Profile Photo Is Scaring People- MarketingThink.com

LinkedIn is key to getting a job, promotion - Federal times

Why Your LinkedIn Profile Pic is More Important than Ever - NBCChicago.com

In Hiring, a Friend in Need Is a Prospect, Indeed – NYTimes, CNBC

How and why LinkedIn is becoming an engineering powerhouse – GigaOm

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Green Eggs and Ham
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
• The Lorax
• Horton Hatches the Egg
• Horton Hears a Who!

Inspiring Quotes from Dr. Seuss

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
― Dr. Seuss

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
― Dr. Seuss

As a writer, I am in awe of Theodor Seuss Geisel for following his passion. He inspired me to read at a very young age and made it fun and enjoyable. This is a lesson that I will always treasure as I embark upon my publishing endeavors for years to come. When reading is fun and enjoyable, you can’t help but want to read more from the author.

Thanks Dr. Seuss for all that you have given us – we are glad that you were born and shared your gift of writing with us that will be around for many generations.

Click on the following to Read more about Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss - Wikipedia

Dr. Seuss – Seussville - Random House

Read Across America - NEA- National Education Association

Dr. Seuss: Read Across America Celebrates ‘The Cat in the Hat’ Author’s Birthday – ABC.com

Dr. Seuss Quotes – Good Reads.com

I came across this article Carnations? Again? Why Post-Valentine’s Day is a Popular Time for Divorce on Yahoo.com and could not resist writing about this. According to this article quoting several divorce attorneys, couples use Valentine’s Day as a measuring stick for whether or not to file divorce. If the spouse does not come through for Valentine’s Day in a super romantic way, they go through with filing for divorce.

Is this outlandish or is Valentines Day just another superficial holiday? Love is not and should not be  measured by the size or magnitude of a gift.  I can see why valentine’s day has become a big joke to people that really believe in love.  You don’t need to buy extravagant gifts to show your love.

It hurts a romantic like me, to see how shallow so many people are about  love.  If you are having relationship issues, work on the issues. Let the other person know your thoughts and feelings.  Be honest with yourself over the true nature of the relationship.  If it can’t be worked out and you both are on different pages with different goals be open about ending the relationship. You will always have the memories and the love that you shared. It is juvenile to be vindictive and to be out for blood in a nasty divorce that is served up on Valentine’s Day or the day after.

“The future depends on what you do today.”

Mahatma Gandhi

It is the fresh start of a new year – 2013! How are you going to make it different from last year?

Personally, I am starting with a fresh new attitude.  It is important to be positive and look at things with a new perspective.

I started my day with exercise and writing a blog post on my Viewpoints Blog. (smile)

More importantly, I started writing down my list of things to do today and outlined everything in a series of steps.  Organization is one of my top priorities this year.  How about you? Do you find yourself always behind because of poor organizational skills?  You can control this by being more proactive and writing things down and organizing your to do lists more effectively. I know that it sounds easy and simple, but it really and truly is simple and easy to stay organized.  It just takes discipline and a few “best practices” to implement on a consistent basis.

This year, I will share a few tips and pointers that I find helpful on my Viewpoints Blog.  Please feel free to chime in with things that you use for keeping yourself organized.

I am truly looking forward to this being a great year… Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my first blog post for 2013.   I firmly believe in the saying:

Quote:

If It is going to Be, It is up to Me.

Well, I must say that I really enjoyed my last Sunday Jog for 2012 this morning… I am happy to say that I successfully completed 5 miles today.  It is amazing how great my body feels… I am sure that I will be feeling it  tomorrow, but I am going to try a do a quickie tonight on the beach… just 3 miles one last time for a Sunday in this glorious year.

I took some time out today and went to see the movie Jack Reacher.  As always, Tom Cruise did a fabulous job.  The entire cast did too, but in all honesty Tom Cruise was the reason why I went to see this movie. He is in amazing shape and never ceases to please me when I see him act.

The movie intrigued me so much that I had to Google the author who wrote the book that the film is based upon. To my amazement, I had never heard of “Lee Child, the author or the book “One shot” before.  Lee Child has an amazing story.  He is from England and was born Jim Grant.  His first novel “Killing Floor” won an award. This is not bad for a guy that was downsized due to corporate restructuring. Since writing that first novel, Lee Child has gone on to write so many other novels, that sound so very familiar.  I will make sure to add him to my list of authors to follow.

It is inspiring to find a writer/author overcome obstacles and be a success.  In Lee Child’s case, the literary community regarded his work as commercial instead of literary.  I don’t understand the literary types that are “purists” instead of being a realist.

I meet so many great writers that have so many hangups and that never get published because of them. If you look at successful writers, you will see that many of them approach writing with clearly defined goals and marketing strategies. What good is having a wonderful piece of work that is not read by anyone.  This could all be avoided if writers would formulate marketing strategies in the beginning as opposed to the end, it would be better for many of them.

It may seem that I am rambling, but this is being said with the greatest respect for the writing community. The movie inspired me to do my second jogging stint on the beach tonight because Rosamund Pike and Tom Cruise were in such amazing shape in the movie.  I realize they are actors, but I firmly believe if they can keep their bodies looking this great so can I…(smile). It does not hurt that Rosamund is in her 30′s and that Tome Cruise has tons of money. Nevertheless, if they can be in great shape with discipline and exercise, so can the next person. (smile)

Goals:

My Goals for 2013 are speaking to me loud and clear… This year, it is really different for me.  I experienced so many things in 2012 and look forward to what is in store for me in 2013.

My first goal to myself is to take better care of my body.  I saw so many friends go through so much with their health this year. It can’t hurt if you are in shape and not overweight… I must confess that it pains me to admit how overweight I am at this moment in time.  Surprisingly, I still can wear my clothes, but they are not fitting as loose and comfortable as I like.

My Motto for 2013 is: If it is going to be, it is up to me….. I will do my best to live up to this goal this year… in more ways than one… (smile).

I also will make a commitment to write on my personal blog more frequently.  It always makes me feel good.  I have some new ideas that I will implement on Viewpoints… Stay Tuned…

I hope that you are reflecting on your 2012 and 2013. It helps to write down your goals and revisit them often.  I will definitely do this…

Enjoy your last Sunday in 2012.

J-

This looks like a cool conference to attend. I just came across this site today and was amazed at all of the great content the site has to offer.  What was even more impressive is that the company’s site is powered by WordPress.com VIP.  This is an awesome testament of how powerful the WordPress platform is in today’s digital media.

Check out the awesome conference that will be a true delight to any technology or digital person that is interested in customer engagement and User Interface for the connected consumer.  As a digital content enthusiast, I am in awe at what a resource this site is to the digital content community.

The website og GigaOM is: www. gigaom.com/

Design in the Age of Connectedness by GigaOM

Designing our Connected Future

Design in the age of connectedness means product design, user interfaces, and the underlying frameworks must evolve, advance and humanize connected technology. Join GigaOM in a series of interviews with the leading creators building the technologies, platforms and visually stunning experiences for the connected consumer.

November 5, 2012 / San Francisco, C

People attending the GigaOM RoadMap will really have quite an experience. I wish that I could attend this ultra exciting conference.