I Ghostwrite

Perfect Glasses USA

2010-06-09T14:39:00Z

Today I want to go a bit off-topic and rave about my new eye wear. At the age of five, I remember the school nurse sending home a note to Mom and Dad telling them that I needed glasses. Back then, food was scarce in our home and we ate what we grew through hours of labor in the garden or whatever Dad was able to kill. With three hungry children and bills to pay, a pair of glasses for a five-year-old wasn’t at the top of the priority list.

As my dad’s business grew and money became more plentiful, several more notes from the school prompted my parents to take me to the eye doctor. The verdict? I needed glasses. But as a ninth grader, I had grown accustomed to squinting and I had reasoned with myself that I could see anything I wanted without the aid of “nerdy”eye wear. The year I sat in the front of my classes, I made the National and State honor rolls. This is something I hadn’t achieved before, but I didn’t put the pieces in place. I grew up squinting. It was all I knew.

Through the years, my vision deteriorated. I once had an ophthalmologist tell me that I had the worst vision he’d seen in years. This was the first of many comments about my bad eyesight.

When gas permeable lenses became available, I chose to wear them, even though they dried out my eyes and caused headaches. I wasn’t going to wear glasses, no matter what.

Eventually, in my late twenties, contacts were no longer an option. I had to wear glasses. It was difficult at first. I spent most of my life avoiding them and I had created a stigma against them in my mind. But once I put them on and realized little things such as leaves on trees when before they had been big, green blobs, and rays from light and the sun when before it was one bright blob, and street signs that can be seen before I pass under them—I realized what a difference they made for me and my life. I even took up reading for pleasure, something I avoided at all costs until then.

In the last few years, my eyesight has deteriorated even more with a prescription for malaria prescribed for my form of Lupus. My profession has also played a part in the deterioration. Once, I even wore out the muscle on my left eye from overuse. My family always told me I work too hard, but when you’ve grown up with nothing, and you have a burning desire to change the world, you keep going, no matter how much pain it causes.

Now that I’m a glass wearer, it’s difficult for me to find a frame that I like. My lenses are very thick, as you can imagine, and I have to have bifocals because all of the reading I do all day every day. Even atone-hour glass stores, I have to wait upwards of a week for a special made lens for my left eye. Glass shopping has become a hassle, but not anymore! I’ve recently discovered a wonderful Web site that I wanted to share with my friends because now I can buy my glasses online and still get the right measurement for my astigmatism and I even received progressive, no-line bifocals, all online. It was a wonderful experience! From the time I placed my order to the time I received my glasses took less than a week—even faster service than I get from local stores. Plus, I love my new frames. The color is complimentary to my skin tone and hair color, and the frames are from Germany. They’re called semi-rimless. The lenses float off the frames for a dramatic effect. I have to say that without a doubt, these are the best, most comfortable pair of glasses I’ve ever owned. I’m glad that I gave Perfect Glasses' discount glasses a try after they contacted me about trying their glasses in exchange for my opinion. I am a very satisfied client with a stylish,new frame.

I highly recommend www.PerfectGlassesUSA.com for your next pair of glasses. Their frames are reasonably priced,starting at $19.95 a frame, and their customer service is unmatched to any eyeglass shopping experience I’ve ever had! Thank you www.PerfectGlassesUSA.com for the wonderful, personal care and service. I will return for my next pair.

Have a blessed day!

Ghost writing

2010-02-03T18:44:00Z

Do you wake up every morning thrilled to face the day?
Are you excited about your tasks ahead?
Do you look forward to work so much that your job becomes your hobby?
Do you go to bed at night thinking about what needs to be done and fight sleep because you have an overwhelming urge to jump out of bed and make a mad dash to your computer so that you can work?

