As I approach another New Year, thoughts of what lies ahead dance through my head. Will our country continue to move in an upward direction in employment, bring more men and women home from other countries, will relationships with our country and internationally move closer toward peace? There are so many unknowns that lie ahead, it can often be a daunting task to know what action to take to be part of the solution when I am seemingly just a  "speck" in the big picture.
  By now, most of you that "check in" with this blog know I look for the best in all situations, regardless how difficult it may appear, and, indeed, can be, there is always a solution. I have learned to be a very patient woman, which was not an easy task! Probably because I can only "control" myself, not someone else ... and I promise you, when I was young, I tried to do that. I do not like to admit that, but it is the truth.
  Now that I have learned a thing or two, I realize the only person I can manage, is myself. And, that has not been an easy task. I have been afraid of doing the "wrong" thing, "offending" someone, making them mad, and the list went on. I have, however, learned that Fear is not my friend, and it absolutely does not bring peace or clarity in my life.
  I recently watched the movie, "After Earth," and heard some amazing teachings on Fear that I just have to share. It went like this: "Fear is not real, the only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination causing us to fear things that do not at present or may not ever exist! This is near insanity! Danger is very real, but fear is a choice. We are all telling ourselves a story!"
  Now how fabulous is that? When Will Smith's son became frightened, he told him to "Control yourself, stand down, recognize your power, and realize this is your creation!" He then gave him a very powerful tool; he told him to "take a knee and self-evaluate. Be in the moment now! What do you see, smell, what do you feel right now?"
  As we enter 2014, let us commit to "taking a knee" and humble ourselves to the true inner strength and wisdom we possess within ourselves. We just might find the very thing we have been searching for - a connection to something greater than ourselves! Imagine what 2014 can look like .... it would mean, No Fear because everything we need we already have, and that we, indeed, are not alone on this journey!

  It occurred to me this morning that I had been remiss with posting a notice about the publication of "Head to Heart Talks: Rediscovering Your Authentic Self." Most of you have received an email announcing the "big event," and yet, I had not officially made that announcement on this blog. Isn't that interesting?
  So, let this be the "official" notice that the book is available for purchase online through Amazon. When I have been shown how to post a direct link to Amazon, I will provide that in the tab to the left labeled, "The Book."
  For those of you living in and around my area, I have copies that may be purchased if you want to make a gift of it for Christmas; however, I leave Thursday to spend the holidays with my daughter. You may contact me until 3 p.m. Thursday 12/19, or drop by "Choices" on Morton Avenue, they have a few copies available for purchase. Choices is located behind Mr. Dillion's. 
  I would like to share a teaching I recently learned about business tactics. I happened to notice on Sunday that Barnes and Nobles now have my book listed online for $37.27! The price on the book is $16.99, and until recently, they had it for sale at just under $15. So, I sent an email asking why the price was changed from the initial price to the extremely high price for a paperback book by a new author. I told them I wanted the book purchased so the richness of the stories could be read and shared, and that while I wanted to support local bookstores, I would be sending my friends to Amazon so they could afford to have a copy. 
  Well, apparently they decided to simply state the book was unavailable and keep the ebook at a comparable rate with Amazon. Please do not pay the high price! While I think it is a fabulously rich book worth its weight in gold, being a good steward of our resources is just as important. I also think the paper book is beautiful to hold. The ebook does, indeed, carry the richness of the stories; however, the beauty of the artwork is more widely present in the paper book. 
  With that said, read the book!! Share it with your friends, family and anyone that seems to be seeking something in life. I can promise you there are stories that will speak to every reader's heart.
  There is my "sales pitch," although it is actually the love in my heart that is speaking. You have everything to gain by purchasing the book. And, after you have read a bit into it, please go online at Amazon and leave a review so potential readers will decide to give it a read. So, there you have it, and thank you, in advance for making the purchase, your heart will be happy you did . . . and so will mine!
  

  Burr . . . it is a crisp cold morning in the Midwest! Temps plummeted to the coldest all year, and in some areas, the coldest since 2011. It is beautiful outside my bedroom window as snow blankets the ground and roof tops, and Grandfather sun's brilliant yellow moves upward from the East. Somehow just seeing his face makes the temps feel "warm." 
  Such is how a positive attitude can warm the hearts of those that feel alone, afraid, uncertain. It is a scary place to be to feel "frozen" in emotions that keep a person from moving forward. There is not a person in the world that has not felt such depths of "darkness," at some time or other in his or her life. It is the kindness of others that helps "defrost" those times so that a person can see past his or her current experience.
  For today, look in the mirror and ask yourself, "For what do I have to be grateful?" Once you have a few things in mind (and my hunch is the list is long,) take that warmth from knowing how blessed you are out to the world. To the grocery store, the filling station, the post office, to work, any and every place you go. You may not realize it, but you just may be like Grandfather sun and shine a ray of warmth that brings hope to someones life so that they can move from his or hers Deep Freeze and begin to breathe.