“Our decisions determine our destiny.” ~Thomas S. Monson
There is so much in life that we can’t control. So much that seems to affect who we are, who we will become, and in fact, our very destinies. I heard a snippet of an interview on NPR with an actor from That Seventy’s Show, and they were talking about how much there is out of our control that determines our “success.” (I put success in quotes, because that’s a matter of definition, isn’t it?)
The interviewer commented that making it big is not just about getting out there and working hard. He knows plenty of people who have been there working hard for a lot of years. People who have worked just as hard if not harder than the ones who DID make it big. So it’s not just about work. It’s about work, and luck, and timing, and the stars aligning, and Jupiter being in its 3rd rotation of the 5th lunar cycle and blah, blah, blah.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot this past week. In truth, we can work hard and never achieve that “success” that we all dream of. So much of that is out of our control.
But we can control our destinies. How do we react when we get that rejection? Do we throw our notebook across the room and refuse to ever write another word? Do we scream and rant and blame others for not giving us what we wanted? For sabotaging us? Or do we pick our tarnished pride up off the floor, wipe away the dust and move onward? Learn from experience?
Most of us will probably never make it big. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have bright destinies and leave a trail of shining good in our wake. It doesn’t mean that we can’t leave the world just a little better than we found it through our actions.
Because we can control that. We can control how we act and react to everything we face . . . good and bad. And that is what determines our destinies.
Have you ever felt proud for how you reacted in a bad situation?
Today, I am going to turn my blog over to my ten-year-old. He is a devourer of books, and tells me he could talk about books for days and days. So without further ado, here he is:
I find books very fascinating because they are able to take you to places you wouldn’t be able to go in real life. And when you are focused on a book, it starts to come alive in your mind. Pictures soaring through your thoughts. Personally, I prefer realistic fiction, and fantasy, and historical fiction.
I also enjoy mystery books. A to Z Mysteries are especially enjoyable. I find it quite interesting because in the mysteries they start asking the questions about who it could be and then they take their thoughts into an experiment and go through it like the scientific method.
My favorite book is called ICE FIRE by Chris D’Lacey which is the 2nd book of the Last Dragon trilogy. It is a very enjoyable book and when you read it, it feels like you are entirely swept away to another world.
For generations a family has created clay dragons that live and breathe fire. They can create these dragons because they are descendants of the last dragon. Then one day, a young boy comes to them as an exchange college student, and he discovers their secret. Later on during ICE FIRE, a witch tries to force the family to create her a real dragon, unlike the clay ones. The young boy is caught up in an enchantment by this witch and has to find his way out and save the day.
The reason I like ICE FIRE is because it doesn’t reveal everything that’s going on in the beginning. It kept me turning pages because I wanted to find out what was going on.
What is your favorite book? Why?
On the drive from Utah to Missouri, we had this gorgeous view:
My camera is slow, and by the time the picture took, there was that car. But I kind of love the picture more for that. In life, we all face dark times.
Maybe we have family troubles. Maybe we have health issues. Maybe someone we love is struggling.
Whatever it is, whatever we are going through, there is always light at the end. Sunny days will come. That rainbow will light our way. Things will get better.
I can’t help but look at this picture and smile for the good things to come.
Stay strong, my friends! Things will get better.
Summer is now in full swing, and rather than fight, I’ve decided to succumb and embrace the crazy. So I’ll be taking a blogging break from now to the end of August.
In the mean time, here are some summer pictures to enjoy:
The last day of school:
The Drive-in:
Fireworks:
And of course, Ice Cream!
Have a great summer!
So this past week or so, this article about a Verizon
commercial has been going around:
“Powerful Ad Shows What A Little Girl Hears When You Tell Her She’s Pretty”
By all accounts, I should have been in that 18% mentioned in
the ad. Because I liked science. And I STILL liked it when I got to college.
Plus, I was encouraged, which,
according to this ad, simply doesn’t happen for girls. And right up until my
first semester of college, I planned to be an engineer.
The coveted high heels |
And the winner is . . .
Congratulations!! You’ve won a pre-order of Amy Sonnichsen’s RED BUTTERFLY, which is set to release Feb. 3, 2015.
