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Make Me Think Monday

27 11, 2017

Tips for Finding Focus

By |2017-11-09T13:30:36-06:00November 27th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Not long ago, Microsoft surveyed 2,000 Canadians’ brain activity to gather data on our ability to focus in the digital age.

The result showed our attention span has shrunk from 12 seconds to 8, making it shorter than a goldfish’s (nine seconds average).

Couple a shrinking attention span with unending distractions, it’s a wonder writers ever get words on the page.  The holidays are upon us, providing even more distraction and writing time constraints. So what can writers do to find their focus?

Colleen M. Story, author of Overwhelmed Writer Rescue, suggests focus is a skill and, like all skills, it requires lots of practice to improve. She suggests writers start by making it easier for our writer brains to concentrate.

~Turn off smartphones, iPads, etc. and disconnect from internet and email

~Find a place to isolate yourself and post a do not disturb sign

~Use noise-cancelling headphones

~Jot down whatever errant thought that pops into your head and follow through later

~Keep a glass of water handy

She advocates two other ways to practice building our brain’s focus ability.

  1. Meditate

Meditation is an easy way to practice focus and ditch the bad habit of giving in to distractions. Studies backed by brain-imaging studies show it works.

  1. Delay impulses

Resist making a response to that incoming text or email for five minutes. If you’re chilly, wait five minutes before you reach for a sweater. If you want a snack, delay for five minutes. The more you practice delayed gratification the stronger your ability to focus quickly and for longer periods.

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20 11, 2017

Thanksgiving Festivities Around My House

By |2017-11-05T17:30:25-06:00November 20th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

In three days Thanksgiving festivities will commence.

The American celebration of the day began during the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

The traditional New York City’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924. Our family tradition is to watch while we unpack Christmas decorations. Truthfully, we tend to spent more time watching than decorating and no one misses Santa’s arrival.

After filling their bellies with turkey and all the trimmings, the menfolk, and most of the women, around our house gather in front of the TV for football. The National Football League has been broadcasting Thanksgiving Day games since 1920. Our family’s been watching games since the sixties.

Down here in Texas, the Thanksgiving Day collegiate games are often more important than the professional football games. Our own meal time centers around the University of Texas Longhorns’ schedule for the day.

None of these things happened on that first Pilgrim Thanksgiving in 1621, but the basis for our modern Thanksgiving festivites remains the same. We pause on this day to give thanks for our blessings.

When my turn comes to share my blessings this year, I will include

My husband (the role model for my heroes)

Family and friends (far and near)

My pets (who brighten every day)

What blessings will you be sharing?
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13 11, 2017

10 Ideas for Paying It Forward

By |2023-11-02T08:56:09-05:00November 13th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Gratitude is contagious. We get it by practicing every day.

We can spread the cycle of generosity and kindness when we repay a good deed to others instead of the original benefactor.

If you’ve read the book Pay It Forward, or even if you haven’t, you’ll probably recognize the expression. The book’s about a young boy who did three good deeds for others in need. All he wanted in return was that the recipients pass on the good deed to three other people and keep the cycle going.

The idea spread and gained movement. Now, April 28 is recognized as international Pay It Forward Day

But, you know what, we don’t have to limit sharing good deeds (or practicing gratitude) to one day. One good deed every day might not seem like much, but if we practiced paying it forward, the difference in attitude, others, and ours could be phenomenal.

As Gandhi has said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Need some ideas on how to pay it forward? Here are ten:

  • Send a greeting card to someone.
  • Visit a neighbor and ask if you can help with any chores or pick up something at the market for them.
  • Complement the store cashier.
  • Drop off books you’ve read to a shelter.
  • Pay for the person in line behind you at a fast food drive-through or express line at the grocery store or tollbooth.
  • Cook a casserole for an elderly couple or new mother.
  • If it’s raining, offer your umbrella or at least share it.
  • Pay for someone’s cup of coffee.
  • Volunteer at a school.
  • Donate a bag of pet food to a local shelter.

What would you add to the list?

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6 11, 2017

For the Love of Dictionaries

By |2017-11-04T19:45:54-05:00November 6th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

With so many dictionary resources readily available on-line, it’s easy to believe a hard copy isn’t necessary anymore. It’s my firm belief every home should have at least one realio-trulio paper dictionary readily available.

My love of dictionaries began as a child when I’d spend hours poring through the pages of my grandmother’s eight inches thick Webster’s New International Dictionary (of the English Language).

