Today I am writing about something that is a little bit different from the stuff I usually post to this blog. However, in case you didn’t know it, I am a therapist and have worked in behavioral health for many years, therefore, mental or behavioral health is important to me. If you have read any of my books, you will see that. So, what am I getting at? In addition to encouraging you to read more, I would also like to introduce you to another form of relaxation – coloring. And what better way to do so than with mandalas?

Mandalas are said to have originated in India for religious purposes. Some religions still use mandalas for meditation and in their rituals. In recent times, coloring mandalas has become very popular as a therapeutic activity. It is believed that the repetitive movements of coloring the geometrical shapes cause the mind to focus on the activity and get rid of anxiety.

I have found this to be true when I did this with my patients, and while they colored, I frequently engaged myself in coloring as well. At the end of the session I felt relaxed, energized and refreshed, and my patients reported similar feelings. So, coloring is not for children or adults with mental illness, but for everyone. It’s a good stress buster, relaxer and helps bring out your creative side. So why not give your body and your brain a boost by coloring these mandalas?

Access your mandala book by clicking on the link below and enjoy hours of fun and relaxation.

mandala-book

The Colorado theater shooting

I am taking a break away from blogging about my book to put in my two cents’ worth on the latest senseless act of carnage to take place in the US. By now you must have all heard that 12 people were killed and around 50 treated at local hospitals in Colorado. A young sportscaster, Jessica Ghawi, better known as Jessica Redfield in the sporting world, was among the fatalities. A young woman with a promising career cut down in the prime of her life. My prayers are with everyone associated with this tragedy.

It was April 20, 1999 when two high school students killed 12 of their school mates and one teacher in another senseless massacre. Today, history repeats itself, not in a school, but in a theater. When will they ever learn? What could motivate a young Phd student to do something like this? Was it stress? We may or may never know the answers, but tragedies such as this one ought to shake us to our core and remind us how vulnerable we are.

Orangeberry Summer Splash

This is a mini book tour marathon organized by Pandora Pikolos of Orangeberry Book Tours. The marathon features blog hosting and posts by authors of 100 books. My book Women For All Seasons will be among the 100 books featured. There will be links to author interviews and other posts, plus Twitter and Facebook blasts. The marathon runs (pun intended) from August 1 – August 31. I will post other updates as the time draws closer. This is a good opportunity to learn more about my book and a lot of other wonderful books out there.

Stephen Covey’s passing

The author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People passed away this week at the age of 79. This book has influenced a lot of people, including me, when I studied it in college some years ago. One piece of advice Covey gives in his book is, “To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There’s no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it’s all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities.” I think this book is worth a reread.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on any of the items above.

As a writer, you can easily fall into a pattern of negative thinking. Some days you may think that you’ll never make it in the writing world, that your work stinks and no one will ever want to read it. Many times this thought pattern may come about as a result of what is going on in your life. There may be absolutely nothing wrong with your writing, but because you are overwhelmed, anxious or stressed out in other areas of your life, everything looks bad, including your writing.
Fortunately, when this happens there are a few things you can do to bring those negative thoughts under control: (more…)