Spotlight On... Vol. II March 2011

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Bing images

This is my second installment of my new Spotlight On series at Healing Morning and I'm happy to say that I've received a lot of support and interest from many bloggers!  If you are interested in your blog being spotlighted in this series in the future, please take a moment to read the basic criteria to be considered.  The criteria list is short and simple. You can contact me via my Facebook email if you would like to submit your blog page for this series.  I look forward to meeting many new bloggers and spotlighting talented writers and creative people as this series continues to grow.

Here are the five blogs I've chosen to shine a Spotlight On for the month of March:

Spotlight On...

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Bing images

When I first began blogging back in 2009, I was literally overwhelmed with all that I had to learn about the blogging process.  I dove in and did quite a bit of floundering, but along the way, I connected with a core group of bloggers who have since become dear friends. (The Blogging Class of 2009, Healing Morning, 12/13/2010). 

There are many firsts that you experience with your blog.  One of them is blogging awards.  These are fun, informal awards that different bloggers create, along with an award icon and a set of criteria for each award recipient to follow.  I clearly remember the first time I was given one of these awards - I was very happy to learn that other bloggers were reading my work and enjoying it enough to offer a symbol of recognition.  The downside of these blog awards is that they become viral in a very short period of time, with many people sending you the same award and overloading your page.  I have given this concept a lot of thought over the past two years, and I believe I've come up with my own version that works for me.

Paper Gift

Photo / Icon courtesy of
Authentic Blogger

 The traditional gift for a first year anniversary is....paper!  How beautifully appropriate this is.  I reacted with a delighted smile when I looked this information up online.  Today is the one year anniversary of my Facebook blogging group, Authentic Blogger.  I co-founded this group with my buddy, Duane Scott, on December 21, 2009.  At the time, he and I were both fairly new at the whole blogging game.  New enough to still be fumbling around and learning a great deal, but by that point we had also both garnered enough experience to recognize some frustrations with the blogging groups we were finding on the internet.  We shared those frustrations via email and phone conversations, until one fateful day, we both asked the question, "Why don't WE create a group?  We could do it differently."

So, that's what we did.  I'll be honest and tell you that neither of us really knew the scope of possibility.  It was a very naive process that stunned us both with the immediate response it received....and continues to receive to this day.  It would not be an understatement to say that in the first week of Authentic Blogger existing, we were getting an enthusiastic response that was slightly overwhelming, but also exciting.  I can't count how often Duane and I emailed, texted and called with "Did you see that?" or "Oh my word, LOOK at how many members we have today!" or "Turn your laptop on and Google us - we exist on the internet and it's beyond cool!" comments.

There have been growing pains in this first year of existence. We've learned as we've gone along, and we've made mistakes here and there.  I am happy to say that we have only had to permanently block/ban two people in this first year, and those were people who were attempting to use our forum to spam members.  We have been very clear from Day One about our Mission Statement.  Authentic Blogger is an online forum created to offer a community for writers/bloggers of all walks of life, where you can meet fellow writers, grow your readership, learn helpful tips, and strenghthen your writing skills. 

We feel that it is important to be authentic in the blogging world, and that means that we do NOT embrace the "if you follow me, I'll follow you" mentality that is so prevalent in the blog-o-sphere.  If you fall into that category, Authentic Blogger group might not resonate for you.  We want people to READ our blogs.  If you're out there focused on merely collecting empty names and not doing any reading of the blogs you follow, how can you expect anyone to spend time reading YOUR content?  With that in mind, we encourage authentic interaction.  Join our group, post your blog links each time you write a new article, meet fellow members and visit their blogs.  If you find content that you enjoy, write thoughtful comments on that blog and follow them.  Reciprocating in this authentic manner, we feel, is the best way to grow your readership and market your blog. 

So, perhaps now you can all see why I smiled when I found that paper is the traditional gift for a one year anniversary.  What could be more apropo for a blogging/writing group anniversary?!  Granted, the process of blogging is an electronic format these days, rather than applying pen to paper in the old fashioned sense, but I still smile at the paper gift idea.  Whether we scratch away at antique vellum with quill pen, or we write with ball point on lined paper, or we tap away on an LED screen with desktop or laptop, or we use the increasingly popular Smart Phone (I'm still resisting that trend myself), writing is writing.  If you are a blogger, writing is part of your very essence.