That's what my daily life is like. I am so blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love. I develop a bond with most of my clients. I take on every project as if it's my own. I LOVE what I do and there is no other way to describe it besides exciting, fulfilling, and worthwhile. I make a difference in the lives of my clients through my hard work and dedication, and to me, that means everything.

www.JodyOrtiz.com

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Bring on the day

2010-01-19T15:42:00Z

My calendar today says, "With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton

As Joel Osteen says, "Nothing I will face today surprises or surpasses the One who is with me." Bring on the day!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Christmas

2009-12-27T21:46:00Z

Merry Christmas to all of my friends and clients. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and happiness as I did.

“Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, forgiveness.

To an opponent, tolerance.

To a friend, your heart.

To a customer, service.

To all, charity.

To every child, a good example.

To yourself, respect.”

Oren Arnold

I have a story to share. We sent a huge box of toys and clothes to Mexico to our two "adopted" children and to five other children in the village. We knew what the children wanted and our "daughter" asked for a bear that glows in the dark. We searched during black Friday and for three days afterward, looking for her bear, but we never found it. Finally, a friend told me about Ebay. I had used it years ago, but I really hadn't thought of it in a while. So I went on Ebay and ordered a bear that glows in the dark and changes colors. A week went by with no bear. Two weeks went by, still no bear. I finally went to Amazon and ordered another bear and before the second bear reached us, we received the first, and that's the bear that we shipped to Mexico with the package of toys.

On our trips to Mexico, I tried to purchase dolls for our "daughter" but she was never interested in dolls. In the package we sent to the children, the only toy we sent to her was the bear that she wanted more than anything, and we shipped Barbies and other miniature dolls for the other girls.

After the children received their gifts, my husband got a call from our somewhat spoiled "daughter" who was upset that all of the girls received "a big doll and a little doll" but she only got a bear. My husband reminded her of the clothes, pajamas, two pairs of shoes, and candy we had sent her and she thanked him and said she liked them, but she still wanted a doll. He reminded her that she had been asking for a bear for months and that she had said the only toy she wanted was a glow in the dark bear. She agreed, but still wanted a doll.

Children are honest and they tell you exactly what they want. They don't pretend to be content with something when there is more in life to be had. They are continually hoping and dreaming for something else, something bigger, something better than what they're given. Our "daughter" is a perfect example of someone who refuses to settle. She is in a school that only goes to the sixth grade, in a village with no other school and no opportunity to further her education, in a region where the only future for women is to become a wife and mother. But she still wants something more.

Don't settle for what you're given. Ask and you shall receive.

Thank you for reading my blog. May you have a blessed day.

Working through medical roadblocks

2009-12-16T15:03:00Z

For those who know me well, hearing a cough or a wheeze or even a squeak on the other end of the line as I struggle to catch my breath is a normal occurrence. Breathing has always been an issue for me. In school I could run the mile in track, no problem. I'm competitive and I wanted to win. But my face would turn bright red and I wheezed and scared the coach, which led to my leaving the team.

As an adult, I've been diagnosed with several chronic illnesses including pleurisy, asthma, Sjodgren's, chronic bronchitis, and so on, and those illnesses have thwarted my ability to maintain the lifestyle that I enjoy. I'm naturally athletic and love the outdoors, but when the temperature drops, a simple walk to the mailbox is sometimes too difficult to make.

It's during times like these that I need some inspiration to keep me going so that I don't crawl back in bed and wait to feel better. It's times like these when a spark of hope can ease the symptoms.

Yesterday my mom told me that while doing a ct scan to find the best way to remove the tumor in her shoulder cage they found a second tumor on her kidney. My mom has never been in the best of health and I've always wondered how long she would be able to be put through the surgeries and treatments the doctors give to her and still remain in good spirits. Needless to say, she was freaked out when there was one tumor. You can imagine how she's feeling now.

