Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh for the musical production of J.M. Barrie’s book Peter Pan

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Today I’m celebrating the recent launch of Youth Tube, a site brought to you by Plum Tree Books in which anyone may share children’s art, videos, stories, reviews,  songs, feature books and a whole lot more. Its vision is to encourage early literacy and children’s creativity. Tell every young person you know about this wonderful project. Teachers and home-schooling parents will particularly enjoy this outlet for their children.

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Why is it that some children can’t wait to grow up while most adults would love to be children again? Yet derogatory images of childhood have crept into our language.

“Oh, don’t be childish!”

“You are such a baby!”

“He’s just never grown up.”

As we get older, we too often begin to associate childishness with the more negative attributes of some children: selfishness, poutiness, impatience, and tantrums. Society does its best to drum these traits out of us, but somewhere along the way, we can also lose other wonderful childhood traits such as a sense of wonder, fearlessness, playfulness, innocence, and trust.

Now I’m not knocking maturity. It allows us to take responsibility for our own actions and happiness. It gives us the inner fortitude to handle the challenges life throws at us. It greatly facilitates our getting along as adults in society.

But has growing up for you seemed more about soul-sucking responsibility and drudgery than joy? If so, perhaps you need to rediscover your inner child!

Here are just a few fun ways you can start. If you try each of these for just four days, you’ll begin to get back in touch with that beautiful child inside you:

• Rekindle your sense of wonder: Make a point of paying attention to the world around you. Look closely at a flower. Study the intricate patterns of a leaf or tree bark. Marvel at the immense power of a storm or the ocean. I started a nature journal so I could capture some of these experiences.
• Reflect on what makes you happy and sad: Tuck a couple of index cards in your pocket, and jot down what makes you happy or sad. As you identify situations or scenarios or activities that lift you up, consciously make more time for them. I realized how happy I felt when someone thanked me for a handwritten note. So now I write more of them! Inversely, think of ways to minimize what makes you sad or stressed. When I started paying attention to this, I discovered a direct correlation between my stress level and the amount of sleep I got the night before. Getting more sleep has been a game changer for me.
• Make time for play: This is one I struggle with myself, but researchers are discovering play is powerful therapy for stress. Think about what play means for you and make time for it.  I bought myself a Buddha Board for my desk so I can doodle at will.
• Be yourself: Of course, this should always be tempered with kindness and thoughtfulness, but don’t keep people guessing about your motives or your opinions. Be a “what you see is what you get” kind of person and, even more importantly, respect and cherish that in others. It takes courage to be yourself.
• Try something new: Children aren’t afraid to set out on a new venture, but as we get older, fear of failure can become almost paralyzing. Have you mean meaning to write a book? Are you itching to turn your hobby into a business? Do you want to learn a new language? Take one baby step towards your goal today. I’m taking a course on Digital Publishing so I can write that book I’ve been talking about for years.
• Explore: Get out of your rut. Read a book or watch a move in a different genre from your usual fare. Try a new food. Go somewhere within 50 miles you’ve been meaning to visit. Our local arboretum is on my list to visit soon.

I know these simple techniques won’t fix all the stress or sadness or worry in your life, but they can help you rediscover a part of you you may have been missing.

How have you gotten in touch with your inner child? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Photo credit: Maria Dryfhout via BigStockPhoto

Come visit me at The Wordshark blog today

I’m thrilled to be featured today as a guest blogger at Karen S. Elliott’s The Wordshark blog with my post entitled “A Mother’s Gift: Connection.” It’s a tribute to my mother and the idyllic childhood we had.

COME VISIT ME at The Wordshark blog!

Mother’s Day is next Sunday, and on this post I greatly expanded the my piece published last year in The Gratitude Book Project: Celebrating Moms and Motherhood. At my daughter’s excellent suggestion, I pulled lots of wonderful childhood memories out of the old memory bank and talked about the precious gift of connection that my mother gave each of her five children.