You probably wake up each day with thoughts to write about.  You probably have inspiration hit in the most unlikely moments and locations, requiring a frantic search for a scrap of paper to jot the thought down before it can disappear at the whim of the Writing Muse.  You probably wrestle with words, juggling and adjusting, tweaking in infinetesimal degrees until the flow suits your preference.  Many of you may dream of being published one fine day.  Many of you are also completely satisfied with the process of just blogging.  Lots of our members have multiple blogs they manage.  Some of you might even make a business out of that type of social media consulting.

Bottom line, if you're a member of Authentic Blogger Facebook Group, you're a specific type of serious writer who cares about the way you craft your blogging image, and who also cares about the way you build your readership.  Our concept resonates with you and you are the reasons our group is still flourishing and growing today, one year later. 

Duane and I had big dreams for Authentic Blogger when we founded the group.  In the past year, some of those dreams have shifted, some have been discarded, and the way we do things has changed several times. There have been many moments of outright hilarity as we wrestled with myriad blogging tools and concepts, and the shared humor kept us going. More changes are inevitable, because Life is always evolving.  My personal wish for the group is that we continue to grow, slowly and surely, attracting similar bloggers who have an equal wish to meet authentic, creative souls.  I also envision Authentic Blogger growing to a larger presence that will provide even more opportunities for all of our members.  How these hopes and dreams will manifest is yet to be realized, and that's half the fun of it for me. 

For now, I am thrilled to say that one year later, Authentic Blogger still exists and is continuing to succeed.  My partnership and friendship with Duane continues to thrive.  My relationships with many of our AB members are equally strong.  Indeed, I have established friendships with many of our members that I am confident will be lifelong connections.  The blogging world has provided amazing, unexpected opportunities for me with my personal blog, and with Authentic Blogger.  Many of these experiences are ones I couldn't have imagined for myself, and believe me, I have a great imagination!  So, a final wish for the future of Authentic Blogger is merely to continue along the same path we've already established.  Growth, surprises, success, friendship...and writing.  I want all of those and I am positive they will occur.

To each and every one of our Authentic Blogger members, I say a sincere and appreciative Thank You for giving us a chance, for sharing your creative talents regularly on our wall, and for continuing to tell your blogging friends about us.  To my AB partner, Duane, thank you for sticking with it, even when it required you to take some deep breaths and add another ball to the pile you were already juggling, and thank you most of all for the shared laughter!  To Dave Roy and Anahid Boghosian, our two wonderful admin friends, thank you for being in the wings, ready to pinch hit for us and join in the ball juggling!

If you're a blogger, or if you enjoy reading blogs, and you stumble across this post in one of the numerous places I'll be routing it, take a moment to visit Authentic Blogger Facebook Group and join us.  I promise you'll be happy you gave it a try.

We are in the week approaching Christmas, and I find it lovely that Duane and I chose, out of the whole calendar year, this particular season to create Authentic Blogger. I think it is a time when the harmony and universal consciousness is at a higher vibration, and I'm sure the date we chose to create this group embued it with a bit of extra sparkle and energy.  Season's Greetings to everyone, from the bottom of my heart.  I look forward to many more years of blogging and friendship with all of you.

The Blogging Class of 2009

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Bing images

I began Healing Morning blog in September of 2009.  At the time, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or where blogging might lead me.  I actually had to get a girlfriend who was familiar with blogging to show me how to set my blog page up.  We met at a local Panera Bread with her laptop and that's how Healing Morning was born.

From there, I bumbled and fumbled my way along, exploring all the infinite details of marketing my blog, gaining readers and followers, adapting various formatting tools to my own needs and learning.  Always learning.  That learning process continues today, more than a year later, and I doubt it will ever end.  Blogging and the blog-o-sphere is a fluid world, ever changing to fit the new dynamics of the internet and new programming brain child creations of widgets, gadgets and flashy fun things.

Around the time of my one year anniversary, or blog-o-versary, I began to realize that many of the dear friends I've made in the blogging world had also created their own blogs around the same time I created Healing Morning.  I still find this to be rather apropo and fascinating.  Was it an accident that we all decided to venture into the world of blogging at the end of the summer of 2009?  I don't think it was an accident at all.  I think there was very sure, clear, beautiful purpose and Divine Order and logic to the whole thing.

