Lessons I’ve Learned From Daisies:
Thrive. Be the Best you can be. Share your Joy
© Swetlana Wall – Stock.adobe.com
Thrive where you’re planted
Bloom with all the beauty you’ve been given
Spread JOY to everyone who experiences you
Be Positive. Be Happy. Be Well.
You are unique
© picsfive – Stock.adobe.com
Creed of the Guardian, Book Three in the Heart of The Warrior Series,
is now available for PRE-ORDER on Amazon.
Book Three – COMING October 18th, 2019
Protect the Innocent. Punish the Guilty.
Seth the Ice Lion, now an Apprentice in the Jalora Legion, reluctantly travels aboard ship with his new battalion. Western Beta’s mission seems a dull assignment. Guarding miles of bogs and old ruins should be a simple task, but Seth soon learns nothing is easy for the Bearer of the Lion Ring. The Jalora is the embodiment of Good and the source of Seth’s power. It commands he search North Marsh for a relic capable of saving his homeland from the ravenous appetite of the Jackal invaders. Surrounded by deadly bogs and savage beasts, he must find the relic before the Lion Spirit inside of him takes control of their shared body.
Invaders from across the sea hold a firm grip on Valdeon, but their thirst for blood remains unsated. They lust for the riches of Andara. Using fear and greed as weapons, the Jackal enlist aid from the continent’s unscrupulous mercenaries to prepare for a larger invasion. They build a stronghold – Stone Fang Fortress – in the Bloodtooth Mountains of the north. It is here they prepare to conquer the free world.
Will Seth find this powerful relic before the Jackal swarm invades Andara? Or will his people be enslaved under the iron fist of the Jackal Lord? Seth’s answers hide in the deadly bogs of North Marsh…
Haven’t read the series yet? Check out Books One and Two.
Book One of The Heart of The Warrior Series
Book Two – Heart of the Warrior series
Be Positive. Be Happy. Be Well.
Challenge Yourself! © MarekPhotoDesign.com – stock.adobe.com
We humans love our comfort zone. It’s safe here. We know who we are in our jobs, our skills, and even our relationships. No nasty surprises jolt us. Life is predictable, but it’s also stagnant and boring. We may be stuck in a rut of our own making.
It’s time to challenge yourself. Take up an exciting hobby. Learn a new skill. Go for the job you want. Why now? WHY NOT? Each day that passes is another day you lose to inertia. Our minds crave new experiences. Feed your brain!
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill
Meet any successful entrepreneur and you’ll find they’ve had their fair share of failures. It’s hard to believe they experience hiccups when you see the abundance they have in success. Many would tell you they learned more from their failures than anything else.
I believe the greatest failure in life is not to try at all.
Be Positive. Be Happy. Be Well.
Work Management for Creative Projects – © Tartila Stock.Adobe.Com
Creative brains are restless processors of imaginative ideas. Our itchy fingers yearn to start creating the next fun project we dream up. Unfortunately, our next big idea rarely waits until after we’ve finished our current endeavor. Progress on our manuscripts, paintings, or screenplays falter. We lose momentum and begin missing deadlines.
Work management software can assist in planning our creative projects and help us stick with a firm schedule.
Work Management Software (aka task management or collaboration software) is a category of digital tools designed to plan projects and non-project tasks. Their applications can range from single users or small teams to large project management offices. Easy to use and readily available online, these tools are perfect for creative projects.
In other words, work management software is a project management tool for everyone.
I’ve been a project manager for over fifteen years and have used many complex project management tools to track my large enterprise level schedules. Mastering the platforms required extensive training and some technical knowledge. Many times, the tools were cumbersome and made managing the project unnecessarily complicated. It also limited project management tool access to companies who could afford the expense and resources to maintain them.
The new wave of work management digital tools has opened the door for individuals and small business owners who can’t afford the expense and don’t have time for extensive training. Larger businesses are adopting these easy to use tools as well, effectively reducing their setup and training times.
In researching for this post, I’ve discovered a smorgasbord of new tools. Most of them are unfamiliar, so I’m suggesting a few I know are free and reliable. Asana and Trello are both easy to use and have free basic plans.
I use the free version of Trello. Why? One of my project teams used it in the past. It’s familiar. It’s free. And it’s fun.