“Reach out and touch someone”

Take a tip from this famous AT&T slogan. If you’re fortunate enough to have your mother, let her know about something you remember and appreciate from your childhood. Or perhaps, there’s a mother figure in your life who needs a hug by mail or phone. Even if your mother has passed on, take a few minutes to send your love and thanks to her in your mind. We can never beam too much loving energy into the Universe.

Always make it Heartspoken

I know these holidays are commercialized terribly, but never underestimate the joy that a simple gesture of love on your part can mean to someone else. And remember…always make it Heartspoken!

Setting the scene

Dateline: somewhere in the middle of the state of Washington

The scene: an obscure girls’ softball game

The situation: A senior playing the last game of her high school career hits her first-ever home run. But something goes terribly wrong as she rounds first base and collapses.

The triumph of character

Sometimes character just bubbles to the surface and turns the tide, just when a situation seems hopeless.

I dare you not to be moved by this inspiring example of sportsmanship and kindness on the part of the opposing team. The video below is only six minutes long.

Game news story video

Photo credit: “Swinging with Power” by Iris Nieves via BigStockPhoto

In the beginning I could write.

I was a nuts-and-bolts writer for twenty-five years. I did technical writing for an engineering company and medical writing for physicians. For both, I turned obscure terms and concepts into writing a lay person could understand. Subscribers found my home-business content valuable when I wrote for a home-based entrepreneur website. At a local community foundation, I became the go-to person when a written piece needed just the right touch.

On a personal level, I’ve always gotten warm feedback from my handwritten notes of thanks, sympathy, or encouragement.

I thought I was a decent writer.

Then the blogging bug bit me.

I started Heartspoken.com and began writing about topics near and dear to my heart, but I needed an entirely different result than in my previous writing. I wanted to inspire and educate…

…but the practical, utilitarian writing of my past was too often flat—and rarely compelling.

I hired a proofreader, Karen S. Elliott, thinking she would at least save me from embarrassing typos. Her first proofreading job came back covered with comments and red lines.

I was horrified!

Little did I know she was an accomplished editor who believed in giving extra value by making suggestions beyond correcting mistakes. As I absorbed each comment and saw how her subtle changes added kick and direction to my writing, I came to a startling realization:

I really needed to crank my writing up a few notches!

I thought writing classes were just for imaginative souls who wove characters into fiction plots, so I hadn’t considered there might be a writing course for bloggers.

I found plenty of blogs talking about blogging, though. I signed up for updates from Men with Pens and Copyblogger. I eagerly anticipated posts from James Chartrand, Sonia Simone, Brian Clark, and Jon Morrow. Their writing was strong and compelling; they became my rock stars.

It never occurred to me I could learn to write like they do.

Damn fine timing brought me a writing course on steroids.

The next thing I knew (ah, the Universe is a wonderful thing), I received an email from James Chartrand, A-list blogger and founder of Men with Pens, about her writing class called Damn Fine Words.

The course description said I would learn how “to create compelling, engaging content… the kind of content that reaches your target market, increases your readership, pulls in new clients, boosts your sales and brings you better success…”

Yowzer, this looked good.

And that was only the beginning. The course would help me smash writer’s block and teach me how to write quickly and easily on any topic, regardless of my niche. I’d be able to overhaul my website copy, write the ebook that has eluded me, and write marketing copy and newsletters like a pro.

But here was the clincher: The course included personal coaching from James Chartrand herself!

I couldn’t get to the sign-up form fast enough.

Damn Fine Words delivered!

My classmates included bloggers, entrepreneurs, artists, an attorney, a comedian, a martial arts instructor, and a handwriting analyst. What bound us was a commitment to becoming better communicators, and by course design, we learned from each other as well as from our teacher.

Ten weeks and 20 value-packed lessons later, I feel like Superwoman, with a commanding new arsenal of writing weapons that empower me to take charge of my writing.

The practical, immediately implementable strategies included learning to:

• Create a writing space and ritual that makes me much more productive.
• Be clearer on my goal for each piece before I even start writing.
• Develop a system for capturing ideas immediately. (I have filled my editorial calendar for months ahead!)
• Crank out lots of “shitty first drafts” to ensure a supply of pieces that can be quickly whipped into shape when needed.
• Recognize where breaks and formatting add punch and readability.
• Spot unsupported statements in my own and others’ writing.
• Write with the reader’s needs in mind.