Mom's health reminds me that life is so short. In the blink of an eye any one of us could be gone or we could lose a loved one. How do you balance hope and a passion for life with fear of dying or losing someone you love? These are thoughts that run through my mind these days and I realize that we only have one shot, one chance to live our lives. Our successes and failures are OURS and nobody else's. What we do in our professional and personal lives comes back to us in positives or negatives. I've been blessed with plenty of positives in my life, but have I put enough time and effort into enjoying the life I've created and the people who surround me? Has my mom accomplished everything she dreamed of as a young woman? At what point do we stop dreaming of a different future?

Grandma Moses began painting in her 70's and went on to become a celebrated painter whose art is displayed in museums around the world. She changed her life from a hard working farm wife to a world-renowned painter. From her 70's, until the time of her death at 101 she produced over 3600 works of art. At 70, most people consider retirement and look forward to their quiet years of simply enjoying life - not Grandma Moses! She obviously enjoyed what she did and she created a legacy from her hard work. People like Grandma Moses give me that spark of hope. She is proof that it's never too late to dream of a different future, a better life, and a life filled with something you love.

My mom will pull through; I'm maintaining a positive attitude that the tumors are nothing and she will be fine. But if you have some extra prayers you can send our way, we'd appreciate them. You can never have too many prayers.

As for me, I already do what I love. My life is more than what I dreamed it could be, but that will never stop me from dreaming.

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Focusing on business when family needs you

2009-12-11T00:17:30Z

For those of you who are self-employed, you've probably experienced the challenges that come along with working at home. You become the "go to" person for friends and family members in need and that can sometimes weigh heavily on your business. The past few weeks for me have been the toughest I've faced in a long while when it comes to balancing business with family. My daughter and I have passed flu symptoms back and forth for a few weeks and my mom was told she has a tumor in her shoulder that has apparently been there for a while. She's had a lot of pain for a couple of years and her shoulder is inflamed. She can't stand anything near it, but had no idea there was a tumor until a new rheumatologist informed her of its existence. Her doctor of 40 years recently retired and she's been seeing his physician's assistant and even though her doctor's office had the x-rays, they didn't tell her about it. Mom went to a surgeon who didn't know how to get the tumor out to biopsy it because it's in her shoulder cage so she had to see an orthopedic surgeon but had to cancel when she started getting the same symptoms we've been passing around and her fever went up to 103. After a day and night with her in the emergency room, she seems to be doing better but still needs surgery. Since I have a flexible schedule even though I work full time and go to school full time, I'm the one who cares for her when she's sick. I wouldn't have it any other way because family comes first.

However, there are times when we have to learn to say no so that we can focus on our businesses. Just because you're home during the day when everyone else in the office, those who are close to you assume you're available, and their intentions are usually not bad, they just don't think about your schedule.

I've been working at home off and on since 1996 when my daughter was diagnosed with Lupus and my employers allowed me to work from home. I've had a lot of experience with having to say no since then.

Some of the time consuming traps you can fall into are long phone conversations, errands, babysitting, appointments, shopping, friends stopping by, and various favors. In my line of work, at times a distraction is good and needed in order to refocus when I’m stuck on a sentence or a particular word. Sometimes a break is exactly what I need and I’ll make the phone call and be distracted for an hour and return to work refreshed. Most times I ignore the phone and pretend I’m in an office and I’m not allowed to take calls. This works well when I’m focused and concentrating on the topic at hand. (My friends and family have learned that I rarely answer the phone and that e-mail is the fastest way to reach me.)

In summary, if you’re just starting out in business, or if you’ve been in business for a while and find yourself in one of the traps, educate your friends and family on your office times and let them know that they come first but your business is important. Ask them to pretend you’re at the office and not to expect any more from you than they would if you were gone from nine to five. Let them know that at times you might want their distraction, but not to distract you unless it’s after office hours. If they want you to succeed, they will respect the boundaries you set as long as they are clearly expressed.

In the case of my mom, I will always put her before any project, within reason. We only have one mom in our lives and family and friends are to be cherished and loved. I love that I no longer have dictated to me what time I can spend with my loved ones.

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Are you ready to face a new day? I am!

