#TBT to 2002, when my friend Kat and I were at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! Every year, my Thanksgiving begins by watching this parade, so it was an absolute thrill to be there in person. This was when I lived in New York for a short time, and I almost got a job at Macy’s just for the chance to walk in this parade. But instead, I worked in a restaurant in Grand Central Station, and attended the parade as a fan. It was super cold, but worth every second!
The holidays are often a time for traditions, counting our blessings, and spreading joy. No matter where you spend today, or who you spend it with, I hope it’s filled with love, turkey, pie, and maybe even a nap.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
“After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relations.”
This past weekend I attended my first Tribe Conference in Franklin, Tenn. Unofficially sponsored by various local donut companies, because they got mentioned from the stage so often, this gathering for writers is the brainchild of Jeff Goins. It was only my second writer’s conference, and even though I’m probably not quite the target audience for the group, which focuses mostly on book authors, I really enjoyed it. In fact, I’ve already signed up for next year!
If you’ve been reading this blog for a few months or longer, you’ve likely seen other conference notes on here. I attend a lot of conferences. I LOVE conferences. I’d attend one every month if I could. But the events I usually take part in for my business are often centered on social justice, leadership, entrepreneurship or other business topics. Of course, I write all the time for myself and my clients, but this was a bit of a different slant, which was great, because it meant my brain was working in a different way. So, it was lovely to be around other writers for a few days.
I believe that one of the hallmarks of a great conference is when you see the speakers hanging out with attendees and taking notes—and I definitely saw that at #TribeConf. A couple of the speakers even noted that they had previously purchased tickets to this year’s event not knowing they’d be on stage! Another great indicator. So, if you’re a writer, I’d encourage you to look into this annual gathering.
Below you’ll find all the things I scratched down in my notebook, and I hope you find them helpful.
He developed a writing habit of writing 1,000 words per day. Now he writes over 1 million per year. He wrote a 75,000-word book in 15 days!
He wrote and created hand-lettering for two years before anyone really noticed.
“What if you created as much as you consume?”
“I’m tired of reading about the achievements of others.” – Game of Thrones character
You have to show up and keep practicing.
Get the imperfect words out.
You can’t edit what you haven’t written.
Your best work is ahead.
Studied famous composers. Almost all of them didn’t have their most popular pieces until 10 years into their career. A few had them at years eight or nine, but only a couple, and none prior.
Keys to Building an Audience:
Curation (kind) – Selectively project a focused thing. Simplify.
“Your books may be your babies, but be prepared to move on to the next one. Your first one may not be successful, and sometimes it takes an entire body of work to get noticed.”
What’s so special about this Monday? Or any Monday, for that matter?
I worked from home. I had a lot to do. I didn’t speak to anyone. In fact, I worked straight through the day.
But it was a very special day!
Other than a short while in the morning after I woke up, I felt NORMAL. I had ENERGY.
I didn’t realize how quickly time had passed, how much work I’d completed, or how I didn’t have to take a pause and decide if I should take a nap or not.
Those things are a real rarity for me since my chronic health issues started five and a half years go. I’ve certainly had many good days since that time, but I’m always reminded during the day at some point that I don’t feel well. That I need to take it easy. That I need to compensate in some other way. That I am sick.
By the time 5 o’clock approached, it hit me what a special day it had been. And I still wasn’t tired! It was so exciting!
I’m still not sure exactly how that day happened, other than a lot of prayer. Nothing else was different leading up to it.
Sadly, I haven’t had another day like it this week.
BUT I HAVE HOPE.
Hope that I’ll have another day like it in the near future, and many more after. Hope that my body is healing.
And after struggling so long with all of these health issues, that hope is worth everything.
I’m self-aware enough to know never to call myself “low maintenance.” 😉
I’ve always been a goal-setter and a go-getter. And I’ve always been my toughest critic.
Some of my most painful moments in life occurred when I didn’t achieve the dreams I’d set for myself. Small or large, it didn’t matter. My biggest fear has always been failure.