We became what I am now calling The Blogging Class of 2009.  In a sense, we all started a new school, just as we did with first grade in elementary school.  These people, regardless of linear age, are my contemporaries in the school of blogging.  We've all struggled with various ephemeral classes such as Content, Marketing, Advertising, Gadgets and Widgets, Embedding Photographs and more.  Some of us turned out to shine more brightly and show more aptitude than others in certain "classes".  We have banded together to support and encourage one another, to cheer one another on with victorious moments, and to be the proverbial hand to hold in sad times.  A few of us have dropped off the face of active blogging, and that's a natural progression to a degree. 

It is said that there are literally millions of "orphan blogs" cluttering up the blog-o-sphere, where people just abandoned the poor things when they found the task of daily maintenance to be too burdensome.  Again, this is a natural occurrence.  As with all things, there is a season.  Some blogs just aren't meant to last forever. 

For the current moment, my Blogging Class of 2009 is still mostly intact.  There is a core group of us who are earnestly tapping away at our keyboards on a regular basis, giving birth and voice to a wide range of topics and mindset on our respective blog pages.  I find it fascinating, how we all migrated together within that one to two month time period of late summer of 2009. 



Photo courtesy of
Authentic Blogger

 Different blogging concepts have been born as a result of all this interaction, with Authentic Blogger Facebook Group being one of them, and one of my own personal proud achievements.  Awards, large and small, have been doled out to many of those in this core group.  I predict that there will be a few breakout stars among us in the future.  Indeed, there are a few who have already gone on to achieve some impressive feats with becoming published authors, or contributing columnists to various high profile online websites.  These achievements make me smile, just as I have experienced when witnessing proud moments of classmates that I grew up with.  In the blogging sense, I continue to grow along with these virtual classmates, and I truly do revel in the victories of my contemporaries.  Success of a blogging nature is contagious, I have found, and it encourages us all to continue writing, striving, dreaming and creating.

Where will this particular, intimate Blogging Class of 2009 grow?  Where will we all land in the creative process?  Personally, I hope there is no evident end in sight for any of us.  I would wish for all of us to endlessly flourish, to continually grow, to tirelessly excel and dream.  What I can say with certainty is that an unseen bond exists between all of us.  I believe we all subconsciously entered the world of blogging for a larger purpose, with one of them being for all of us to connect in this seemingly random manner.  Accidents, my friends, do not exist - I think most of us are aware of this.  The Blogging Class of 2009 happened for a reason.  Great things have come as a result already and more great things will be created in the future. 

As we reach the end of another calendar year, I will very soon celebrate another one year anniversary - that of Authentic Blogger on Facebook.  As the snow falls softly outside my office window tonight, I have been very reflective.  This happens to me every year in December, as I cast my mind back over what I have lived and experienced in the past twelve months.  Through whatever whim of Fate and the Unseen Guiding Hand of Light, I landed right slap in the midst of the Blogging Class of 2009.  I am forever connected to this cozy group of creative, talented, bright individuals and find myself in excellent company.  You all know who you are, and I hope you are smiling as you read this post.  I vote that we create some bumper stickers, maybe a class t-shirt, plan a Senior Trip in three more years, and talk up a class reunion at some point.  This was our Freshman Year, and I believe we have all done ourselves proud with our writing endeavors. 

Well met, Class of 2009....well met, my friends.

No Mittens Allowed!

Photo courtesy of Bing images
and Stephanie Lynn

A great many blog articles that I write are inspired by random conversations with friends, and this one is no different.  It occurred through a series of emails and blog comments posted between my friend and fellow blogger, Dave Roy (Dave's Buttoned Up Mind blog) and I.  He writes about a lot of tech-ish stuff, video games and such, as well as a fun series on music's one hit wonders.  We're so opposite in writing style, yet we find a great deal to enjoy about one another's respective blogs.  Dave has mentioned a couple times that he appreciates my ability to write long, thoughtful, involved blog posts that flow to the point that he never feels restless or burdened while reading them.

That made me smile, I must say, because every writer dreads hearing that they're writing content so ponderous and lengthy that it is exhausting to their readers to plow through.  I am definitely verbose - I admit this right up front!  In the past, I have actually challenged myself to write tighter content, to produce blog articles that are briefer in format, and I have succeeded.  In fact, some of those examples represent some of my favorite work.  That being said, writing short blog articles isn't all that comfortable for me. There's definitely merit in constantly challenging oneself, as it sharpens the mind and writing skills.  I don't deny that concept, and I do practice restraint much more than anyone could imagine when writing. 