2009-11-17T15:54:00Z

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Inspirational cooking in Tulsa

2009-11-16T15:08:00Z

From the English garden that greets you upon your arrival to the high tea that you enjoy at the end of your day, spending a day in the kitchen with Joyce Jackson is a delight and an inspiration.

This weekend my daughter turned 21. (Yes, I feel very old.) We were searching for something different to do for her birthday, and I thought that a cooking class would be fun.

After searching the Internet for a cooking class in Oklahoma, the only classes I found were in Tulsa. For some reason, Joyce's class jumped out at me. I don't recall what the ad said, but I believe I saw something about tea, and that sounded like exactly what we would enjoy. So we recruited my mom for the class and three generations of women went to Tulsa to learn how to cook. During the two-hour drive to Tulsa, my mom and daughter discussed their thoughts on what they assumed we could be making. They discussed biscuits and cookies, and lots of sweet treats, and they chided me for not asking what was on the menu.

As we arrived in Tulsa, and called Joyce (because as usual, I was lost), and we arrived for our class only 30 minutes behind schedule. We were greeted by opera music and the charm of a home built in 1929 in the historical district of Tulsa near downtown. Joyce's home was filled with antiques and English treasures, and we soon learned that her parents immigrated to the US from England and Joyce and her sister were raised in a traditional English home. We would be creating the recipes that she grew up eating, including: tongue sandwiches, lemon tarts, sausage rolls, and short bread. After hearing what was on the menu, my daughter and mom were not thrilled about eating a cow's tongue, but when the brick of tongue was produced from the refrigerator and placed in the pan, they maintained their enthusiasm and went with the flow of the class.

During a phone call, we learned that Joyce had just celebrated her 80th birthday. We were all shocked, as she had twice the energy and stamina of the three of us combined and she appeared to be in her mid to late sixties. She was a true inspiration to all of us and we truly enjoyed our day with her in the kitchen.

By the time we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labor, Joyce and her sister, Doreen, felt like old friends. We drank warm tea and ate foods we had thought we would never eat, and enjoyed getting to know each other better. We dined on tongue sandwiches (which tasted like roast beef), water cress sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, sausage rolls, short bread, and lemon tarts--all cooked from scratch by us during a day of learning and fun.

If you live within a few hours of Tulsa, and are searching for a new adventure, or if you have young children who could use a lesson from someone who grew up during the depression on being frugal in the kitchen, contact Joyce Jackson and book a cooking class with her. It will be an experience you will never forget. You can contact her at donjoycejackson@sbcglobal.net

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

TheGhostwriter4U.com

2009-11-12T18:04:00Z

I have been working on creating a ghostwriting Web site for a network of ghost writers and editors. I have been blessed with an ongoing supply of work and new clients and some days I don't have time to sleep or eat because of the amount of work continually coming my way. I love what I do and I'm thankful for every job I get, large or small, and I love working with all of my clients. My life is never boring.

I feel so blessed, and I'm all about sharing my blessings with others, so for the past couple of years I have envisioned a Web site where writers can fulfill their dreams of becoming ghost writers or editors. Now my vision is coming to fulfillment with the creation of my new Web site, TheGhostwriter4u.com. (I also own .org and .info and those will be forwarded to the main Web site.)

The cost is only $49 to sign up as a ghost writer on the site with a monthly fee of $29 to go toward maintenance and advertising.

Unlike other Web sites that I've joined, the writers will not have to cut their prices to under bid other writers. We all have our specialty genres and different writing styles, and clients will choose among the writers to find the one that best suits their needs. At this time, the space will be limited to 20 writers and I don't see it growing beyond 20 to ensure that each writer on the Web site is able to find jobs on a regular basis.

I will coach all of the writers at no additional cost, and provide my non-disclosure agreement to get them started and suggest industry standard pricing for specific projects. There is also a contact form so clients can contact the Web site with their specific job if they want us to choose the best writer for them.

