Tag Archives: Balance

Make your resolution. . .

…then ask yourself WHY?

The single most important thing that I choose to reflect on right now, is that you don’t have to wait for any particular day of any particular year to create a resolution, (that you probably won’t keep anyway) nor do you have to wait for something to go wrong to make changes.

I started a new little business a year ago, and it’s no coincidence that it feels like I have waited a year to “see” if it was going to work, well, it is working, but, could it be better, absolutely, did I wait too long before I decided to make some changes, again, ABSOLUTELY.

Do you find yourself waiting, if so for what? Do you have your own little business, and do you treat it like a business, if you had to wake up every morning and drive to a location, turn a key to open a door, lift the blinds and wait for people to walk in… would THAT feel more like a business?

Here’s the thing, and YES there’s a thing, I chose to run my little business, and in 2 days I am going to throw open the big double doors and start treating it like a store, my store, every now and then you will see a sign in my window letting you know what I do, If you walk into my store I will treat you like royalty, because you are a customer, because you are helping my store survive, if you tell your friends about my store I will remember you and make you feel important, if you like the products in my store I hope you tell me so I can share your success with others.

I will also say hello to other store owners, because they throw open their doors and greet the world with a smile every day, I get it now, you didn’t come to FB to buy things, you came here to be entertained, to live the drama, to hear the rumors, but, while you are here NOT buying things, smile at us, we are the store owners that run our little businesses so you have somewhere to go if you need anything. I guess we are the convenience stores open for you 24/7 so you have somewhere to stop as you drive to your brick and mortor jobs and make money for someone else so they can stay home and not shop on FB.

Believe in you my friends, use what you know to create the questions that help you to find the answers to what you don’t know. Don’t be afraid to make those changes to your life, don’t wait for the right time, or the right day, and for goodness sake don’t wait for a single day out of 365 to invent a resolution you probably have NO intention keeping…

Be happy being you every day, if you need a change then find the way, if negative happens don’t let it stay, and remember…work is work, you need time to play.

Find my Books here

https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=BawB%27s+Raven+Feathers&sitesearch_type=STORE

If failing isn’t an option…

…then is success a fair goal.

I read that title a couple of times and it started to make more sense, what I meant by that statement was this; If you are going to take on a new challenge, and there was no chance to fail, then what would you learn, would the challenge have the same meaning. I practice every day to see the positive in all things, I have often said that fail is;

“F ound A nother I mportant L esson”

So I am OK with failing an attempt at something, if the attempt means you learned how to do it better next time. If you learned that it doesn’t mean you are any less of a person because you tried and did not succeed the first time, and especially if it means you look forward to trying again because it means something different now.

I absolutely love the thought of challenges, not just the ones that others offer, say, at work or in the gym, but the challenges you set up for yourself. Personally, I create challenges for myself every day, and at this point I think it might be the right time to admit I am not competitive, but like everyone else, I find beating the man I was yesterday feels pretty good, like when I go for my walk, yesterday I did 5k steps, today I shoot for 5010, yeah, I know, what’s 10 extra steps? Well to me its further than I went yesterday, and it’s not about the distance, its more about the determination.

Keep in mind as well, that challenges are not just physical, they are also emotional and spiritual, there are days when I wake up and I feel “tired” on a spiritual level, so I challenge myself to breathe, find my light and move forward. Emotionally I can lose myself occasionally, and it’s up to me to find myself, to remember who I am and why I am, and then challenge myself to be a better me.

It comes as no surprize then that I find such a wonderful fit for myself as an Author and now as a Social Marketer with an amazing company, you can probably imagine the challenges I set for myself on a day to day basis. I try to find a customer a day, someone willing to accept how easy it is to live with day to day products that are free of harsh chemicals and toxins, and then I try to find someone each week that may be interested in creating a business for themselves, something that can give them their time back and financial freedom. For me this business is creating the funds I need to publish my books, that is my WHY, that’s what drives me to challenge myself every day.

And yes, most certainly I fail, in fact I welcome failure in this industry because it helps me to grow, believe it or not, failure in the social marketing world means you face your fears, if you are afraid of talking to people, then you challenge yourself to reach out to one person a day, and you build from there. If you are afraid to BE out there, then you challenge yourself to start creating who you are, make your posts about you, about what you like, about what you do, then, working your way up to live videos to show the world that you are real… yes, it’s a huge challenge, and yes you might fail at first, but, you will also learn who you are, and most importantly, you will learn to believe in yourself.