Short articles, however, are not natural to my writing style.  In that conversation with Dave, I likened it to wearing mittens.  For the record, I am not a mitten person.  Not even close!  In fact, I loathe the things.  During my childhood, mittens were the norm for children to wear and actual fingered gloves weren't all that commonly available in stores.  So, mittens prevailed.  My wee hands would be stuffed into those abominations, crammed together and sweating, muffled by the thickly woven material, unable to breathe or FEEL anything.  I would fumble and drop things because my mitten wrapped hands were made clumsy and incapable of securely grasping items, or turning doorknobs, or picking something up.  I absolutely despised it and begged my Mom for fingered gloves every winter, because as the original overly protective single parent, she was determined that we stay bundled up every second we were outside. 

As an adult, regardless of the cold weather, I rarely wear gloves of any type.  In fact, it is rare that I even wear a coat.  East Tennessee has fairly temperate winters these days.  But beyond that, my fingers would much rather feel frozen and be able to breathe than be cloaked in thick mittens, shrouded from the world, unable to experience or express emotions.  Yes, I talk with my hands.  It's intrinsic to my nature, much as is writing.

Ergo, in case you were wondering what my point is with this post, writing short blog articles is akin, to me, to being forced to wear mittens.  Yes, I can write a brilliantly succinct, tightly woven, punchy article that is beautiful in its brevity.  Off the top of my head, there are several of these that come to mind in the Healing Morning archives, and I am justly proud of them.  However, where I truly shine as a writer is in the longer, flowing articles that Dave described.  I like to mosey a bit as I broaden the body of the storyline.  While brevity can deliver a knife edged presentation, there is a lot to appreciate for a bit more of a leisurely stroll down the path towards culmination.  Nuances are there to explore and elaborate upon.  Colors and textures and shadings....tangible memories to paint with words, scensory wonders to revisit and prompt within the reader's mind...those are so much fun to weave together in written format to me!  And to do that in my own unique manner requires that my hands not be mitten muffled. 

So, for the most part, my writing is going to be that longer format.  I always do my best to ensure logical progression and flow to the thoughts expressed here, and I do appreciate the kind affirmation that Dave gave me with his comments on same.  It's always a happy thing to be appreciated and accepted, unconditionally, for who you are at your very core.  At my very core, I am a wordy writer!  Bare fingers tapping madly away at the keyboard, or scribbling with equal fervor with pen and paper....the end product will rarely be brief, unless I am consciously making the effort, out of begrudged self-restraint.  As I am much happier when not practising self-restraint in writing, you can expect the longer, flowy posts here.  I hope that you'll enjoy my efforts and find that the reading is enjoyable.

For this writer, the rule of the day, no matter the weather, is simply, "No Mittens Allowed!"  Freedom of fingers to produce a rhapsody of words suits me.

**Thanks to Stephanie Lynn for graciously helping me out with the above graphic image of the No Mittens Allowed icon.  Stephanie is a gifted graphic artist who makes beautiful banners for Facebook and blog application.  You can contact her on Facebook via http://www.facebook.com/#!/steph4c.**

Satisfaction

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Bing images

I don't know about anyone else, but for me, the process of writing and inspiration striking is a random one. Most family members and close friends resigned themselves years ago to the realization that any conversation or shared experience with me is potential fodder for either a plotline for a manuscript, or a topic for a blog post. I solemnly swore, hand over heart, to always change names to protect the innocent!

So, that being said, some names I don't change because they deserve full credit for sparking an idea that turns into a blog post. My friend Duane Scott is one of my regular sources for inspiration, simply because we talk a lot and we tend to make one another ponder deep topics. At other times, the subject might be lighthearted and fun, but this particular blog focuses on a 'ponder deeply' topic.

This was the original question thrown out that started the whole thing:

Question Of The Day: Is it possible for a person to be fully satisfied with who they are?
Duane Scott - Scribing the Journey

My response:

I think it is possible for people to be content - that's a different word and different emotional application. And both are conscious choices that we make daily - the same way choosing to be happy falls into that category. Are there bad things happening in the world? Are there bills to pay? Are there wars and famine and poverty? Yes to all of the above. However, rather than letting the knowledge of those things make us miserable, we can choose to find reasons to be happy. We can also choose to find reasons to be content and to be satisfied. They are all conscious choices.


So, yes, I believe it is possible. On the other hand, I also believe that continually striving for better in our lives is of paramount importance! If we stop dreaming, we stagnate. Perhaps the point I'm attempting to make is that it's possible to choose to be content/satisfied on a moment-to-moment basis. Hmm...perhaps a blog is about to be born!