If you are searching for a writer or an editor, browse through our portfolios and sample writings. We are all different in our approach to writing, and our backgrounds vary. You will undoubtedly find what you're looking for on TheGhostwriter4u.com.

If you have dreamed of becoming a ghost writer, or know someone interested, feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

With success comes haters

2009-11-11T14:50:00Z

Unfortunately, with any success comes jealousy. There will always be that one person who can't support you in your new venture because they wish they had thought of it, or they believe that you don't deserve to be successful. One thing to keep in mind is that your friends and family know you better than anyone. They know your strengths and weaknesses and they've seen you fail. They expect you to fail, even if they love you and want you to succeed.

The most difficult task in becoming successful is to block out the naysayers and not allow them to steal your dreams. Let their negativity become the motivation to drive you to the top of your career.

The artist Kandi says it best when she says, "But you ain't doin nothin if you don't have haters." Well said Kandi! Those of us who chase our dreams and do what we see is the right thing to do will always have haters. Choosing to "fly above the drama" is what gives us the motivation and the inner strength to chase our dreams. I'm chasing mine. It's time to chase yours!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

I love my job!

2009-11-06T15:14:00Z

In today's economy, how many people can say, "I love my job!" and mean it? I do! I get to meet and work with people from around the world, and I learn something new every day. I look forward to waking up every morning and I'm excited to get to work. I love my job. Do you?

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

We all have a story to tell

2009-11-03T14:19:00Z

I'm amazed at all of the life stories I hear from clients and potential clients. We get so busy and caught up in our own worlds that we forget to look around us at the millions of lives that are being lived within our own communities, neighborhoods, and homes. Even those who share common walls with us have their own stories. We live together and experience many of the same events, but our perceptions of the events and the way they impact us emotionally and physically can be worlds apart. This is because we are all unique individuals and we view events differently.

What's amazing about this is that each and every person can share a story, whether it's a life story, a story that unfolded over a year or two, or a story that took place in a single day or hour and we can sculpt that story from our memories and create something that the world will want to hear. This is the beauty that separates us all and makes us the curious beings that we are.

What is your story? Are you ready to tell it? The world may want to hear it, or you may want to write it for the generation. I can help.

Anais Nin once said, "We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in retrospection...We write to be able to transcend our life, to reach beyond it. We write to teach ourselves to speak with others, to record the journey into the labyrinth."

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Do you want to become a ghostwriter?

2009-10-27T13:31:00Z

Are you looking for a job? Have you thought of becoming a ghostwriter, but you don't know where to start?

I am in the process of building a Web site that I've envisioned for the past two years. It is a site that is dedicated to launching the careers of ghost writers. Ghost writing is a highly sought after service. Many are surprised to learn this, but it's true. On an average day, I have at least one lead from someone in need of a ghost writer. Some days I get up to five leads. It comes to the point that I have to turn down jobs. It's during those times that I've wished I had a team of writers to whom I could refer the work. Now this will be possible with the creation of Ghostwriter4u. I've started building the Web site and it will be live this weekend. We already have one writer who is new to ghosting that will be on the site.

You probably want to know how much this will cost you. The initial set-up fee is $49. This will guarantee you a full page dedicated to your picture, experience, and any writing samples that you want to share. There will be a recurring monthly fee of $29 to be paid via Paypal to remain on the Web site after the first month. Clients will pay you directly, and unlike most similar sites, you will not have to share a percentage of your profits with me. Your direct contact information will be listed on your page, so all communication will take place between you and the client without going through me or the Web site. Your success in this venture will be solely up to you, and I will give no guarantee that you will find a ghosting job through me.

To help you succeed, you will receive a copy of my ghostwriting or editing contract, and regular e-mails that will guide you in getting started in which I'll share my advice from the many years I've learned from this business.

You can cancel at any time with no future obligations.

The focus of the Web site will be quality writing, not bidding for a job. (I always hated that!)

I will also refer clients directly to you.