Trello for Creative Projects
Trello and YouTube have great “how to” videos to get you started setting up your new account and boards. In this post, I want to give you a few tips to help you plan effectively. You have some things to think through before jumping into the tool. What will it take to complete your project? How long will each task take? If I connect these tasks and their due dates correctly, then will I have my project completion date? Finally, who do I want to access my boards? Are there team members I’ve assigned to tasks and do they need to see those tasks?
Step One – Create your board
Step Two – Plan and create your cards
Step Three – Track your progress
Work Management Tools can help you stay on track. Keep your designs easy and straight forward. You’ll soon see the value of organizing your work.
Be Positive. Be Happy. Be Well.
I finally have a firm release date!
Look for the latest book in the Heart of the Warrior series
October 18th, 2019!
Book Three – COMING October 18th, 2019
Seth the Ice Lion, now an Apprentice in the Jalora Legion, reluctantly travels aboard ship with his new battalion. Western Beta’s mission seems a dull assignment. Guarding miles of bogs and old ruins should be a simple task, but Seth soon learns nothing is easy for the Bearer of the Lion Ring. The Jalora is the embodiment of Good and the source of Seth’s power. It commands he search North Marsh for a relic capable of saving his homeland from the ravenous appetite of the Jackal invaders. Surrounded by deadly bogs and savage beasts, he must find the relic before the Lion Spirit inside of him takes control of their shared body.
Invaders from across the sea hold a firm grip on Valdeon, but their thirst for blood remains unsated. They lust for the riches of Andara. Using fear and greed as weapons, the Jackal enlist aid from the continent’s unscrupulous mercenaries to prepare for a larger invasion. They build a stronghold – Stone Fang Fortress – in the Blood Mountains of the north. It is here they prepare to conquer the free world.
Will Seth find this powerful relic before the Jackal swarm invades Andara? Or will his people be enslaved under the iron fist of the Jackal Lord? Seth’s answers hide in the deadly bogs of North Marsh…
Book One of The Heart of The Warrior Series
Book Two – Heart of the Warrior series
Culinary Medicine © norikko – stock.adobe.com
One of our local news stations holds an annual health fair this time of year. During their morning broadcast, they dropped the term “Culinary Medicine.” I’ll confess, I hadn’t heard the phrase. As a Celiac on a strict gluten-free diet, I was intrigued. There is no cure for Celiac Sprue or gluten intolerance. My diet is used to counteract the symptoms of the disease as well as reduce my risk of developing certain types of cancer.
So, is western medicine moving away from a “pop this pill” philosophy and embracing a holistic approach? Answer: It depends on the doctor.
Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I am no expert in Culinary Medicine either. However, I am living proof of how a healthy diet can improve your energy, reduce illness and help with depression.
The healthcare industry, to combat rising obesity rates, is increasing its efforts to counsel patients on nutrition. Nutritious cooking to reduce illness is at the forefront.
Food as medicine? It makes sense if we remember the saying, “you are what you eat.”
The perfect berry! © pilipphoto – stock.adobe.com
Be Positive. Be Happy. Be Well.
Worrying is a waste of your precious time
© pathdoc – Stock.adobe.com
I woke up at 2:30 in the morning with an email from my client stuck in my brain. The document I’d sent them was acting strangely. It was, for all intents and purposes, unusable. Confusion. Panic. Worry. They hit me like a bucket of ice water to the face. I couldn’t get back to sleep. What had happened to the document? Should I get out of bed and go into my office to fix it?
Life and Work Balance is vital for our health and happiness. Our society, however, is a demanding machine that never sleeps. We, as individuals, must schedule our personal time and stick with it. I broke this rule when I finally caved to my worry and worked Sunday morning (my prescheduled day off) to fix the problem. Lack of sleep, residual tension and no personal time left me feeling worn out. Did the client need my document on Sunday? No. They were content to wait until Monday morning. All my angst was a waste of time.
Unplug from the Daily Grind– I had no business checking my email right before bedtime. Stop viewing work emails, texts, and social media at a set time each evening. A peaceful night’s sleep is essential. I need it and so do you. The work will be waiting in the morning
Set boundaries for your well-being– Stick to your personal plans. Don’t cancel fun activities with your friends, because you’re stressing over a work task. It’s tough when you run a business or are held accountable for a project. I get it. However, if you work too many weekends, your employer will come to expect it from you regularly. Then goodbye personal life!
Take care of YOU first! Approach the work or problem after you’ve rested and refreshed your mind. You’ll find the solution comes to you much faster.
Be Positive. Be Happy. Be Well.