His reply:

Dawn... Write on! Write a post! I'd love to hear your thoughts. These are amazing, but there are more tucked in your brain, aren't there. ;) I know you too well.

And here we are, with me writing a blog post! I've often debated the topic of what constitutes being satisfied. There are so many layers and facets to that word...it applies to literally every area of life. Not long ago, a different friend posted a quote that suggested we should release all ties to wanting more. The basic premise of that thought was focusing more on people who choose to embrace a materialistic life to their own detriment. While I see the full logic and value of being prudent along those lines, I also feel that it is equally important to always want more in life. I'm not necessarily talking about material possessions. Wanting more, for me, quite often is of a spiritual nature. I want to continue to grow as a person; I want to be able to feel that I am improving daily. I have abilities I want to continue to hone. I have negative traits I want to learn to release.

That being said, on a material level, I also have dreams. I aspire to improve the conditions of my life and feel that this is a worthwhile and necessary part of life. I want to succeed at so many dreams, and the hallmark of some of those successes will manifest in material gain. I want to continue to dream big. I want to always be learning and changing and growing. I want to make my own mark on this world, and I want to do it in a big way.

Stagnating is something I hold in abject horror. I have always cheerfully admitted to having what I dub Low Boredom Threshold, and this is what drives me to continue learning. Yes, it can also be an exhausting prod that I tire of occasionally, but the beauty of it all is that no one but me is behind the drive. I can call a halt anytime I choose and just bask in my current state. Perhaps it is those moments that the true sense of satisfaction is realized, but I also find immense satisfaction in discovering that next new challenge to conquer. To me, this is exciting, knowing that I'm on the verge of learning new things. Others might find that same process to be unbearably boring. We're all beautifully unique in what gives us joy.

Is there a way to truly answer Duane's original question definitively? Of course not. I rarely embrace absolutes, because we live in a world that changes from one second to the next. In one breath, I can claim that it is most definitely possible to be completely satisfied and at peace. I am quite often content, as I am richly blessed in the things which truly matter to me...loving family, good health, loving friends, a roof over my head and an agile mind. In the next breath, I can claim with equal fervor that I hope to never be fully satisfied, because to feel such a state would make me, personally, feel there are no new vistas to explore.

And there are always, always new vistas to explore. THAT is tremendously satisfying to know...because the journey goes on.

Now let's see what YOU think. I think it only fair to continue the discussion and find out what you, and Duane, think of the result of that original stream of conversation. What side of the fence are you on? Is there even a fence existing on this topic for you? Are you a mellow, laid back type who embraces satisfaction with ease, or are you a bit more driven and rarely still long enough to contemplate a state of calm where you can regard things as being well done? Or, are you what I think most of us are....a mixture of both? Share your thoughts! I really do want to know, because by doing so, we all get to go on fascinating journeys that we would never experience on our own. The door is open...take me on a journey with you!

Happy 101 - Blog Award!

I was given a lovely blog award today!  I know that many bloggers feel that blogging awards are too time consuming, unnecessary and just superfluous.  I can honestly say that I doubt I will ever become so jaded as to refuse an award that is given with genuine kindness and enthusiasm.  In light of this, I admit to feeling flattered and honored, which is how you should feel when someone gives you an award!

There are a few simple rules to accepting the Happy 101 blog award.  My first step is to write this blog today, and list the top 10 things that make me happy, then go on to share 10 blogs that I enjoy reading.

So, first things first - My Happy List:

My family - I am blessed to be part of a very large, loving Irish clan of people who are, in my opinion, the most wonderful, loving group in the world.  When I was a child, I always felt sorry for anyone who hadn't been lucky enough to be born into my family...that's how special the Reagans are!  We come together often, laugh often and purely enjoy one another.  It doesn't get better than that.

My curiosity - my whole life has been driven by this force.  I am curious about everything under the sun and because of this part of my nature, I have enjoyed learning, researching and experiencing so many fascinating things.  The truly exciting part of this side of my nature is that I'll never learn it all and there will always be new vistas to conquer!

My loving nature - this would perhaps be a subset of my family foundation, but I choose to call it a separate entity on the Happy List.  I know that one of my strongest gifts is my ability to love, and it is often commented upon by those around me.  If people are going to comment about something about your nature, I would certainly wish for it to be such a positive thing as the ability to express love!