Believe in you and see what happens, you will recognize the person you are meant to BE.

Find my Books here

https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=BawB%27s+Raven+Feathers&sitesearch_type=STORE

If you don’t look where you’re going. . .

You will never know where you’ve been.

 

So much has happened in the last little while, and I know that sounds cliché but, unless we take a moment and reflect once in a while, we never really understand the “movement”. It seems like forever since I have sat down and transferred thought to paper, and to most it is a task that seldom makes back burner status, but to a writer, it is a “glitch”, a feeling that something is missing, almost an emptiness caused by a disconnection to the world, or in my case, I feel like I have not chatted with the Universe to let it know I am well, and to thank it for guiding my thoughts and sharing with me the energy of life.

 

Where do I start? Even that in itself is a question I have been asked lately, “where is your mindset when you sit down to write” and “how do you know what to say”. I will address those two things first; My mindset when I sit down to write is open, open to all that is positive and peaceful in the Universe, I feel balance, and I try not to focus on any one thing, rather, I wait to feel what comes to my mind first, then I roll my thoughts into words, the finished product is usually something inspirational and motivating, and with a little tweaking is perfect to share with the world. Second; I never “know” what to say, in fact, what happens is I “feel” what needs to be said. I guess an easy way to explain that is; if I see a picture of a flower, I feel the beauty of the flower, I feel the sunshine, the breeze, the dew left behind by the dawn, I feel the energy the flower shares with all who take the time to smell it… I “feel” what the flower feels and put it into words.

 

Now, on to my update, I have met SO many wonderful people recently, people that share the energy in the company I am with, people that are grateful to live clean healthy lifestyles, to have actually found youth and vitality just by trying something new and wonderful. But, its not all about the company, it’s about these people, sure they are all running their business, but they took the time to get to know me, who I am, what I do, they read my books, they follow my FB page, some have even shared smiles that found my heart and brought new light to my life.

 

These “things” that happen in our life, happen because we believe, because we ask the Universe for positive change, well, let me tell you, my world is FILLED with positive change, my business is growing, my books (Series II of BawB’s Raven Feathers) have been proofed and will be off to design shortly, but best of all, I have become re-acquainted with a man I have not seen in a while, I was introduced by a wonderful friend to Robert Chomany, the man responsible for the books, for the smiles, for the inspiration, the man my Mom, Bless her heart, raised me to be.

 

It seems somehow I grew comfortable hiding behind a book title, a name, an image, I was so comfortable being invisible that I forgot about how incredibly rewarding it is to be seen. I am Robert Chomany, I am proud, and I am Inspired to share with the Universe this person I am happy to BE.

 

When you feel the wind, then spread your wings, its time for you to soar,

There is a time for you to see yourself, how beautiful you are and even more..

WI:)ND🌻

Being real in the world you live . . .

. . .means the world to those you live with.

Life is an adventure, at least it should be, from the minute you arrive in the world drawing your first breath to the minute you leave it, exhaling your last. All of those years in between are spent watching, listening, learning and living, following paths either naturally predestined or contrived on a whim. There is not just one path, in fact most human beings have so many paths to follow they lose count by the time they reach thirty something, which might I add, is around the same time some will experience a “Mid Life Crisis” ( I have never really understood why it is called a “Crisis” when really, it is just a change of direction)

What is this real I speak of all the time, well, real is just as it sounds, being happy with who you are and what you are doing with your life, being happy believing in what you choose to believe in, and being happy to live and let live, the old-school mantra. I share this today because I recently started an adventure on a new path, a path that involves sharing a product I believe in, and not like all of the other products out there that use MLM to market their products, this company is designed to grow with everyone’s happiness in mind it was easy to get started. I, like all the other hopeful new home business entrepreneurs began by first sharing with my friends, and at this point I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of my friends for being so patient with me as I learn the ropes, like where the fine lines are and how to approach without being aggressive.

I will succeed in this little business because I believe in it, and I promised myself I would stay real, I will share it with everyone I know, and everyone I don’t know (eventually) and I will leave the decision up to them, they will see first my real happiness my real results and then my success, they will see my little books on the shelves in the book stores because of my success, and they will want to duplicate the same happiness and success, because they choose to. I go to bed every night knowing there are now a gazillion people (I am not even exaggerating there) that have heard about my books.

I am not greedy, I would like just one percent of all these people to share in the joy I am living, you all have the chance to make the choice in life to be real, and my path will lead me to each and every one of you… (eventually)

Make this day real because you believe in you.