The ancient leather bound book with its India skin paper had leather alphabet tabs cut in the pages. The illustrations were detailed and the maps gorgeous. There were diagrams, charts, and thousands of words.

It was a fertile resource for a blossoming logophile or, as I prefer to call myself – wordsmith.

I love print dictionaries because all sorts of wonderful magical stuff can happen when you read a dictionary.

You discover a word’s origin and its root. Both can give deeper understanding of the word’s meaning. The lists of synonyms and antonyms given with the meaning provide possibilities for rewriting or a totally new idea.

True, you can get all that in a nano second on-line. But do you scroll down to discover all that? Probably not.

Even if you do, you miss all those other words your finger glides over as it scrolls down the printed page. Words that you might never have seen.

You’d miss things like how “patina” comes after “patient” in the dictionary. When you consider patient describes how to endure time, and patina describes time’s residue, that’s thought-provoking. An on-line dictionary won’t help you discover unique things like that.

Spelling can be a problem no matter what type of dictionary you use. I’m a terrible speller who stumps spell checker 90% of the time. That’s why I have 20,000 WORDS by Louis A. Leslie, a word list of commonly misspelled words. Side-by-side with my dictionary, this little jewel gets me through my writing day.

I love one other dictionary: The King’s English Dictionary. My British antiques business partner gave me a copy when his British accent and my Texas drawl tended to muddle discussions. Further complicating our chats about what to purchase for the shop, the English and American definitions frequently didn’t match. The King’s English Dictionary saved us many times over.

While you may never love dictionaries as I do, I still recommend you have a gigantic paper dictionary handy. You never know what you might learn.

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23 10, 2017

ABCs of Social Media Sharing for Writers

By |2017-10-06T12:57:51-05:00October 23rd, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Authors want readers. Readers want to connect authors. FB, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs, and other social media platforms can help.

Trouble is using social media can also take time away from writing.

But it doesn’t have to be. By spending a little time on social media consistently, we can make those important connections.

Try these tips to help.

Allocate your time:

  • Spend fifteen minutes twice a day posting and responding to posts to put your name or book on reader’s mind.
  • Focus on the primary social media platform where you find your readers.
  • Use a scheduling program like Hootsuite when you can’t physically be on line.

CAVEAT here: Scheduling can sometimes backfire. In our crazy world today, a post, tweet, or blog might appear inappropriate on a scheduled day if something like Las Vegas or a weather event happens. Be sure to monitor what you schedule.

Be ready – collect ideas for posts/blogs:

  • Keep a running list of quotes that inspire you.
  • Bookmark and save funny videos to share later.
  • Make a list of open-ended questions you can ask.

Connect with these posting ideas:

  • Ask open ended questions
  • Request suggestions on something like what to fix for dinner, fashion, or hairstyle
  • Invite opinions on a movie you’ve seen or book you’ve read
  • Share things in posts that give readers a picture of who you are

        -a hobby or passion you have

         -pet pictures or anecdotes

         -favorite recipes

         -a link to an Amazon review you’ve written for another author

         -what you’re reading or what’s on your TBR pile

         -participate in day-of-week-hashtags like TBT (Throwback Thursday)

         -seasonal pictures or pictures of places you’ve traveled

         -vacation photos when you return   Another CAVEAT here: I’d never invite burglars by announcing departure dates

It is important to share, but it’s equally important to avoid some topics such as

         Negative or derogatory posts. It’s always better to be nice and positive

Political rants (unless you are a political writer or part of an activist group building a following)

Religious attacks

Eeyore-type poor-pitiful-me comments

I’ve only skimmed the tip of the iceberg on using social media. There are a gazillion other ideas. I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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25 09, 2017

How Many Tote Bags is Too Many?

By |2017-09-13T15:35:54-05:00September 25th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Totes are usually free. I guess that’s why we accumulate them. I must have fifty or more.

I love winning loaded totes at silent auctions. I’m thrilled to attend a conference or fair and receive a tote  with goodies. Then I get home and have to wonder what do I do with them?

There are the shopping totes.

These are useful. I refuse to feel guilty about the dozens that live in both cars.

Living in Colorado, where we had to travel over an hour to do grocery shopping, I needed the insulated ones. Here in Texas, living with heat and high temperatures, I still use them.

The recycle tote I use to collect items to carry to the bin. It’s necessary and functional too.

Definitely a keeper.

The totes I wonder about are all the rest. The ones that sit in a large canvas bag at the back of the pantry.

There were two large canvas bags full. We gave away totes with purchases at our moving garage sale. People were thrilled to get them. I was more thrilled to see the stash of totes diminish.