So what do you have to lose? I am limiting the number of ghostwriters that are accepted onto the Web site, so sign up right away to ensure your spot.

If you've thought of ghostwriting and want to get started, this is the most cost effective avenue that's available on the Internet today. Plus, you will learn from a seasoned ghostwriter.

You can pay your initial set-up fee on my Web site at Ghostwriter.

E-mail me at jo@jodyortiz.com with your picture, writing experience, beliefs, favorite genres, or whatever you want on your page and at least one writing sample.

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Planting a seed of persistence

2009-10-25T13:46:00Z

Whether you are seeking a publisher for your book or working to obtain new business, persistence always pays off in the end.

Look at Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn was originally a self-published book. Samuel knew that it was a book that the world needed to see, so he published it himself. He didn't give up on his dream; he found another way to do it.

Shania Twain changed her name to sound more country after being snubbed out of Nashville for being too proper and too pretty. She didn't have the country sound or country look and Nashville did not want her. Eileen Edwards, also known as Shania Twain, persevered, and even though her first album failed, she did not give up. Bryan Adams and John Mutt took an interest in Shania's seductive look, and Mutt contributed to her career and speer headed her climb to what she is today.

Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade and was defeated in every election he entered for public office. He never stopped trying and finally made his mark at the age of 62 when he became Prime Minister.

Charles Darwin said about his childhood in his autobiography, "I was considered by all my masters and my father a very ordinary boy, rather below the common standard of intellect." Did that stop him? No!

How others label you has nothing to do with who you are. People will always talk and tell stories about you, but it's not true unless you believe it to be true in your heart. If you believe that you can succeed, and you persist in your journey without allowing roadblocks to keep you from proceeding, then success will be yours. You can claim it and know that you worked to get there despite the obstacles.

When I first started in my writing career, I was close to earning my bachelor's in Accounting. I had always done well in English classes and I'm an avid reader, but my eye for detail made me an ideal candidate for working with numbers. But the closer I was to realizing my goal, the less enthusiastic I became about spending the rest of my life working with numbers.

After doing some research, I decided to write books for a living. I started out with articles and was overjoyed that someone would pay me to write. When I approached a client to write a book, I was shocked that I was chosen for the job, and I finished the book--all 250 pages--in nine days. I learned that I was as prolific in my writing as I am as a speaker, which is why I was able to make it to the top of a direct sales company. I talk a lot!

My road to starting my current career wasn't as easy as it sounds. I applied for 80 jobs before I was selected, but I persevered. I made up my mind that I could succeed at whatever I attempted, and I went for it and I didn't allow rejection to alter my coarse.

Today, that confidence allows me to work for a large number of clients. I don't take to heart their feedback on what I deliver. Every client wants something different in their books. They all have a unique voice and I work to capture their voices in my writing. Some prefer a tone that is uplifting and spiritual, some want to motivate, and some want to bring the reader to tears of happiness or sadness. During the process of finding the author's voice--and it's a process--we work together to set just the right tone. This cannot be accomplished by someone who is not confident in his or her ability to be able to deliver. If I wasn't a persistent person who is determined to succeed at whatever task I start, I would not be able to do what I do for a living. Persistence is one of the main ingredients in my success.

With confidence and perseverance, you can achieve anything you set your mind and heart to do. It takes one seed at a time, one step at a time, and you will succeed!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Believe in yourself as God believes in you

2009-10-21T13:11:00Z

This morning I'm turning to scripture for my post because something really spoke to me while watching Joyce Meyer and I believe it will also speak to you. But before I get into the scripture, I want to encourage you to pour positive words and thoughts into yourself on a daily basis. This world can at times be overwhelming and I know firsthand that the world can drain you of yourself. For this reason, I spend an hour every morning doing yoga, watching spiritual or religious television programs, and reading my Bible. Doing these things gives me a positive attitude from the start of my day and I feel like I can take on anything that comes my way. If you don't already start your day with something positive, try it!

