With Christmas 2015 around the corner, I can’t wait to see what the folks at Westjet have in store. It’ll be hard to beat last year’s heart-moving, hope-igniting story, but can’t wait to see them try. Click this link for five minutes of cheer: Westjet Christmas Miracle.
Oh, and if Santa asks me what I want for Christmas? College tuition for the kids. And world peace. 🙂
I’ve been writing a book. For almost two years now. Entangled in the Eiffel. It’s a romance novel—and a psychological thriller.
I think about it, I talk about it, I write little snippets of dialogue on scrap paper everywhere. I have word doc after word doc full of story ideas and conversations.
I even took a trip to Paris, to the Eiffel Tower, the scene of 80% of the book. But there is no deadline in site, no timeline, and therefore, it never seems like I’m getting closer to those magic words, “the end.”
But what I fail to give myself credit for is: I’m writing the book!!
Some days I do research; other days I storyboard, or work on character development. Then other days the main character forces me to my keyboard so I can let the story out. The story writes itself, and there’s no peace in my head until I’m writing.
And that’s the key. Find the motivation from within–like this simple sentence! Don’t quit now. Do it now.
When you do, it’s amazing how the right words pour out and stand out.
Thanksgiving and Hanukkah have collided.
I’m paraphrasing an article in USA Today siting the rare convergence of the traditional “festival of eating” with the “festival of lights.” The newspaper called it Thanksgivukkah. The article highlighted the relevance of the new holiday to retail sales, but I’m interested from a cultural perspective.
This combining of words is a telling trend in today’s mash-it-all-together, create-a-new-word-for-it generation. The dictionary calls that linguistic maneuver a portmanteau: a word formed by blending sounds from two or more distinct words and combining their meanings. Lewis Carroll was the first to write about it in Through the Looking-Glass, in 1871. Since then it’s been done thousands of times and frequents our everyday language; take “brunch” for instance, the combination of “breakfast” and “lunch.”
It’s more than simply combining words, however. The new word usually represents the best parts of the original two words and, when combined, is exponentially better—expanding and capitalizing off two ideas as opposed to one. Who would argue that lazy weekend morning aren’t better thanks to brunch?
In the case of Thanksgivukkah, it’s the blending of people, cultures and traditions that creates true meaning behind the new word. It’s a respectful mixing of behaviors and beliefs that honors both distinct holidays. Thanksgivukkah represents two sides coming together to form a synergistic approach to celebration–and life! A distinctual (portmanteau intended: “distinct” mashed into “instinctual”) meme to this generation and time.
Let Thanksgivukkah 2013 be just the beginning! It’s time to combine tried-and-true ideas with new-to-the-market technologies. It’s time to bring opposing forces together and create something even better than the two wholes. It’s time to mash-up all areas and avenues of our lives to move the world forward.
This Thanksgivukkah week we move it forward in peace, celebration, and appreciation.
Commit to a crappy first draft.
Those words sparked my spirit, paused my brain, and pushed-in a new understanding of “process.” The process of writing a book. No end in sight; just characters running melodramas, Young and the Restless style, in my psyche, lassoed and defined through my fingers and on to the page not often enough. I wasn’t committed to a deadline–or a timeline for that matter–except for the voice that kept pressing me from inside…”write the book, write the book.” The problem was, I was editing the book before writing it. Concern for what others would think had stopped me from writing. I’d lost site of the story in my head for the worry of what others would think. “Not the problem, write the book,” the voice said. Hemingway made it possible. It didn’t need to be good.
Not only can I commit to a crappy first draft and the process of writing, I can commit to Gandolf’s philosophy, “All good stories deserve embellishment,” and just tell my story, in any order, in any way, in any fashion; it is fiction after all. I am a product of all I’ve experienced. It’s not an autobiography. It’s a story; a romance. The characters will appear when it’s their time to speak. In the meantime, the word is “intent.” What do I intend to do?
Get to the end? Yes, eventually. Enjoy the process? Yes, it’s cathartic. Serve a purpose? Oh yes, for those that love has turned upside down, held under water, and made gasp ravenously for a freeing thought, this love story is for you. My intent is to write it, and to write it every day with that intent—to get to the end. The timeline will take care of itself. I’m committed to taking action.
Action is a crappy first draft.
Here’s my 2012 Business Plan written earlier this year. I got a chuckle from reading it and have no recall of writing it.
If you need help with a Mission Statement or Action Plan, model this. It’ll get you thinking. Feel free to customize, homogenize, harmonize your thoughts with mine. Declare a fresh start for 2013.
But remember, there’s PLENTY of 2012 left. Enjoy every last sunrise, snowflake, and note.
A Major Funkin’ Ragin’ B’niz Plan
By Lindee Brauer And Company
I am the courageous, outrageous, sagacious, and loquacious Lindee Brauer.
I think like a writer and write like a thinker.
I observe, I shape, I question, I dig deeper, I search, I listen for, I recognize, and I celebrate both the diversity and commonality of people.
I share what I’ve learned in a quirky, casual style honoring and giving tribute to the people and obstacles that have made me strong and wise.
I know love, good and wonderful surprises exist in all things and for all people and I tap into the unlimited supply the Universe has to offer me.
I am relaxed, peaceful, and trusting. All things happen for me and to me in Divine Time.
I give praise and thanks daily for my Angel Entourage and embrace their help always and all ways.
When I get stuck or scared I reach out to help others and calm and release myself from all fears in the process.
I write daily with purpose and direction.
My current venues include:
Douche Bag Wisdom
Lindee Brauer blog
Zelda Zingari novel
Doggie Bag Wisdom: What’s Left Over
Training Facebook Marketing is a divine calling and gift. National Seminars is my best client and I do my best to represent them how they would like to be represented. I follow their rules and guidelines and get involved in their discussions.
I do my best to stay current on the latest teachings of Facebook. I embrace their changes and gladly relay them to the seminar participants. I work daily to deliver an educational, entertaining training that meets the needs of all. I make myself available for additional help when they need it.
Facebook training is an ideal part-time job which finances my writing efforts and career. Within the next 3 years, the majority of my income will come from writing projects. I continue to travel and train because I enjoy it and the people.
I have love in my life. And until that lover shows up, I am the love in my life. So there.
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“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
These words, uttered by the Master of Madness, Robin Williams, who’s channeled his spark into a brilliant acting career and charitable life. Remember when he burst on the scene in ‘Mork and Mindy’? Doctors today would label him ADHD, drug him, and ultimately mug him of his Divine Inspiration—the brilliance of the madness of the voices in his head.
I’ve been going a bit “mad” these days. Say it with an English accent and the phrase is fodder for a sit-com. (Ooooo, a sit-com…) See, there goes that voice again! I’m getting ideas most people, including me, would call crazy! My astrologer, Phyllis Firak-Mitz, might attribute it to the SuperMoon and Mercury coming out of retrograde.
I can only attribute it to one thing: there is a character inside me just needing to bust loose. I hope it’s less like a scene from Aliens and more like when Counselor Deanna Troi gave birth to a splendid baby boy with no pain. I’m referring to an episode of Star Trek, The Next Gen, of course…and of my mad idea to write a romance novel that turns into a movie, and a sit-com!
Your Divine Spark is itching to bust through, too!! Don’t deny it. There’s something you’ve thought about, something you’ve wanted to do, some place you’ve wanted to explore—even if you’re spelunking into your computer to unlock the secrets of the internet. Something is calling out to you now. What is it?
If you succumb to your own “spark of madness,” that voice in your head, who would you be? What would you do? Na-noo, Na-noo. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself, Mork and Mindy fans.)
