What if someone told you that there was a little pink, tasty pill that if you swallowed it, every word that came out of your mouth would be extremely pleasing to everyone? You’d never ever have to worry again, about saying the wrong thing that hurt someone feelings or made you sound selfish? Would you take it? I know lots of women who would. In fact, I swallowed that pill when I was a little girl and I am pretty sure it was my mother who gave it to me. She, like many women of her generation, was raised to be a “good girl.” Her parents liked her best when she was obedient and dutiful and respectful ─you know, all those qualities we’ve been told are “feminine”─ and … [Read more...]
March 26, 2013
A Better You Equals A Better World
By Patricia V. Davis No matter what it is we do for a living, most of us seek new ways to improve our skills, because we hope that improving professionally will lead us to a greater return. But what about our human being skills? Often our lives are too busy to even consider that if we make small adjustments in how we view and respond to the world, we could be sending out a more positive energy, an effort that will come back to us tenfold. Below are three simple suggestions on how building a better each of us will help build a better world. 1) Instead of making resolutions, let this year be a year of “gratitutions.” Gratitutions are statements of … [Read more...]
Thoughts on Losing a Child
Both the beauty and pain of loving one's child is that we can see all the imperfections in that relentless love, and even more, the imperfections in both that child and ourselves more clearly as a result. Nonetheless, the love is perfect to you and only to you, so that if you should lose it through that child's death, you're crushed beyond bearing. But the day comes eventually when you realize that though the child is gone, that love has stayed with you, a gift to you always. And in order for you to embrace and cherish it, you must carry on and live. ~ Patricia V. Davis … [Read more...]
A Call to Nominate Jane Friedman as the 2013 Exceptional Woman in Publishing
by Patricia V. Davis Fellow Writers: Since 1998, Exceptional Women in Publishing has selected a woman in the publishing industry to honor her achievements publicly. The nominees for the annual award are solicited from former recipients, EWIP members and esteemed publishing industry colleagues. The honorees often surpass the criteria, achieving personal excellence, a reputation for mentoring, and exceptional leadership in an industry that seems to transform itself every year. This year, I’m calling upon every writer I know to help me nominate the one woman who I believe deserves this honor above all others, Jane Friedman. I met Jane in 2007 at … [Read more...]
Alone? How to Turn a Lonely Day Into a Great Day
You're going to be alone for a holiday, but have no wish to be. You've lost someone you love, or are estranged from family, or are far away from home --- whatever the reason the upcoming holidays are making you blue --- many of us have been there. Here are some fab ways to turn the day around that can work really well to change the attitude of "a lonely day" to "a lovely day alone." 1. Sleep in. Have breakfast in bed. Eat something you would not normally have that you've always meant to try. (Mine was eggs benedict.) 2. Go for a half an hour walk in a place you've meant to walk, but have never had the chance or the time. Take a bus or drive there if … [Read more...]
The Women’s PowerStrategy™ Conference 2013 Call for Speakers
Dear Potential Speaker: Thank you for your interest in The Women’s PowerStrategy™ Conference 2013. Our mission is to gather together leaders from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise who join forces "to educate and inspire women of all ages to believe and invest in their own talent, skills, and potential." Our speakers are all experts in their fields who volunteer their time by either being on a panel or conducting an individual session and then taking the time to answer questions and speak with our attendees. All speakers are also invited to attend the after conference reception with a personal guest. Speakers will have breakfast and lunch courtesy of the conference … [Read more...]
The Next Big Thing
by Patricia V. Davis Thanks to my friend and fellow author Patricia Morin for giving me an opportunity to join a long line of writers talking about their newest project. Pat is the author of Mystery Montage and Crime Montage, both short story collections in which the complexities of the human mind play a large part. But this shouldn't really be a surprise, as Pat holds a Masters in Counseling Psychology and in Social Work. You really should visit her website to learn more about her, because she's one of those multi-talented women we all admire who has a loving and generous nature to boot. As for me, this blog chain is a chance to talk about a number of things I'm working on in … [Read more...]