Send me a smile I will send one right back in the WI:)ND

WI:)ND🌻

There are two places to get recognition. . .

. . .from the mirror and from your peers.

“Writers write” said Carrie Mumford during a conversation we were having at a local coffee shop, and those two words have been forefront in my thoughts ever since. I have never given myself the recognition I deserved for being a writer, until recently. I spent all day Sunday, writing, finishing the chapter pages for Volume X of Series Two of BawB’s Raven Feathers. This is something I have been taking for granted for the last five years, the fact that I can sit down every morning and put together a rhyming inspirational quote of my own, never repeating one that I’ve already written, avoiding gender, race, religion and politics, just putting on a smile and creating a word hug that I can share with the world, and then having to come up with a full page, speaking on a one word topic, in the third person, again without being specific while sharing my opinion and not judging, and doing it while a tear rolls down my cheek because it’s the last chapter of the last book I will write in this series titled “Happiness”, yes, yes I am a writer, and I write.

An excerpt from that chapter:

“It is in the dawn or the dusk, it is in the stars or the clouds that dance in the sky, it is in the hand we hold or in the moments alone, it is in our hearts and our souls. Happiness is a breath, or a kiss, a hug from a friend, it is in a memory or a moment when a new smile is shared. Happiness is colors and cookies, rain and rivers, it’s a feeling we get when a touch makes us quiver… Happiness is a way of thinking.”

 

When I am not writing I am fortunate to have found a way to continue to share happiness. I was led by the Universe to the desk of a wonderful kind soul, she introduced me to Nerium, and to the people that she worked with in her business, who in turn welcomed me and shared their energy and their smiles. I chose to pursue this adventure, and went about it with both eyes open, I needed to learn about it, use it, feel it and then believe in it. Six months have passed and I believe, I look and feel fantastic, I have met and shared with some wonderful people, who are carrying the smiles forward and I have been recognized for my achievements, not just by my peers but by the company, which to me, means the world.

I have also recognized that the founder of the company Jeff Olsen, is also a writer and an Author, he wrote a book called the Slight Edge, I have read this book three times and each time I do I smile. He writes of a way of thinking that will lead people to the happiness and success they desire, is it a coincidence that I write about inspiring people to find their inner smile which in turn will lead them to happiness. I want to meet Jeff Olsen one day and shake his hand, because I feel his energy by reading his words, yes, writers write, and then they share what they write with the world, for some the best recognition they will receive are the smiles they see on the faces of those that read what they have written.

Thank you to all the people that now share their smiles with me, I appreciate the recognition.

WI:)ND

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http://www.bawbsravenfeathers.net/

Traded my Harley for Horses. . .

 

 

. . . and I haven’t looked back (the horse didn’t come with a mirror).

 

If you were to have asked me five years ago if I could become an award winning author I would have thought about it for two seconds and replied “could happen, you never know” however if you were to have asked if I ever saw myself trading my Harley for a Horse I would respond by asking you if you had momentarily lost your mind.

 

Now, not surprisingly, here I am in a state of being between Harleys and I am still working with a large black 4-year-old Tennessee Walker named Dracula, for those that don’t know, the Tennessee Walking horse is like the touring class of equine breeds with a natural free flowing gait and, I am learning, a great deal of stubborn pride as well. The gait is incredible to watch, the stubborn pride is teaching me to look in the mirror.

 

I have learned a great deal in this lifetime, I have watched and listened, I have seen and understood, but I have yet to grasp the concept of change, it is something we are faced with almost every day of our lives, in society, in politics, in the weather and in plans made or goals desired, change is something we live with but have difficulty creating. Often we find ourselves desperately needing a change in our lives in order to grow or move forward, yet we are hesitant or reluctant to create changes because they may mean choosing a different path, a path we are not familiar with which in itself is directly related to the universal law of cause and effect.

 

So, all laws aside, I find myself now settled on a different path, in a different place, yet I am still writing with the same inspirational energy and still breathing, believing and being the BawB I have grown comfortable with, so is the change I experienced just a mind set or has my definition of a compatible reality altered just enough for me to allow and accept the flow of positive energy wherever I am standing in the moment?

 

Bob Dylan said it best in 1963 “the answer my friend is blowing in the wind” and I find myself listening to the wind more these days, as long as it is at my back be it Horse or Harley I am at peace.

