Some Stories Stay with You

Some stories stay with you. You don’t want them to end. Instead, you want to find the next novel and satisfy your need for a good book.

Some Stories Stay with You

This desire to read has been with me since I sat enthralled by the Dick and Jane primers in grade one. As a Florida girl, I longed to jump in a pile of autumn leaves and build a snowman. But, alas, Florida offered temperate weather without clearly defined seasons. More importantly, the illustrations and descriptions in books brought the desire for a different life as I became an adult.

The Piano Tuner, by Daniel Mason, is one of those stories. I invite you to read my review on Goodreads as a segway into a deeper discussion of Mr. Mason’s writing. Unfortunately, although I checked the spoiler box, I’m not convinced I revealed too much.

About Reading Styles

Do you find an author you like and then read their books until you finish all or get bored? What attracts you to that first book?

I saw Daniel Mason’s The Winter Soldier in the highlighted book display at my local library. The book jacket intrigued me as I picked it up and read the synopsis. Since I’m a lover of historical fiction, the time frame of World War I sold me along with the recommendation of Anthony Doerr.

Usually, I hunt for the next book from a favored author. However, this time the jacket called from the library stacks as I hunted for one of my mother’s favorite authors of Amish romance novels. Instantly, I recalled my desire to read The Piano Tuner and checked it out.

Borrow or Buy

As a writer, I usually buy books. Similarly, I support local garden centers over big-box stores whenever I can. But, conversely, I help my local public library too. It may seem like I’m hurting published authors, but by making books available to everyone, authors benefit too.

In Conclusion

Why do some stories stay with you? It’s simple. The author has created a world for escape. Additionally, they wove in one central, lovable character.

Today’s world seems overloaded with electronic storms of information. So I invite you to take a breather and visit your local public library or bookstore to find the story that stays with you.

Is the Grass Greener Over There?

Is the grass greener over there on the other side of the fence or anywhere but here? There were many times in my life I believed this common euphemism.

Is the Grass Greener Over There?

Often, the grass is indeed greener in the neighbor’s yard. But is it because they spend more time, money, or energy grooming their lawn? Or perhaps it looks better because of our perspective.

Last week, I shared my walk along a trail in the mountains with my newsletter readers. The photo in the email was a wild mountain azalea with buds. I hoped to return to see it in full flower, but the weather and a busy life got in my way. Then something unique happened.

My dog, Sugar, insisted that we go along the road in front of the house for a walk. So rather than take a solitary walk on the distant Jumpinoff Rock Trail, I indulged her.

Soon, we passed a shady steep area on the north side of the road. It is covered with an invasive multiflora rose. As we walked past, I noticed a flash of pink. Then, looking closer, I saw a wild mountain azalea in full bloom.

More Treasures Await

Although I always look for flowers on my walks, it amazed me how many new plants greeted me. Some were utterly new to me. Others included the hope of future fruits. And all these treasures allowed me to research their names, which is one of my joys in exploring nature.

Final Thoughts

For me, the grass is greener right where I am. So walking out my front door, exercising myself and my dog, I found a long list of new flowers. And it helped me see more treasures as I explored the country roads nearby, like this flame azalea blooming on the roadside.

The next time you think beauty is something you have to find elsewhere, slow down, observe, and discover wonders within your grasp.

Bringing More Balance Into Your Life

How often have you read headlines about bringing more balance into your life? Do you have any idea how to do this? Is this imbalance physical, mental, energetic, or something else?

Bringing More Balance into Your Life

Most of us acknowledge the wisdom of the statement above. It’s been a real problem for me that was accentuated when I began to raise my spiritual awareness. Although it seemed innocuous, raising my awareness created an energetic imbalance for me.

Determining Energy Imbalance

My study of the System of Reiki identifies two opposing energies that affect all types of balance: earth energy and heaven energy.

Too much earth energy may result in feeling stuck.

Imagine yourself dreading another day at your desk job. All your friends are tired of hearing you whine. The more you complain about your situation, the more stuck you feel. However, during your afternoon coffee break, you hear someone excitedly talking about the change in their life after they start journaling. So you begin to write the following day and slowly discover you have options in life.

Too much heaven energy may result in feeling scattered or unable to make decisions.

Now imagine yourself preparing to walk out your door on the way to run errands. Unfortunately, your house key isn’t in your pocket or purse as you start closing the door. Walking back inside, you feel dizzy and filled with apprehension. Two possible ways to react; race around looking in every room for the keys or calmly stop, taking slow deep breaths before retracing your steps the last time you used the house key.

Some Ways to Bring More Balance

Grounding is associated with balancing earth energy, while developing spiritual awareness is linked to heaven energy. I’ve written articles about grounding with my favorite method of walking in nature.

In addition to journaling, meditation connects us to heaven energy. There are many ways to meditate, including:

Yoga
Mindfulness
Spiritual prayer
Chanting
The System of Reiki

Positive Side Effects

Since I’ve improved my life balance, I’ve noticed:

An inner calmness
Feeling more accomplished
Elevated gratitude

Was there Resistance? Definitely

For me, resistance often shows up as slipping into old unhealthy habits. My favorite form of resistance is eating in a harmful way, both in my food choice and amount.

In the past, overeating brought on harsh self-criticism. Next, I either resorted to a restricted diet, sank deeper into a pattern of overeating, or both.

Now, feeling more balanced, I started improving my food choices and amounts. Finally, I experienced the wonder of intuitive eating. Self-love has replaced self-criticism.

By bringing more balance into your life, you can naturally slip into healthier ways of living.