I have sent an email, and I’ll get you all set up as soon as I have your address.
Hope you all have a great Monday!
***Five days left to enter for a chance to win a pre-order of RED BUTTERFLY (link)***
I am a person with strong opinions. Only natural considering my family loves to discuss. After meals, we’d sit around the family room and “passionately discuss” (my husband’s euphemism for the sport). I never thought much about it until my then-boyfriend, now-husband sat in with us. He was shocked that we hadn’t all leaped over the coffee table to beat each other up. I was shocked at his take on the evening.
But since that time, I have thought a lot about how a discussion can come across. Especially in the last few years, given the explosion of social media. I love discussing things passionately, but I have been amazed at how quickly a discussion turns to mud-slinging on the internet.
Instead of discussing issues, people turn to name-calling. Anyone who doesn’t agree with them is a jerk, and a whole slew of much more vulgar insults. To make things worse, intent of the Written Word can be much harder to interpret than that of the Spoken Word. Plus, it’s easier to be rude when you don’t have to look your audience in the eye, and it’s double easier when you can post that rudeness anonymously. The exchanges can leave you feeling like this:
Which is why I’ve hesitated to join in. Instead, I’ve kept my posts/tweets/status updates innocuous.
Once, I broke my silence. Expressed my confusion on a current Media to-do. I sincerely wanted to understand and said as much, asking commenters to keep it civil.
From that, I had a “friend” explode on me. It was crazy. She unleashed her anger on me over a slew of subjects that had nothing to do with my post, and before I could even figure out what had gone wrong, she unfriended me. And I don’t just friend anyone on Facebook. This was someone I knew well. Someone I truly considered to be a friend. It made me sad.
More thinking ensued, and in the end, I determined that I can’t avoid discussion forever. But I refuse to let others dictate my behavior. As such, I have come up with three rules of conduct for social media:
1. Treat others the way you would want to be treated (the Golden Rule, yo).
This means you gotta show respect. People will have different opinions than yours, but going all kinds of piranha-crazy-fish on them isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. When someone can express their views passionately yet respectfully, I’m much more likely to listen.
2. Let your work gel before hitting “send.”
Does what you are typing really need to be said? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. Let it sit for a few hours and see if you still feel that responding to something is the best choice. But ask yourself: What am I accomplishing with this tweet/facebook post/response/social-media-message-of-choice? Are you really convincing others of something, or are you speaking to dead air? Are you venting, or are you defending something that needs defending? Time gives better perspective.
3. Accept that you cannot possibly please everyone.
No matter how nicely you say something, you will find people who just don’t want to hear what you have to say. People have their own reasons for doing what they do. I’ve found people ready to be offended at nothing. We can’t change others, we can only change ourselves. But if we are respectful in what we say on social media, try to consider other’s points-of-view, well, in my book we will be happier.
What suggestions do you have for engaging in social media debates?
This weekend I finally saw Lee Daniel’s The Butler. Yes, yes,
I’m behind in the movie-going world, but that’s what you get when you have 3
kids and a husband still in training. (Let’s just say the medical path is a long one, my
friends).
**Don’t forget to enter for (link–>) a chance to win a Pre-order of RED BUTTERFLY**
Not quite two years ago, my blogging friend and I exchanged manuscripts. I knew hers was a novel-in-verse, but I didn’t know quite what to expect. Well. Let’s just say, I was blown away. Blown!
That, of course was a draft of Amy Sonnichsen’s RED BUTTERFLY. It was touching and delicate. Beautiful and surprising! I still think about this story. And even though Amy didn’t have an agent at the time, I knew it wouldn’t be long.
Last Summer it was picked up by Simon & Schuster, Books for Young Readers, and is slated for publication in Winter 2015. And I’m THRILLED to be part of her cover reveal! Go Amy!! [And I’m sure she’d love it if you stopped by her blog, The Green Bathtub, to congratulate her!]
So first, the book blurb:
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And because I love this book so much, I want to give away a pre-order of it! Just enter in the Rafflecopter below, and feel free to spread the word. This contest is open to US and Canada addresses, and will close June 27th at midnight EDT. Best of luck!
Congratulations, Amy! I’m so excited for you and your beautiful book.