 

Update on BawB’s Raven Feathers Series 2, my awesome editor Rachel Small has been locked in a small dark room for the last 6 months working feverishly on the next 5 volumes… Okay, I am embellishing a little, she is most often working in a sun lit room filled with light and creative energy working at a relaxed pace sorting through a huge amount of poetic inspiration and is, from what I am told, enjoying every minute of it.  🙂  Thank you Rachel, for doing what you do.

 

The moment you feel a change is needed that will help you just to grow

Is the very moment the wind will push you and a smile will start to show.

 

WI:)ND

bawbsravenfeathers.net

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How do you know if you’ve missed a beat. . .

. . .if you haven’t danced to your own drum?

 

It has been a while since I have had a look at my Blog site, the stats are showing that people still trickle by and read what I have written, but, I felt guilty for not contributing for such a long time. I have followed others as they embark on this writing adventure and I am so proud of them and their creative energy, it just seems to flow once you are in the zone. I find myself struggling of late to find that zone, I still post my morning inspiration each day, but the writing I do for my books is not coming to the surface, I feel it, I just can’t put it into words.

 

I am not worried however, my incredible Editor Rachel Small keeps nudging me while she works on the content of the remaining volumes. That, as I have mentioned before is so important, to have a flowing, comfortable and copacetic working arrangement with your editor, no pressure, just an honest understanding of what’s involved with what you are writing. One day I will wake up and there it will be, on the surface, ready to type.

 

Now this is not to say I am not busy, quite the contrary in fact as I am busier now than when I was working full time. I have moved south of the city to escape the pressures of big city living, the traffic, the drivers, the lack of motivation, my life was becoming ritualistic, patterned if you will. Okay fine, I was in a rut, plain and simple.

 

So here I am in a different, calmer, more laid back environment where I find the time to concentrate on doing what the Universe wanted me to do; help others to help themselves. Currently I am still Co-facilitating my Literacy and Parenting programs in the city for the Further Education Society, as well as Mentoring the up and coming authors at the Oilfields High School in Black Diamond AB. The wind also led me to the FCSS in Claresholm where I am now working with an amazing group of Ladies that excel in sharing their kind energy to those that need support.

 

And if that’s not enough I am now the proud Papa to a very handsome black stallion named Dracula’s Raven, (he came to me named Dracula, I added the Raven to share my spirit with him) together we are working to build a bond and to share what we both know about life. Eventually he will be under saddle, which I will call a graduation day for us both, and we will ride off into the sunset.

Until that day I will continue to write, and I am learning as I live;

With each new day you share yourself in the smile that you give.

 

WI:)ND

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If you continue to inspire the Universe. . .

. . . the Universe will continue to inspire you.

 

I woke this morning to begin a typical day, I let my little dog out, grabbed a coffee (I program the coffee maker for 5 AM so the coffee is ready for me) and I sat down in my office to write my morning inspiration, https://www.facebook.com/iambawb                                                                     the beginning of a typically wonderful day at BawB’s house.

 

My day was soon to change, for the better. I found myself needing to pursue with a bit more aggression the distribution of my little books, I am doing pretty well here in Calgary, but that is just not enough, I needed more visibility. So, off I go on my quest, first stop IBPA https://www.ibpa-online.org to click on the resources tab to find a list of distributors and wholesalers.

 

I made my selection, and then began writing an introductory/query letter to introduce my books and myself and begin a new adventure. While I was writing my letter I thought it might be a good Idea to include a review or two that I have received to help promote the sincerity I am trying to generate with these companies.

 

This brings me now to the Universe part of this new adventure that brought a tear to my eye, again. While I was searching for a review I found this most recent one I had not yet seen on Google:

 

http://www.yourmindschool.com/bawbs-raven-feathers-reflections-on-the-simple-things-in-life/

 

I added it to my letter and I wanted to share it with You because the Universe shared it with me.

 

I am so very proud of these little books, and so thankful for all the people involved in helping me create them… and of course for all of the readers that are enjoying them…my adventure continues.

 

Don’t ever give up my friends, keep writing, painting, drawing and creating, then share with the world what you have done, share your pride, share your tears and your laughter… and for the absolute joy of being you and doing what you do, share your smile in the wind.

 

Happiness is not just something you imagine you can be

It is found by letting yourself image that you are.

 

WI:)ND

 

BawB

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The reward for your efforts. . .

. . . is an award for achievement.