My home - I live in East Tennessee and feel it is beautiful beyond words.  There is a peaceful vibration to this area that is tangible, and although I have lived many other places, this is where I have always returned to live.  It heals my Soul and makes me the happiest to live here.

My creativity - I'm a writer and an artist of sorts.  William Butler Yeats said a beautiful thing:  "I am a man well-blessed and content, for thank God I can read."  I would add, "...for thank God I can write and create."

My friends - an equal blessing, as they are all such unique, fascinating individuals who bring startlingly lovely shades and textures to my life. 

Music - it soothes the savage beast, or so they say.  For me, it is an extension of the writing process, because in my head, the words take on a musical quality.  I even wrote a blog about this, entitled  "Musical Thoughts" last year.  I climb deep into the heart of the lyrics and hear the infinetesimal shifts and layers of sound in the music - everything about music delights my Soul.

Growth - I am thankful and happy on a daily basis that my life is constantly moving forward in growth and experiences.  I am happy that I choose to be brave enough to keep walking foward, even during the times that those steps take me into moments of gloom, or hardship.  Stagnating as a person is something that I assiduously avoid, so I kind of like the fact that I continue to forge onward!

Hugs - they are essential to life, as far as I'm concerned.  Being embraced by someone you love, who loves you in return, gives the opportunity to become enveloped in the pure energy of love combined.  That creates a unique energy that blesses the hugger and the huggee and the world is a better place because of it...we are better people as a result.

Sunshine - this is a childhood nickname I was given because I have a happy outlook on life.  I consider it part of my spirituality and awareness.  I choose to embrace dreams, continue to develop my own spiritual awareness, embrace laughter, positive thoughts and practice living my life in a manner that attracts good, positive people and experiences.  That can be boiled down to that one word...Sunshine.
__________________________

The second part of the award process is to choose 10 blogs and post them here, with links and a short blurb about why you like them.  I may end up duplicating some of my choices that others have also mentioned, but I'm choosing them in good company!

Coffee with Marty - Marty's blog is his POV on the world as he greets each day with a steaming cup of coffee.  Marty is also my trusted partner in crime with our Facebook group, Authentic Blogger, so obviously I like the way he thinks and approaches all things bloggish!

Journey to Joy - Bill's description reads, "In this blog I share what I've learned in my life to be a more positive/joyful person living each day to the fullest & staying connected to my soul."  He offers some good, old fashioned, homespun advice with a twinkle in his writer's eye as he invites you to share the humor in his perspective.

Speech of My Fingertips - Surein is in Malaysia and as such, on the opposite side of the world from my home in East TN.  He writes these fascinating, conversational blog posts about his home in such a way that I get to visit there vicariously.  I learn something new with each of his posts, and I love that, but I also love his sense of humor and his unique perspective.  Here is his description of his blog:  "I believed Robert Heinlein when he said that writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards. My mind is as fickle as a Malaysian traffic light. To keep in touch with my own thoughts if I forget, I write here."

Artisan of the Human Spirit - I just discovered Tony's blog about a week ago, via two different blogging buddies.  Tony's blurb on his blog reads, "Awakening to life's lessons. In life, not every classroom has a desk, nor every church a steeple!"  I enjoy his thoughtful approach to ruminating on the path he has taken to reach his here and now, and I also enjoy his dry sense of humor.

Michael's Kitchen - my good friend, and special Papa, Mike's description reads, "My life in my Kitchen and my take on food, cooking, kitchen tools, and the whole food thing.... And Please remember to always practice safe lunch...... USE A CONDIMENT!!!"  He writes delicious recipes, shares great tips and makes the idea of venturing into the kitchen to prepare something fancy seem to be not so scary.  He makes me laugh, too.  Mike is also the kind soul who gifted me with this Happy 101 blog award, so thank you, Papa!

Jeff Nix - Jeff writes some very thought provoking posts, with my personal favorites being those in a series that he calls "Inspired" posts.  His blog has a variety of topics, so pull it up and poke around.  I know you'll find something to capture your interest.

Spirit of Autism - my friend Debi describes her blog as, "Spirit Of Autism is a resource and home therapy program for parents, caregivers, and emergency responders dealing with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette's, and other pervasive disorders."  Even if you're not dealing one of these issues yourself, Debi's information is applicable to everyone.  Dealing with learning disorders or behavioral challenges have lessons to teach everyone.

Learning How - Jenn is venturing into becoming a programmer/designer and her Learning How blog provides helpful tips and suggestions for blogging.  I love her posts and always learn something new when I visit.