There were highs and lows, to be sure. I got behind in a couple of spots, and I still need to practice, practice, practice. But thanks to James Chartrand’s Damn Fine Words, I write with much more confidence and authority.

That makes me a Damned Fine Writer, and you can become one too. The next university-level class starts in May, so Click here right away to start receiving free information and updates, with absolutely no obligation. These emails alone, from course designer James Chartrand, are loaded with writing tips, tricks, and free information.

Aren’t you just a wee bit curious?

James Chartrand, founder of Men with Pens and creator of Damn Fine Words writing course

This was the best investment I’ve made in myself in years, and if your source of income or your mission in life depends on your ability to communicate clearly and passionately, this could be your best investment too. It costs nothing to learn more about what the course covers, who it’s designed for, and all about James and her staff. Click here NOW. After reading this, you’ll know whether or not the course can help you.

All the links to the course here are affiliate links, which means I get a commission if you sign up. If you know me, you know I would never endorse something I didn’t believe in wholeheartedly.

I’ll sweeten the pot for you with two offers:

1. Feel free to call me at 540-436-3969 between 10am and 5pm Eastern Daylight time to ask me any questions you want about my experience with the Damn Fine Words class. Or email me at elizabethc@heartspokendotcom.
2. Anyone who becomes a paid class member through my affiliate link will get a prize. Just email me your receipt with your name and snail mail address and I’ll send you a gift of personal stationery.

Don’t wait to find out about this terrific course today.

 * James Chartrand founded and owns one of the world’s most respected copywriting and website design companies and its wildly popular blog, Men with Pens.

Top photo credit: “Digital vs Analog” by David Crockett via BigStockPhoto

Come join me today as I am a guest of Dr. Cyndi Briggs at her wonderful blog The Sophia Project: Releasing women back into the wild since 2010. My guest post is called “De-cluttering isn’t just for closets and Inboxes.”

Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?

• Emotional fagility
• Trouble concentrating when you try to pray
• Unusual anxiety
• Rushing through your time with God
• Restlessness and indecision

If so, it may be time for some spiritual de-cluttering. My article will give you some tried-and-true ideas for overcoming!

Thank you to Cyndi for inviting me. She’s doing good work, and I hope you’ll check out some of her other posts while you’re there.

Elizabeth (@RiverwoodWriter)

Cyndi Biggs, The Sophia Project

Welcome to guest blogger, Susannah Friis, who is sharing a lovely post she wrote several months ago for her own blog Personally Speaking. It reminds us how much small things lead to big things when it comes to strengthening our connection with those who matter most in our lives.

We have a family piggy bank. It sits on the bench and any coinage that is left unattended by a hapless family member is soon deposited into the belly of said pig. As you can imagine, it gets fed quite often and it isn’t long before we are emptying it out to make room for more. The coins are then placed in a ziplock bag ready to be taken to the bank and converted into ‘proper money’ as my eight year old calls it.

Today we did a big count up and the sum of all the bags is nothing to be sneezed at. A nice tidy little sum at our disposal. Much discussion always then ensues regarding the dispersement of the stash. Holiday treat money? Divvying it up between us? A night out for dinner and the movies? The possibilities are endless and all appealing.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly it all adds up. Fifty cents here, fifty cents there – feels like slow growing but before you know it all those fifty cents make up fifty dollars.

Small change adds up in money and in life

It made me think about our words and actions. Lots of good words deposited into a child turns into a healthy self-esteem. Consistent small good deeds turns into a lasting relationship.

The beauty is in the slow growing of it. If we just handed our kids a cheque, as opposed to them watching the coins grow and seeing the steady increase of bags full of silver, the excitement and anticipation wouldn’t be there. It would still mean something to get some money but it wouldn’t be quite so sweet.

Just like in life.

