Trust - the Mat

I left the yoga studio today without paying for my new mat. (Can you belive it?!) As I pushed through the glass doors out to the parking lot my insides tangled like a yoga pose gone bad. How could I do such a thing? Easy. The owner knows and trusts me. I am honored by that. (I have since paid for the mat, so you don't need to call the police.)

I trust myself when I get on my yoga mat that I will know what my body needs, how to bend into the poses, and I will grow spiritually in some way as I practice. I trust my favorite teacher - Allison, with her great big, beautiful smile - to be my guide. Why does trust come easily when I'm doing yoga? The practice of yoga is like a long time friend bringing you a treasured gift everytime she sees you. How hard is it to trust that?

Trusting what happens on the mat can also be my lesson in trusting my writing. And it can be your lesson in any area where trust feels thin and weak to you. I need to trust that I have learned my craft. (There is always more to learn, but I am not the novice I once was.) I have to trust my writer's voice is clear and strong on the page. And I must trust I have a story to tell and others will read it.

The act of knowing what is right for you builds self-esteem. But what if you aren't sure when something is right? Have you heard the phrase, "trust your gut?" Our instincts tell us when something is right or wrong. We know, we just have to trust ourselves.

How well do you trust? Yourself? Others? What are some of the thing you do to build trust?

Staying in the Moment

I love my Tuesday morning yoga class. I love the teacher, the other students, and the energy we share. The things I learn on my mat help me be a better person off the mat. For example, my intention for class was to stay in the moment. Staying in the moment is an ongoing practice for me and I wanted that intention to sit on my shoulder and smile at me all day. It did not.


Becoming a published author is a long and frustrating journey. I'm seeking an agent or publisher for Welcome to Kata-Tartaroo and when I can't make that happen...like I said. Long and frustrating. So, what do I do? I say "stay in the moment." But that wasn't working so well for me that day.

I'm always asking for a sign from god. A giant neon sign to tell me what to do next. Remember, staying in the moment was eluding me. So I said after my yoga class, "God, drop a huge sign on my head, will you?"

Right after my declaration for guidance, I opened one of my favorite magazines to the article I always read first. The theme of the article was the journey we all take. Hmm... my senses are perked. I'm on a very specific journey. And the last paragraph states, "no matter where you are in your journey, that's exactly where you need to be." Aahh! There it was in black and white! On the day of my yoga class where I vowed to stay in the moment!

I had come full circle just then. Had I trusted my intention in class I would have known that everything I needed I already had. All the steps I take every day are exactly the steps I need to take. The Universe is conspiring in my favor. My big dreams are coming. Most importantly, don't forget the small dreams we accomplish every day. The ones that ground us in the moment. A smile from a friend, the air we breathe, the beautiful colors bursting from the trees and plants, the sound of a song, laughter, telling a story, taking yoga, writing...

What are some of yours?

Permission to Be Tired

Have you ever just lost it? Had a real melt down moment? Yeah, it happens to the best of us. Moments like that make me want to throw in the towel. Give it all up for days filled with chocolate covered bon bons, pedicures, and television. Like most, I live a hectic life. I'm going full force an easy 16 hours most days and still I can't get to my "to do" list. My critique partner Marykate says I set my goals too high. She's right. (Love you, MK!)


I decided it was time to stop being tired. (What you resist persists.) And embraced it instead!

I gave in. Sat down. Allowed myself to push the task aside and listen to my body, my mind, and my spirit. I'm not a robot. (Though I'd like to be.)

I honored what I needed so I could embrace the grace that operates in my life. I never want to be ungrateful for my dance with grace. Ever.

Maybe now that I'm rested I can look upon my things to do with a fresh renewal and walk the path intended for me.

Maybe even get that pedicure...

What do you give yourself permission to do? 

Patience and Fortitude

Recently, I went to the New York Public Library to do research for my second book in the Gabriel Hunter series, Welcome to Bibliotheca. What a career I have! I get to wander around the NYPL and call it research! The writer's life is a good one.