Thyme for Health - Thyme's description reads, "A Master Herbalist who lives and travels in a motorhome with Nandi, her hairless cat, and shares information and advice for being and living healthy."  She writes blogs on some of the most fascinating topics, from herbology, to aromatherapy, to healing and spiritual properties of all of the aforementioned.  I truly enjoy her blog, as I learn much when I visit.

Moonbeam Soy Candles - my southern sister-friend in Georgia is working hard to create a successful company that offers soy candles and much more.  I like the fact that her products are eco-friendly and green.

Those are my choices, in no specific order.  I hope you get the chance to visit some of them - tell them Dawn sent you!

Connections

I am writing this post at the end of a very long, tiring day that began with a business conference call at 4:50 am.  It seems that I've been running in about 80+ different directions since, and I admit to being pretty much wiped out.  Yet here I sit, at my computer, driven to write a blog post.  Today marks a new, exciting venture between myself and my friend, Marty, as we plunged headlong into creating a Facebook blogging group page.  Let me just say that prior to the two of us embarking upon this somewhat insane project together, I already had a genuine respect and affection for Marty.  Now that we're wading through pools of varying depths and currents with this blogging thing, I am developing new reasons to appreciate the presence of this friendship.  In addition, via this group venture on Facebook, both Marty and I are being blessed with new connections, new friends, new ideas....new all sorts of things.

I've laughed reading so many new blogs, I've cried as well.  I've been inspired by most of them, confused by a few, challenged to broaden my present parameters of belief and overall, enriched by every person with whom I've interacted via Authentic Blogger on FB.  It is an exhilarating experience thus far and I'm quite aware of how I'm being pushed to grow and expand my personal horizons. 

I have had several new followers do what I love the most, and that is, first - truly READ my blog posts.  Second - they've gone the extra step to post comments on those blog posts, giving me valuable feedback on my thoughts and words.  This was one of the biggest reasons for me to partner with Marty to create Authentic Blogger - I really wanted to attract the attention of people who engage in an authentic manner in the blogging world.  It appears that through our combined efforts and positive energy, both Marty and I are reaping blessings and benefits.  I'm truly enjoying this new experience, despite being a bit drained from all the extra focus and energy output.  It will take a while for us to adapt to the extra demands on our time, but I think I can speak for both of us when I say we're enjoying the heck out of the whole process!

So, my title for this blog is Connections.  That's what I accomplished a lot of today...connections with new blogger friends.  A deeper connection with an existing friend which is proving to be one of my strongest blessings this year of my life.  Connecting with myself in a business aspect that is exhilarating with the challenges and sheer fun of conquering a new vista - always one of my favorite things to experience.  Finally, sitting back and recognizing how all of these connections are clearly paving a new path leading to an as yet unknown future.  That's exciting, satisfying and fulfilling.  Circles within circles, entertwining and literally vibrating new energy.  Today has been a truly happy day.

Authentic Blogger - birth of an idea

I am happy to report that a close friend and I have just created a new Facebook group called Authentic Blogger.  This is a community we have established for all bloggers, worldwide, to have an open forum for discussion, sharing information and tips on promotion, marketing and building awareness of each individul blog site. 

Our Mission Statement is simple - we want our name, Authentic Blogger, to say it all.  Write, create and promote topics in your blog that resonate strongly with you.  Follow blogs that speak to you personally and interest you.  Do not cave in to the mindless "if you follow me, I'll follow you" concept that is rampant in the blogging world.  Support your fellow bloggers/writers/artists by posting sincere, thoughtful comments on their blog site when a specific post truly captures your attention and imagination.

We hope to grow our community to a global level with lively, exciting interaction taking place on our Facebook wall and discussion boards.  We anticipate that we will grow and change over time, and we look forward to that growth process.  We welcome suggestions from all our future readers and hope that our group will provide you with hours of enjoyment.  Please take a moment to visit our group page.  If you're a blogger, please join our group and then post your site's URL on our wall.  We hope you will also take time to tell all your blogger friends about us.  Helping us to grow awareness and membership with our group will also help every member to garner attention and interest for their unique blog site.

This is an exciting new venture for us and we believe that there are no boundaries or limits with this concept.  Both Marty (my partner and fellow officer) and I will work hard to make this a unique, worthwhile group for all bloggers, writers, artists and creative people in general to participate in.  We hope to see you there!