The verse that spoke to me this morning was 1 Corinthians 1:24. "but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God."

This verse brings to mind an event in my life in which I was judged to not be good enough in someone else's eyes. I have no doubt that it happened before these events, but as my self-confidence grew and I realized that I was good enough in God's eyes and what others thought didn't matter, I was able to recognize the fact that I was being judged.

This event occurred when I was in a direct sales organization. It was after I joined this organization that I realized how superficial some people can be. I'm not sure if the judgment came from a place of jealousy or the group of women were simply critical of everyone who didn't fit into their clique, but it made me feel like I wasn't worthy to be in the place that I had declared through God as mine.

You see, I joined this organization and started to climb the rung quickly. The organization seemed like a welcoming, spiritual, and empowering group of women who lifted each other up and it was something I wanted to be a part of. Within six months I climbed to the top 2% of the company through hard work and a lot of prayer and I was proud of my accomplishment. But as I'm sure you've learned, within every good entity, there are always those who are negative and as soon as I reached my goal I learned this hard lesson. I spent several minutes in the bathroom before each meeting trying to calm my nerves and keep from hyperventilating. It was a time that was supposed to be exciting and a small group of women talked about me, snubbed me, and made me feel like I was less than. Don't get me wrong, the majority of the women I met and lead in the group were supportive, loving, and uplifting. But the small group that judged me caused me to doubt my self-worth. Those were some of the best and worst days of my life and I still cringe when I think of how I allowed what others thought of me affect who I think I am.

Today, I'm still hurt when someone judges me before knowing anything about me, but then I turn it over to God. I've realized and as the scripture tells us -- I was chosen by God to be who I am. He chose me to have the talents and skills that I have and to do the things that I do. If someone has a problem with me or who I am, it's their problem, not mine.

I want to encourage you to build up your confidence in yourself and to believe as I do that "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) The last four letters in American are ICAN and you can too!

If you don't believe in yourself, who will? You must be your proudest supporter and not to boast of the accomplishments that you have achieved, but to become more than you've possibly dreamed so that your blessings can be passed on to others. God gives to us so that we can give to others and that is a belief that I will follow no matter what comes my way.

The following joke is a bit racy, but it's befitting of the topic and maybe it will leave you with a smile.

The Pastor's Ass

by Unknown The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won. The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again. The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT. The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race. The next day, the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS. This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN. The bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10. The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10. This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild. The next day the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE. The bishop was buried the next day. The moral of the story is . . being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery . . even shorten your life. So be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer! Have a great day!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Book publishing, my do not recommend list

2009-10-19T18:45:00Z

A client of mine has been working with a publisher (Wingspan) for several weeks to try to get her manuscript published.

For starters, we received what we were told was the final layout so we could add the index. The final layout included a half-way completed index in it. Some terms were searched and these terms were located on up to 20 different pages, but in the index they had created, only 2 to 3 pages were listed for these terms. When the client contacted the publisher about the attempt at an index, the publisher responded with "What index? We didn't know you wanted an index."

Now the client received a message from the publisher stating that in the final layout the index doesn't line up with the page numbers. We may have to recreate the entire index!

Although the publisher seemed knowledgeable and the publishing package seemed to be what the client wanted, she's had nothing but headaches since working with them. This was a publisher I did not recommend and had not heard of before she mentioned them to me. This client came to me with a short deadline and a manuscript that was almost completed and she just needed an editor and an index and I finished my part in a timely manner but now she's facing the sometimes harsh reality of self-publishing. Whenever choosing a publisher, ask for references and ask others who have published about their experiences with different publishers, and just as with buying a car, don't be afraid to walk away!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

God and Dog

2009-10-19T17:44:00Z

My good friend shared this video with me and I thought I would pass it along to other dog lovers. I want to dedicate this video to Maddie, Elle, and Melly, my faithful companions, and also in the memory of Sadie May.