 

A year ago today, I received notification that my little book was a finalist in the http://www.indiebookawards.com/index.php for best cover design -non fiction. This was what I thought, to be the highest form of recognition a self published Author could ever receive, that is to be recognized by a group of his/her peers for the work he/she has accomplished. This was to me a once in a lifetime thing because I didn’t know then what I know now.

I know now that if you have a book inside you it should come out, if it comes out and gets to print it should be shared, if it is shared and recognized for an award then you should take that and run with it. Don’t stop trying, don’t stop writing, don’t stop sharing your work with others and for your own sake don’t ever stop believing you are worthy of recognition.

I speak from experience, as a year ago my recognition happened. I was then working on Volume III of my series, shortly after that Volume IV came out then in January 2015 Volume V and the slip case for the Series One Boxed Set. I submitted the finished set to the Indie Book Awards group because it was finished and because I was bursting with pride.

I received notification May 7th 2015 that my boxed set of books, BawB’s Raven Feathers Volumes I through V have been named Winner in the Best Overall Design category, and Finalist in the Gift/Specialty/Novelty category, a once in a lifetime achievement is happening again because I didn’t give up, I didn’t stop at “once”. I think life is two short for one, why can’t we achieve twice and three times in a lifetime? Why can’t there be no loss of forward momentum when it comes to our creativity? And why can’t we share it with everyone? If it is recognized, good for us, if it is appreciated, then even better, I won’t quit until I run out of words… and we know that won’t happen.

I would also like to take a moment to congratulate my dear friend Kyla McMullen, she has successfully published her first book “Warrior” and with a little nudging, submitted it to the Indie Book Awards group, Kyla received notice that her book was named Finalist in both categories she submitted to, I am very proud of her, and I know there is more to come.

I will share with you now another secret in the wind, I had the pleasure recently of meeting a very talented up and coming Author, her name is Jenn, and her book is in the editing stages at Faultless Finish Editing, and I have a very good feeling you will see it in print very soon, as will the wonderful group of esteemed judges at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

I am off to New York in a couple of weeks to share in my achievement, to mingle with other very talented authors, to share in the pride and to support the creativity of each of them. I will accept my awards with the biggest smile my heart can produce, I will be welcomed and treated with respect for being a writer, an author and a self-publisher in a room full of authors, writers and self-publishers, it will be a once in a lifetime event for the second time in my life.

 

The Universe knows when you are happy, it keeps your thoughts on track

You know when you’re putting positive out there, the Universe sends it back

 

My sincere thanks to all my supporters, all my friends, and to all of the friends I am destined to meet along my journey… you make this adventure real.

WI:)ND

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The Mysteries of life. . .

. . .are not what they used to be.

While I was growing up I was filled with wonder and amazement, I was in awe of the ways of Mother Nature, what she could do with such precision and consistency. Then came the man made marvels, spaceflight, sliced bread, portable tape recorders and color TV. The mysteries of life were of a somewhat different nature; who made the sphinx and the pyramids and Stonehenge?

Now, however the mysteries of life include- where is the cloud? And why doesn’t my battery percentage show in my lock screen? Have I too become reprogrammed by the advancements of the electronic world, has nature taken a step back from the constant bombardment of newer, better, faster things, has the glisten of dew on a spider web in the morning sun been replaced by the bling on a new cell phone case?

Fortunately for me, no, I am still in the flow of nature’s energy, I can “forget” my cell phone at home and not panic and a walk on a path surrounded by trees beats a video game any day. This of course becomes evident every morning when I share my smiles with the universe, yes I know it’s taking advantage of social networking, but I believe one foot in tomorrow and one foot in today keeps me grounded in the moment. I have learned from my yesterdays and I cherish the lessons, but I don’t dwell there, I adapt.

As an Author and a writer I have to, the days of clacking out a book on an Underwood, submitting it to a publisher and hoping someone sees it are long since gone, today you type it out, get it edited, designed, printed and publish it, then market the heck out of it using every available resource, and more. Which brings to mind a new mystery for me, if a book is self published and is distributed through bookstores as Print On Demand, how does it get noticed if it’s not on the shelf?

I am still in awe of life’s mysteries, the fact that there are more of them these days definitely keeps ones mind active, and I suppose if we allow ourselves room to grow we will develop a new perception of what might be. The writer in me however will continue to feel the excitement in holding a hard cover book in my hands, especially a hard cover book that I have published, no mystery there.

There is no mystery behind what a smile can do

It can always improve the first impression of you.

WI:)ND

BawB

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