Belief and transparency

When I began the process of blogging, I had no idea how it would grab hold of my whole Spirit and become such a joyful experience. I have always written, have always held the intent to achieve certain goals with my writing and have been quietly putting those steps in place over time. Blogging sort of fell into my lap unexpectedly and has proved to be an outlet for creativity in a manner that is unique for me. Here, I do not have to please any specific client, adhere to any other schedule or format than the timeframe and template I choose for my blog page, and even those can be tweaked at will. Blogging, therefore, is one step removed, for me, from journaling. Where journaling is my innermost private thoughts written in longhand in artist's sketchbooks, blogging is almost as personal a creative process, written on the computer screen.

That very fact has become a learning process all its own. It starts out relatively simple. You start writing and you post a blog. Then you tell friends about it. At some point, you stumble across ways to promote your blog and you begin to amass people who follow your blog. That's when the realization begins to settle in that, as a result, blogging makes you transparent. By that, I mean that your thoughts are out there for the world to see, via the internet, with the stroke of a key. Hence, what began as just another writing exercise takes on new meaning. People post comments and send emails, replying to a given blog with positive or negative statements. You, as the author of the blog, learn from these comments and you grow as a writer. And you accept that you have chosen to continue to embrace this path of relative transparency. I think a quote by one of my favorite Sages addresses this concept quite well:

"When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it."

~ Winnie the Pooh

This, then, is where I come to the "belief" part of the title of this blog. When I sit down to write a blog, it is 100% of the time because I've had a conversation with someone, read something, heard a song, looked at, or experienced something beautiful and my mind will not leave me alone until I get the words written. I never know how any given blog post will be received by the people who read it. In fact, when friends who follow my blog tell me they read a post, or that they follow my blog faithfully, it still has the power to shock me a bit. Perhaps all creative people have that reaction, not really truly believing in their own talent. This is another indelible lesson that blogging is teaching me - to believe in my own talent.

I have learned over a lifetime of writing, that for me, it is best to just write it out and not critique it too harshly in one sitting. Walk away from it and return the following day, see how it reads from a fresh perspective - this is my normal process. When I adhere to that formula, I am usually quite pleased with what I have created. There are, however, quite often moments when I think that a blog post, or an article I've written just doesn't really hit the note for which I was striving. The final draft doesn't seem to flow freely along with the melody in my mind. Again, I have learned to ignore those doubts, tweak the final draft to the best of my ability and post it. I am finding that a very large number of the posts I have wrestled with a niggling sense of doubt about, in fact, turn out to be the ones that people post the most comments about. Postive comments, at that.

One friend, in email conversation mentioned that (paraphrased here), "...you felt at the time that it deserved the focus and attention to write it out. I believe that means it should live."

This was in response to my self-doubts and wondering if I had written something too similar to a recent post and if I should delete the post I felt to be of duplicate content.

Another very dear friend and fellow blogger commented on my most recent post, entitled Musical Thoughts with glowing remarks that completely smoothed out those ever present niggling doubts I had had about that post. For a few long moments, I contemplated just not posting that blog entry, for fear that my concept was bit too outlandish for most people to relate to. I was beyond pleased when this friend wrote such positive comments and indicated that I had made an impact in the way he viewed writing. For me as a writer, that is the ultimate compliment and one that I will treasure. It tells me that if I stay in that calm, quiet assurance I have when I am writing, and trust myself and my instincts, the words will flow and will have that impact I am seeking to impart.

There are moments when I write a blog that everything sparkles, the planets all align and the words flow effortlessly, with the final result just making my heart sigh in pleasure. Those moments are more rare than some might expect. Writing is definitely hard work, full of inner struggles, frustrations and tons of doubt, I have found.

So, for me, belief, transparency and Pooh's comments about "Things suddenly not being so Thingish when other people get a look at them" have coalesced into a surprisingly comfortable combination. Indeed, those "Thingish Things" do change when others read them and I find that to be one of the most rewarding aspects of writing, blogging, etc. My own decision to believe in my writing ability and take the next logical step into the transparent world of blogging has opened up a panorama of Thingish Things. While I still struggle occasionally with typical moments of doubt, the greater and stronger result is that I am discovering new depths, layers and dimensions of writing and blogging. Consequently, I am receiving confirmation that perhaps I am making a difference to a small number of people in the process. Nothing makes me happier than to hear that someone has read my stuff and enjoyed the experience. It doesn't get much better than that, so, here's to continuing to embrace belief and transparency.