But I have to tell you, what an amazing building! Marble staircases, murals on the ceilings and walls, huge windows letting in the sun, and of course rows and rows of books. All of those books to read, touch, and smell. The hallways lead left and right like a stone maze. I got lost returning from the bathroom!

The NYPL was established in 1895 when the Astor and Lenox libraries merged with the Tilden Trust. A new library would be designed and 16 years after this historic merge happened, May 23, 1911, the new library on 5th Avenue and 42nd Street would open.

Standing guard outside the library are twin lions originally named "Leo Astor" and "Leo Lenox," after the Library's founders. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia nicknamed them "Patience" and "Fortitude." Those names are still used today. No two better words describe the ingredients necessary to become a published writer. 

Patience and Fortitude come in handy in many other areas of life as well. They are like soldiers standing watch for us as we navigate through life. They remain quiet and stoic in the background, but just a glance over our shoulder lets us know we are not alone. We can accomplish anything with our friends near by. And should we forget them, it only requires a deep breath and a step forward to remember their presence and with them anything we wish is possible. 

Authors' Day

I spent all of Monday at the Ocean Township Intermediate School with 85 sixth graders. It was fantastic! OTIS puts on an Authors' Day for sixth graders with serious interest and abilities for creative writing. The program started up four years ago by Mr. Robert Klinger, a sixth grade language arts teacher there. My hat goes off to him for all the hard work and dedication that goes into this day and to his students. What a blessing to have Mr. Klinger as a teacher. This year he was able to bring a local cable station to the school to film the day and the show will air in the fall.

The students always seem to enjoy themselves and learn tons about writing. It's a special day for them to be chosen by their language arts teacher and taken out of classes to participate in the fun event where they learn about everything from writing their emotions in poetry to illustrating a children's book.

Nothing beats their smiling faces when they read aloud the writing they did for me. Sometimes it's nothing more than a paragraph, but they're in the moment and they've learned something new. I hope all the kids keep up with their writing.

I can't thank OTIS and Mr. Klinger enough for allowing me to participate in such a worth while event.

Which Road Do You Travel?

An opportunity has presented itself to me and I must decide to either take on a new task or pass. This isn't an easy decision. There are benefits to doing it and benefits to saying not now. But which is the right one? How do you make decisions?

I've gone over the list of the reasons to say "Yes!" There are many. I'll grow as a person. I'll learn more about something I already have a great love of. It will help me with future plans to help kids build their self-esteem. Oh, the list goes on. Then there's the reasons to say, "not now or maybe ever." It will intrude on my writing time. (That's a big one.) But, it might help my writing too. (Note the confusion.) What will I do with it when I'm done?

I try to feel around inside myself for that buzzing in my gut that says, "yes, do this." I don't notice it, but does that mean fear has numbed the sensation? Or is the buzzing absent because the answer should be no? I don't want to miss out on an opportunity if the Universe is trying to tell me something, but I don't want to drown myself in good intentions.

So, tell us. How do you go about deciding on which road to take in your life?

Middle School Writing

I speak at middle schools about creative writing. That means I know a few sixth graders and recently I learned not all writing programs are created equal. Why was I surprised?

One of my sixth grade friends asked for help with a paper. The writing was pretty good, but there was a problem. The thoughts were not cohesive. My friend was more concerned with making sure his paragraphs started with First, then, then, etc and a rhetorical question following the first sentence than he was worried about anything else. His teacher would take points off if he didn't follow the rules.

What? Who's teaching this stuff? These kids aren't learning how to string a thought together if they're worried about where the rhetorical goes over making a point clearly. Ideas have to flow like a river running down hill.

What do we do? First, you can have me come in and talk to your students. (I started my sentence with "first!" Maybe my sixth grade teacher is still at work. Just kidding. No one panic.)

Seriously, tell me your ideas on fixing the problems with the way young people write. I have a few of my own.