Day 110...So Important to Remember...

Welcome to Day 110...

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't even need to actually answer the questions. Just think about them...

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

Now, how did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.  These are the top of the top and the best in their fields.
But keep in mind...
Awards tarnish and achievements are forgotten.

So now one more quiz for you to take...

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Much easier, right?

So here's what's important to remember...

"The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards......................
They simply are the ones who care the most!"

So run fast towards your dreams, but along the way remember Charles Schulz philosophy and Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"Never Underestimate A Single Act of Kindness"

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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Day 109...Updates & Words to Inspire You...

Welcome to Day 109...

So I'm beginning to get back on track, back into a writing routine, in fact this week I've been actually flushing out a new fun scene.

Some other interesting developments this week too...

About a month I had sent one of my favorite mid-day radio hosts a copy of Now You See Me.  We ended up following one another on twitter and she had tweeted a nice response about the book.  Then just this week she included one of my blog posts in her social media link and tweeted about my story coming to life after a brazen jewelry heist in NYC's Diamond District.

All of this social media exchange adds a new level of exposure for me and my books.  That kind of exposure, along with trying new marketing ideas are just the things I plan on expanding and leveraging when I release my next book Never Let Me Go.  I hope you'll follow along and share your own winning ideas.

And here's some more good news...At Day 109 we're just about 1/3 of the way through our year of Writing, Marketing & E-Publishing.  Let's keep going strong.

For now, I leave you words from a wise man and Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."- Mark Twain

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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Day 108...An Important Reminder...

Welcome to Day 108...

A number of years back my husband and I met with a lawyer to set up our wills and to do some estate planning for our kids.

Aside from special needs trusts, the attorney also specialized in elder-care law.  Suffice to say she had done lots of planning for folks in their twilight years.

She also had lots of thoughts to share about what people ponder and wish for as they move into the last chapters of their lives.

Turns out most people say job titles or all the stuff you bought doesn't matter a hoot.

According to our lawyer friend, the two biggest regrets people have, was not taking more vacations (even simple get-aways) with their family and not following their dreams. 

A few years back, I got the joke and got busy on following my own dream of hitting it big as an author.  Four novels and one draft-in-progress later I'm on my way.

So what's my definition of hitting it big? Somewhere between where I am today and Julie Garwood or Karen Robards stature.

A tall order I know but this is it... my one life...my once chance...why wait?  

Here's Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"You Know All The Things You've Always Wanted to Do?  You Should Go Do Them..."

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

P.S. As for the vacations?  For a busy family of five it's not always easy, so I strive for a couple sit down dinners each week - it's our family get-away time.  And a few weekends away when we can.

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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Day 107...Jumping Into the Deep End...

Welcome to Day 107...

The days of summer are far behind us but crazily enough, this morning I was thinking about swimming.  Or to be more precise, how someone goes about entering a pool, lake or ocean and how it can tell a lot about a person.

Some walk into the water hesitantly, slowly, cautiously.  They like to adjust to getting in and getting wet.

Others handle it a whole different way...jumping right in the deep end or diving straight into an on-coming wave.

Me?  I happen to agree with the idea of jumping right in.  I've always thought why wait? Sure it's cold or even a bit scary at first, but I'll adjust to it all that much quicker.

So if you were thinking there's a metaphor somewhere in all this...you're right. 

This morning, I was determined to get my writing back on track.  So after taking the puppy out and settling her on my lap, I opened up my writing file and jumped deep into writing a brand new scene.  

Yes, a brand new scene.

I thought about easing back into my work by finishing up a few scenes that just need some minor edits.  But there's something to be said for going big, digging into the harder work first, and realizing it's not so scary after all.

Here's to jumping in to the deep end.

Along with Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"If It Scares You A Bit, It Might Be A Good Idea to Try..."

And Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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Day 106...It's Time...

Welcome to Day 106...

Change is a funny thing.  On one hand we like our routines, our schedules and we like the comfort of knowing all the things that are familiar to us.

On the other hand...all our dreams, all our growth, all our new experiences, come from embracing change.

I admit it.  I'm a creature of habit.  I just function better that way.  With my schedules, my lists, my routines.  But sometimes you just need to break out of all of that to move to something better, funner, something fluffier and adorable.

Like a new puppy.