The impact of meaningful words said once is not as powerful as the smaller, consistent words of encouragement and love. We are much more profoundly affected by an ongoing positive deposit into our lives than a lump sum.

Children who receive a steady stream of love, shown daily in varying ways grow up to be well adjusted, balanced adults with a strong sense of self awareness and confidence.

Telling our children that they are beautiful, sweet, funny and kind at random times throughout a day will mean so much more for their lives than a speech at their 21st birthday party full of things you have never said before.

Susannah Friis, Writer & Blogger

A marriage full of regular ‘moments’ is far more likely to last the distance than if both parties only show their love on big occasions. Give me the small gestures of love, like a cup of tea in bed, flowers for no reason, a wink across the room, over a grand gesture of a surprise overseas trip (although, I am happy to accept that, if anyone is offering!).

What are you depositing in your piggy banks?

How are you depositing into your loved ones piggy banks? Are you looking to make a one-off lump sum payment, thinking that’s enough? Or are you committed to making smaller contributions regularly?

Connect with Susannah on Twitter and Facebook. She shares her journey of writing her first novel at The Writerly Way.

Photo Credit for Piggy Bank: “Saving Money” by Tom Schmucker via BigStockPhoto

This Easter, as I reflect on the mystery and significance of the Resurrection of Christ, I am touched by the vision of artist Ron DiCianni, who was commissioned to paint this mural entitled The Resurrection. When it was painted, it was the largest Resurrection picture ever painted at 12 feet high and 40 feet wide. The Resurrection is now on display at the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas.

The powerful video below records DiCianni’s explanation and inspired vision for the work, which took him two years to complete. The painting captures on canvas the role so many great saints played in biblical history. It depicts them—Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, and John the Baptist—seeing, at last, the culmination of their faith as Christ emerges triumphant from the tomb. DiCianni’s work brings them alive out of the pages of the Bible and reminds us once again of our rich heritage of faith. I find it both humbling and inspiring.

What piece of art has inspired your faith or strengthened your connection with God? Share in the Comments below or join the conversation on Heartspoken’s Facebook Page.

If you have trouble viewing the video below, watch the CBN report and interview with Ron DiCianni on YouTube.

What each day needs, that shalt thou ask. Each day will set its proper task. – Goethe

If you think today is just another day, think again.

Today is all you have, or all you can count on. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may not come. But today can be embraced and enjoyed and made the most of.

Writer/author Annie Dillard once said, “How we live our days is…how we live our lives.” Think about the amazing wisdom of that! If we spend our days stressed or fragmented or unhappy, those days accumulate into a stressed, fragmented, and unhappy life.

But…if we spend our days in grateful wonder, love, and joy, the life we create reflects the same.

Some say we can’t control what happens to us, especially the bad things. That’s true. But we can control how we respond to everything in our lives.

Therein lies our power to create a well-lived life. Not a perfect life, not a life without sadness or pain, but a well-lived life.

Embrace today and do your best in all the day brings. You’ll ensure your memories of yesterday are good ones and future tomorrows are worth looking forward to.

 [Attributed to ancient Sanskrit writings and included by Sir William Osler in a later printing of his address entitled,  "A Way of Life," made to a class at Yale in 1913.]

What habits have you cultivated to ensure that each day is lived to its fullest?

Photo credit: “Man greeting dawn” by Sergey Galushko via BigStockPhoto

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

There’s no better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with those who are steeped in the culture. In honor of the saint and the mystery and myth of the Emerald Isle, my new friend Dr. Niamh Clune has posted several wonderful pieces by various authors on her blog, On The Plum Tree.

The Wearing of Draconic Green by Shawn Mackenzie

You may think you’re too old or too conservative or too sensible to enjoy a post on dragons. Treat yourself and learn about the link between dragons and St. Patrick.

A Leprechaun’s Lament by Wayne Zurl

Once you’ve read about Wayne’s leprechaun, scroll down for  ‘A Yanks Opinion of The Emerald Isle.’