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Persistence

2009-10-19T14:55:00Z

According to theologians, there are seven virtues we must follow in our daily lives and they are:

Chastity
Temperance
Charity
Diligence
Patience
Kindness
Humility

In business, the seven virtues are:

Financial Smarts
Responsibility (to the Earth and community)
Charity
Tireless
Diligence
Flexibility
Persistence

Today, I want to talk about persistence. With persistence driving you forward through the rough times, you can conquer anything. "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race” ~ Calvin Coolidge

To give you an example of persistence, this morning I was watching CNN and there was a preview of an upcoming series called Latino in America. On the preview was a story of a woman who is a Latino chef. When she graduated from culinary school, her plan was to work on television as a celebrity chef. Even though she had built a resume to qualify her for her desired position, she was told that she would have to lose her accent before anyone would consider hiring her.

Through her persistence to have the job of her dreams, this chef went to work on a Latino station on an early morning program that is watched by more Spanish speaking households than all three of the major morning network shows combined. This chef has become a household name and she even has a line of cookware that bares her name. She persisted through the rejections and found a way to make what had been seen as a negative quality into one of her biggest assets.

When speaking of persistence, I'm reminded of the story of the bamboo. This video tells of how a bamboo takes five years from the time it is planted to show visible signs of growth, and then the growth is at a rate that is beyond belief. That's persistence!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Live in the moment

2009-10-18T22:27:00Z

This week I've been a bit pre-occupied with my dog, Sadie May. She was somewhere around 18 years old and it was time for her to go. Yesterday I had to drive her to the vet's office and have her put to sleep. It was one of the most difficult things I've had to do. We've been up during the night with her for the past two weeks when she cried and have had to leave the light on for her for a few days. On Friday night, to keep her from crying, I had to sleep on the couch next to her bed where she watched me sleep. Since the light was on, every time I woke up she was looking at me like it was comforting for her to see a familiar face.

Sadie May came into our lives in 1999 just after the May 3rd tornado. My daughter and I lived in Del City, Oklahoma at the time, which was one of the hardest hit areas. We watched out of the glass window of the only underground shelter we could find as the tornado churned by, missing us by 3/4 of a mile.

Once our lives returned to normal and our power was restored, we learned that several animals had lost their homes during the tornado so my daughter and I decided to go to the local shelter and take in one of the animals. Sadie May was being fostered by a family for the shelter because she was elderly, nervous, and didn't like being around all of the commotion of the shelter. She was house trained and sweet and protective--just what we needed. We adopted the dog at the age of 8 and thought she would live out her last few years with us and we were pleased when year after year May continued to be healthy and our faithful companion.

During the last year her weight and health declined. During the last few months we've known that her time was almost up on this earth.

Sadie May did her job and she did it well. Many of my friends can attest to that--she's bitten several of them. She was protective and sweet, and a warm companion in the winter. But most of all, she reminded us about life and to live for today. Every living creature--human, plant, and animal--has a beginning and an end. The beginning is exciting and the end is always sad. This is a lesson that needs to carry over to our lives on a daily basis so that we don't forget to live for now, to love for now, and to remember the ones who have touched our lives.

Thank you May for being a part of our family. We'll miss you!

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.

Easy way to create a favicon

2009-10-13T19:01:00Z

Several of my clients have wanted to add a favicon to their Web sites and I've downloaded two plug-ins for my Adobe CS3 program and haven't been able to get them to work because I run Vista 64-bit. I've tried different Web sites that I've found here and there and nothing has worked for me.

Today, finally, I found a Web site that was easy to use and did as it said it would without charging me anything. http://www.favicon.cc/ works.

Once you create the favicon, download it to your computer and then you can use FileZilla to transfer the favicon directly to your root or html folder, depending on how you have your Web site files listed.

I hope this helps others like me who may be lost when it comes to creating an ico file.

Below is a picture of what a favicon is for those who are new to Web design. It's the picture that's beside the Web site name or address on your browser's bar.

Thank you for reading my blog and may you have a blessed day.