You may have already spotted it, but it took me a long time to realize that I was a control freak. And I’ve been in recovery for about 15 years. There are easy days and there are hard days, but I’m pretty sure that most days present some sort of control-related challenge. Though I know that the world would not be better off if I was in charge, it doesn’t always stop me from trying!
Everyone has favorites at certain restaurants. Some people even constantly visit the same places, and order the same items. But that’s not typically me. I usually prefer more variety, including the restaurants I visit and the food I order. And I often try to patron local restaurants over chains, because I’d rather “buy local.”
However, lately I’ve found myself obsessed with some of the same food items at the same restaurants. And I love perusing the aisles at the grocery store for new brands and items, but I’ve recently been buying the same things there too.
Here are my current favorites in case you’re looking for food and drink recommendations. Bon appetit!
Tiff’s Treats: I both love and hate my friend, Kari, for introducing me to these cookies! This company is Texas-based, but they have expanded into Georgia over the past year or so. And there is a location only about two miles from me. Get this: they deliver, fresh, warm cookies! They’re baked once you place the order, and they are fantastic! My favorite are definitely the chocolate chip, though the other flavors are excellent too. I even turned this obsession into a paying gig. I’ll be writing about them for an upcoming magazine article. Being a freelance writer pays in more ways that one!
Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad with Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing: This is my biggest obsession right now. The past few weeks, I’ve even eaten it multiple times per week! I love this thing so very much. Yum, give it a try. And if you want to throw in some Icedream for dessert, I won’t fault you.
Figo’s Arugula Salad: This is my favorite local chain. And while it may seem odd to order a salad at an Italian restaurant, you clearly haven’t had this salad. It’s incredibly simple, and incredibly delicious. I love arugula, but it’s the dressing that makes this salad fantastic. Very lemony, slightly sweet, and lots of basil.
Zoe’s Live Mediterranean Salad: Yes, I’ve had quite a thing for salads lately! They are one of the best ways to enjoy summer veggies, and while I love veggies year-round, I definitely eat a lot more during warm weather. Zoe’s has a lot of great salads, but this is by far my favorite. Again, the dressing is key to this one, but I love all the ingredients together.
Pumpkin: Last year, I read a book about incorporating healthy habits into your lifestyle, and the author mentioned that she put 1/4 cup of pumpkin in her morning smoothies to add more fiber and thicken it up a bit. I thought this was a genius idea, so I’ve been doing it every weekday as well. And I order it online because it can be hard to find out of season in stores, and cans are heavy to carry around. You can’t taste it, and it does give the smoothie more staying power.
Bean and grain chips: Another switch I’ve made in order to eat a little bit healthier is sub traditional chips for ones made of beans and grains. And I absolutely love them! Simply7 has some great tasting chips! I know because I’ve had most of them. Plentils are another favorite of mine.
PERRIER Pink Grapefruit Flavored Sparkling Mineral Water: I’ve been obsessed with sparkling water since coming back from Barcelona last year. I had it before that trip, but didn’t like it. Weirdly, now I love it. Guess that’s the charming, European influence! I love this Perrier brand, especially because it comes in a smaller can, which I prefer. Sometimes I even add grapefruit or lemon essential oil, or a lemon slice, to jack up the flavor a bit. Very refreshing for summer!
Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee with Cream and Sugar: I needed to throw this drink in here as well. I love coffee, but I don’t drink it all that often. Mostly when hanging out with people, or on the weekends at home. But since my apartment has limited kitchen space, I don’t own a coffee maker. And when I tried to make it at home, the organic and all-natural creamers would often go bad because I didn’t drink it fast enough. So, I discovered these little gems, and I love them. Not as good as a latte for sure, but they do the trick for me! (My one issue is that they do have an artificial ingredient, so I’m hoping they change that.)
Emergen-C Energy Plus: This is probably a bit odd to throw in, but you do actually drink it. I’ve talked about my chronic illness, and because of it, I get sick a lot. This is a great way to get in some extra vitamins, and it has added energy as well. Energy is often lacking for me, especially in the afternoon, so this has been a great supplement.
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This past weekend I attended my first 
August 28, 2017
Mental Post-Its 