The Legend of Tír na nÓg by Niamh Clune

Niamh says this one is “for those of you who enjoy Irish Myth and Legend with a few pieces of Celtic Art thrown in for good measure. The drawing of Niamh (renamed The Lady of the Lake) is from the Marvel Comic collection. The picture of the rocks is the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim that some say are stepping stones to Scotland.”

Don’t miss your leprechaun sighting

Don’t forget to wear a bit o’ green today so you don’t get pinched. I wish you all the luck ‘o the Irish, and whatever you do, connect with your inner Irish by being open to the possibility of seeing a leprechaun!

 NOTE: The day after St. Patrick’s Day, a friend sent me this lovely video called “This Blessing is for you.“ It includes an Irish Blessing, with words and music adapted by Phil Coulter and  narrated by Roma Downey. The prayer is accompanied by haunting Irish music and breathtaking photos of Ireland. Enjoy and be inspired.

Photo credit: St. Patrick by Martin Mullen, Waterford, Ireland via BigStockPhoto

Words, Words, Words

Whether spoken, whispered, shouted, written, or sung, words surround us all day, every day. How can we harness word power to make sure our own voices are heard above the throng? I believe the secret lies in getting to know words so intimately you can choose just the right one for the right situation. I know of no better coach for increasing one’s vocabulary than my friend  Karen S. Elliott. As a talented writer and editor, words are her joy and her livelihood. I’m honored to welcome Karen as today’s guest blogger.

8 Great Tips to boost your vocabulary

My vocabulary is the result of a life-long love affair with words. It didn’t hurt that I was raised by a former proofreader for Merriam-Webster and a New York Times crossword puzzler.

I keep a vocabulary notebook. Next to this notebook I keep my dictionary (an old-fashioned printed dictionary, a Merriam-Webster of course). Whenever I encounter a word I don’t know, I put it in my notebook and look it up.

I learn a lot of new words; I probably forget a lot more. I have found the best way to retain new words is to use my new words. Also, I –

Read – This is by far the best way to learn new words. Magazines, books, blogs, websites. If you carry a book around and read while waiting at the doctor or Motor V, keep an index card and pen in your pocket or purse for new words you encounter on the go.

Google – Try Googling WOTD (word of the day) and you’ll be amazed at what happens! You will find a long list of WOTD sites to help you increase your vocabulary. You will find one site just right for you.

Sign up – Subscribe to a word-a-day site and get new words sent to your inbox.

Learn in chunks – Dictionary.com has a great theme-related way to study words under subject headings like culinary, performing arts, and sports. There are currently 76 decks of cards under the sports heading, so you can see where this can lead!

Pick up the thesaurus – When you discover a new word, pick up (or click) the thesaurus and find its synonyms, antonyms, etc.

Flex the word muscles – Play words games like Scrabble or do word puzzles or crosswords. Learn Q words – they help a lot in Scrabble! Did you know Qi is an alternative for Chi?

Write sentences – Some time ago I read “carmine” in a book. I wasn’t sure what it meant so I looked it up. It means vivid red. So I wrote it in a few simple sentences. That lava is carmine. New Mexico sunsets are often carmine. I am angry and I am seeing carmine!

Use your new words – And look smarter! Use new words in correspondence, emails, Facebook posts, on your blog. Your friends will be impressed.

Here are a few of the recent entries to my vocabulary notebook – conciliate, plinth, carapace, fecund, susurration, portending, erudite, and farcical.

“One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.” – Evelyn Waugh

Karen S. Elliott, The Word Shark

Karen S. Elliott

Karen was raised by a mother who wanted to be an English teacher and who worked for Merriam-Webster as a proofreader and an aunt who could complete the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in a day. Their favorite expression was, “Look it up!” Karen reads punctuation and grammar manuals for fun. Her favorite book is the dictionary.

Karen is an editor and proofreader, blogger, writer, and grandmother. You can find her at The Word Shark website. Find her blog here. Connect with Karen on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

This article was originally posted to Karen’s blog on May 11, 2011. Click here for original.

Upper Photo credit: “Vocabulary Stones” by Cindy Walcott