The new things usually take work and new responsibilities.  And you have to somehow fit it all in to your existing schedule and work towards getting everything settled into place.

It's amazing how an 8 pound, four legged puppy could upset the apple cart of your day to day life.  Just a few days in and I need to reconfigure my writing schedule, my workout schedule, my chore schedule while still getting to work on time.

A new puppy is just one example...it could be a new job, a new home, a new book you want to write or just about any other challenge you're looking to conquer.

You have to adjust, let some control go and enjoy the new moments that come your way.  

Looking to facilitate some change in your own life?  Here's a link with some helpful hints...

http://facilitatoru.com/spirituality/ten-steps-to-facilitating-major-life-changes/

Along with Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"Don't Be Afraid of Change, You May Lose Something Good, But You May Gain Something Better..."

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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Day 105...Okay, Now I'm Worried...

Welcome to Day 105...

It's official...I'm in a writing slump...though maybe slump isn't quite the right word.

I can write, in fact I have scenes primed for editing and other scenes primed for development.  So while I can write, I choose not too.  At the moment it feels like too much work.

And after all the emails and charts and spreadsheets and phone calls from the event, my brain hurts. Or maybe I just needed some time away from my computer ( blog posts being the exception of course)

For the moment, I'm actually happy to re-enter some normalcy after a crazy few weeks. Which means reading the paper, time with family and the new pup and doing some mindless tasks like folding laundry and re-organizing closets.

I can't let myself flounder too long.  This is already beginning to feel like a bad routine.  A bad routine of writing avoidance.  And I know how this can go, the longer it languishing the harder it will be to get back on track.

This is it...starting tomorrow, it's time to put my big girl pants back on and hit the proverbial writing gym. Though I already know, I'll need to fit the new puppy schedule into my a.m. writing schedule.

After all...it is a #busywriterslife.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.  And today's Takeaway Lesson...

"Get Back on Track After You've Derailed, Start Your Journey Once Again..." S Somers

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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Day 104...Two Easy Fixes to Help You Write Better...

Welcome to Day 104...

Some times its the simple steps, the simple choices, the right choices in our life that make all the difference.

Writing can be tough, but what if we could make a simple choice, one that could make everything we do, every idea we come up with, every word we write, that much better?  

Would you do it?

Well here's the other thing, these two choices cost virtually nothing and they can put focus and clarity back into your writing time.

So what are these wonder choices?

Breathing Properly and Drinking Lots of Water.

Let's start with the power of the breath.  Or shall I say the right breath.

Obviously our life and the health of our organs depend on the 20,000+ breaths we take throughout the day

For most of us, we breath on auto pilot, which also means we're not paying attention to the quality of our breathing.

Yet we should...

Not only does shallow and ineffective breathing lower your energy level, studies show that when the brain is short on oxygen it works slower...so if you're struggling to put the right words or ideas together, you may be well served to take a break and take some full conscious breaths.

Here are some steps to optimize the quality of your breathing...

1. Breathe through your nose.
2. Take full deep breaths - the kind that expands your abdominal cavity.
3. Exhale with purpose and control.
4. Be mindful of your breathing and take time out of your busy day to practice focused and deep breathing.

Now on to the benefits of drinking lots of water...

I've talked about this before.  And here's a great recap from M Hearn in the blog post...Water & Brain Function, How to Improve Memory & Focus, to sum it all up:

"Drinking water and brain function are integrally linked. Lack of water to the brain can cause numerous symptoms including problems with focus, memory, brain fatigue and brain fog, as well as headaches, sleep issues, anger, depression, and many more."

And there's more...drinking water can help you lose weight, increase your energy and give you a healthy glow. Try to target drinking 8-10 glasses of 8 ounces of water a day.

Nuff said.

Except some more good stuff on good breathing...
http://www.selfication.com/how-to-breathe/ 
http://www.fletcherpilates.com/_blog/Fletcher_Blog/post/Importance_of_Good_Breathing/

Drinking lots of water...
http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/water-and-brain.html
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4287/10-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Drink-More-Water.html

And today's Takeaway Lesson...

"Everything in life is a reflection of choice.  If you want a different result, make a different choice..."

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

Follow me on Twitter @AuthorMaggie #busywriterslife

Visit my website @ www.maggiecollins.net

Like me on Facebook Maggie Collins

365 Days & Counting...

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