BackStage Pass ~ A Bit Off Track March 21, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Fiction, Writing & Writers.comments closed
Here’s my entry for the Show Me The Voice Contest . . . with Agent Natalie Fischer ~ the first 250 words from my novel, Back Stage Pass.
“Twithin, about Kira . . . She’s not doing what she was re-born to do. She’s practicing law and earning lots of money, but she’s not happy. She doesn’t remember why she returned to Earth. She’s focused on ego concerns at the expense of her spirit.”
“So? Remind her of her purpose, Thespiri.”
“Easier said than done. She’s off-line. I’m trying to get her attention, but she isn’t listening.”
“Hmm . . . I got her attention when she was house-hunting. I whispered, This is YOUR house, and she caught my thought. Here, take a look . . .”
A screen appears and a video starts playing:
Steve is driving down a tree-lined street with Kira. As he passes a white house with a “For Sale” sign out front, he points, “Here’s that house on Oak I told you about.”
Without looking up from the MLS book in her lap, Kira replies, “I don’t want to live on Oak. Too much traffic.”
“C’mon, Kira. At least take a look at it.”
Twithin, a small ball of light, zooms around the interior of the car, and blinks rapidly near Kira’s ear.
Kira looks up, sees the house, and grabs Steve’s arm, “Stop! That’s it! That’s it! That’s my house!”
The screen disappears, leaving Thespiri and Twithin alone in an all-white room, devoid of furnishings.
Thespiri nods, “Nice work. But when I try to get her back on track with her life purpose, she doesn’t hear me.”
With a sigh, Twithin replies, “It all goes back to when Nora died.”
* * * * *
So? What do you think? Are you inclined to keep reading . . . or not? Did you see any sentences in dire need of polishing before I submit it tomorrow?
Life is NOT a Free-For-All March 21, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Blogging, Humor, Mindfulness.comments closed
I am a firm believer in the theme for SLTW ~ No Rules. Just Write!
Of course, there is a caveat to that motto . . . if we are to follow Spirit as it lights the way, we must first check our Ego at the door. We must be response-able and recognize that actions have consequences. We must have personal accountability.
When our words and actions are aimed at hurting others or advancing our own interests at all costs . . . that’s Ego at work. Ego has no place here.
Instead of re-acting with our habitual thought patterns of getting angry, plotting revenge, responding in kind, or any other pattern of action that causes us to relinquish our peace of mind, we can choose a more “able” response.
* * * * *
For those who missed the post and those who need a gentle reminder, here are the Rules of the House:
1. All visitors welcome. Make yourself at home.
2. Your baggage is your responsibility, not ours.
3. If you leave your luggage lying around, please don’t expect us to step gingerly over and around it as we tend to our business.
4. This is not a therapist’s office, and we are not your therapists.
5. Our interior decor is the process of conscious choices made over a period of years using our cumulative life experiences.
6. Please don’t expect us to redecorate to suit your likes and dislikes.
7. If you feel uncomfortable with our choice of interior illumination and decor, we’d like to toss out a few options for your consideration:
* Learn to accept what you cannot change
* Choose to change what you can ~ i.e., your own focus
* Use visualization to create your dream space
* Meditate to reclaim your serenity & peace of mind
* Focus on the positives, not the negatives
* View our decor with amused detachment, not anger
One last rule:
If none of the above works . . . please stop looking around at our stuff.
No rules. Just write! . . . but be Response-Able.
Life, even on the internet, is NOT a Free-For-All.
ADDENDUM: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The Case of the Public Scolding
Related posts: A Change Would Do You Good * Be A Tigger . . . Tiggers Bounce * Silence the Mind * Maintaining Perspective * Accept Your Irrelevance * A Warm Hug for a Sad Child
Getting A Return On Your Investment March 21, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Mindfulness.comments closed
In the latest issue of On Investing (Spring 2011), the quotes in Across the Wire seemed as apt to daily life as financial life:
* The whole secret to winning and losing in the stock market is to lose the least amount possible when you’re not right. ~ William J. O’Neill, financial author and publisher.
* Even the intelligent investor is likely to need considerable willpower to keep from following the crowd. ~ Benjamin Graham, American economist.
* He who will not economize will have to agonize. ~ Confucius, Chinese philosopher.
* Invest a few moments in thinking. It will pay good interest. ~ Anonymous
And my hands-down favorite:
* You can NEVER plan the future by looking at the past. ~ Edmund Burke, British statesman and philosopher.
So true. When we spend countless hours analyzing the past, we are chasing water droplets downstream instead of forging forward.
Live today.
The future will not wait.
No rules. Just write!
Thought to Ponder:
Like a water-wheel, filling and emptying its buckets over and over as it turns, we empty out who we were, to become more fully who we are meant to be.
Rather than allowing our thoughts, emotions, and past experiences to dictate our re-actions to new events, we can view life with alert curiosity.
When we let go of our automatic responses and begin to live spontaneously in the here and now, we uncover the joy and happiness within.
You must empty yourself of the past to receive the present. ~ Zen Parable
Related post: We Travel Best When We Travel Light
Note: The Spring 2011 issue is not on-line yet: On Investing (Winter 2010)
Spirit Lights The Way 