I keep (and use) favorites like ones from writer conferences I’ve attended. I do admit I carry those to writing meetings with pride.

One tote keeps all my needlework work projects and makes it easy to find when I’m in the mood to do embroidery. Another tote carries my iPad to doctor or dentist appointments.

The bag with grandkids handprints and the one Chicken Wrangler Sara made from a chicken feed bag – those I could never get rid of it.

But the rest, well, I’m not so sure. Do I really need them?

There’s another issue too. As totes are known to do, they’ve starting to multiply again. So how many totes is enough?

YOUR TURN: What do you do with all your totes?

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18 09, 2017

Suicide, Stigma, and Statics

By |2017-09-13T15:52:23-05:00September 18th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It doesn’t really get a lot of press. That’s why I wanted to share this blog.

Suicide has been a problem throughout human history. In the recent years, it has started to become something of an epidemic. Suicide rates are increasing.

Statistics tell the story:

  • More than 44,000 individuals die by suicide each year
  • Roughly 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide
  • Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among adults in the U.S.
  • Suicide currently ranks as the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 10 – 24

It’s particularly problematic because people with suicidal thoughts feel as though they are not able to speak to others due to the stigmas surrounding suicide. Too often feelings of shame also prevent “suicide loss survivors,” friends and families affected by a suicide, from talking openly.

Though this month’s emphasis is suicide, it’s worth noting that those stigma feelings are not unique to suicide but encompass all forms of mental illness.National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, works to eliminate the stigma issue and build better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness year round.

On the NAMI website, you’ll find

Informational Resources

Crisis Resources

  • If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately.
  • If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255)
  • If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line.

Educating ourselves about mental illness and suicide, in particular, can be the first step toward reducing the stigma and the statistics.

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11 09, 2017

What We Did Before the Internet

By |2021-09-01T14:06:56-05:00September 11th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

I received the loveliest letter from a friend I hadn’t seen in years the other day.

Yes, you read that correctly, a LETTER.

She’s didn’t FB. She didn’t message or text or email. She did what we did before the internet. She took out stationery and wrote me a letter.

We’d met on a tour of Ireland four years ago. She’d come from Texas, and I’d come from Colorado. We laughed a lot, enjoyed great food, and saw wonderful sites. When the tour ended we promised to keep in touch, which we did for the first year.

Then, as so often happens, lives got busy, and we lost touch.

She called our old phone number first, but got a recorded voice saying, “The number you dialed is no longer in service.”

Determined to find me, she decided to take a chance and write a letter. She addressed the envelope to my old address, and the Post Office forwarded her note to our new address. It was such a lovely surprise to hear from her and catch up with what’s happening in her world. I answered her letter immediately. Now I’m watching the mail for her reply.

It was such a lovely surprise to hear from her and catch up with what’s happening in her world. I answered her letter immediately. Now I’m watching the mail for her reply.

That’s what we did before the internet. We wrote letters.

You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but the whole episode has made me realize how much I miss good old-fashion letter writing.

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4 09, 2017

Labor Day and Hurricanes

By |2018-09-01T10:15:51-05:00September 4th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

I’m late posting today. After the last week, I’ve come to realize spending time with loved ones is more important than being late. Yesterday was sibling game night and I simply forgot to post!

You might have noticed the lack of blogs recently. That was partly because I had no power at my house, but mostly because I just couldn’t get it together.

First our move and getting settled took priority then the weather interrupted.By last Wednesday, I was deeply engrossed in preparing for Hurricane Harvey landfall. Chasing around for bottled water, power bars, and batteries. Standing in long lines at stores. Waiting at the gas pump.

Then Friday came and Harvey landed. We sat on the bad side. Rain pounded Houston and us (we live 40 miles NW of the city).

For four very long days, we battled pounding rain and gushing water. Ended up with 31” of rain where we live, thirty-eight hours without power, but no serious water damage.

So many weren’t as fortunate. You’ve seen the newscast pictures. Up close and personal, it is so much worse.

Driving through our old neighborhood, what we saw made us cry. Almost every home had mountains of carpet, hardwood flooring, windows, doors, furniture, clothing, household goods everything piled at the curb. People were everywhere giving hugs, hauling stuff, and helping to gut homes. It warmed our hearts to see everyone pulling together, but the magnitude overwhelmed us.

This rebuild after Harvey is going to take years. Please, if you can, give to the relief effort.

There’ll be no Labor Day holiday for Houston. Their labor has only just begun.

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