Ready to move your life forward?

Live Full Blast, Full Out

By PeggySue Wells

Ready to move your life forward? Want to make a positive change by noon? Here is a

step that guarantees positive results.

Stop blaming.

Certainly there are things on our life script we would not have put there. And blame is a

mechanism to discharge pain and discomfort. However, whether I blamed my husband,

parents, boss, or myself, blame kept me cemented in the same spot. Stuck.

Blame cripples only one person. Me. Freedom comes when I acknowledge people made

choices. I made choices. Some choices made a Grand Canyon–sized impact on my life.

A friend that allows me to vent, is a gift. But camping there, the pain becomes my

identity.

It happened.

So what?

Now what?

Checkpoint

further time by blaming your lateness on the kids, the dog, or the traffic, you are playing

the blame game. You are blaming someone or something for your situation.

The only person who believes your excuse is you. When you are late, it is apparent that

you did not plan your time to arrive at least 15 minutes early in case you were delayed by

life.

In the military, fifteen minutes early is on time. On time is late. Soldiers quickly learn

that there are only four acceptable responses—yes, sir; no, sir; I don’t understand, sir; and

no excuse, sir.

When I dropped making excuses, my days and relationships streamlined. Free from

cumbersome excuses, my conversations improved. People are attracted to those who fully

live life without excuses. That’s living full blast, full out.

: Do you regularly offer excuses? If you show up late at a place and waste

- PeggySue Wells is a speaker and the author of a dozen books including

Ever After.

This article is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications.

You are welcome to place this article on your site or in your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its

entirety, 2) the full bio is also used, and 3) you previously request permission through KCWC at

Rediscovering Your HappilyContact her at www.PeggySueWells.com.

russ@kathycarltonwillis.com

. All other standard copyrights apply.

50-50 Journaling

Starting a 50/50 Journal

By Kathi Lipp

I am a serial journaler. In my years walking on this planet, I have left an impressive number of

three page-filled journals in the wake of my path. I am a sucker for a cute journal—something

romantic about a private place to keep my thoughts and dreams. Each time I’m at a bookstore I

can’t help but peruse the journal section, dreaming about the beautiful things I’d write in that

gorgeous black leather bound book—or maybe the bright orange and green floral journal with

the matching pen. Oh—the possibilities.

That is how it went on the day that I met my new journal. With its dark red cover and Irish

proverb on the front, it not only matched my mood, it matched my hair color and heritage at the

same time. Love at first sight.

After purchasing the journal and a hazelnut latte, I curled up in one of the bookstore chairs to …

what I didn’t know.

I didn’t want this to just be another started and abandoned journal. I wanted this journal to be

different. I spent almost half an hour staring at a blank page.

If I knew I was going to live another 50 years, what would I want those fifty years to look like—

what would I like to say I had done with that time?

So, I started to write everything down. I figured that if I was healthy and stayed out of the way of

people talking on cell phones while driving, it was conceivable that I

years on this planet. I wrote down fifty things I wanted to accomplish in the next fifty years.

Somehow, this new journal seemed different than the ones I’d started before. This was not a

daily recitation of deep thoughts that I had while walking on the beach. This felt big, important,

and all for me.

I felt silly writing some of those goals down—getting my nails done once a week—that seemed

less like a goal and more like self-indulgence. “Take a gourmet cooking class” seemed a little

frivolous as well. But one of the things I promised myself was that I was going to be very free in

what I wrote down—I would not censor myself because it seemed silly or trivial. I trusted that

these goals were between me and God, and asked Him to bless me in the goals that were within

His will, and to take away the desire for the ones that may not be from Him.

It has been fascinating to see God working in my 50/50 journal. About once a month, I update

any progress made towards the goal. It can be as simple as buying a book on cross-country

travel; I make a note of it on the page that has “Travel around the United States for a month

without a schedule” as the goal. Any progress is noted and celebrated.

In my 50/50 journal, every small step is recorded and celebrated—my own personal record of

how deeply interested God is in delighting me by first putting desires in my heart, and then

blessing me by giving me the desires of my heart.

We all have these nebulous goals in our lives that we want to accomplish, someday. If you have

never taken the time to commit them to paper, do it today. There is power in writing your goals

down. They become concrete and tangible. The goals are easier to break down into smaller

steps—giving you a real chance at seeing those dreams become a reality.

could have another fifty

- Article adapted from a chapter in

through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. You are welcome to place this article on your site or in

your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its entirety, 2) the full bio is also used, and 3) you previously

request permission through KCWC at

 The Me Project by Kathi Lipp. It is provided free of charge by the authorruss@kathycarltonwillis.com. All other standard copyrights apply.

New from Splashdown Books

I'm learning to love this newer down under indie press, and hope you will find some gems to read too.

Today it is my great pleasure to announce to you our first title from Splashdown Darkwater. Drumrolls please!

Winter
by Keven Newsome


Winter Maessen didn't ask for the gift of prophecy. She's happy being a freak - but now everyone thinks she's crazy. Or evil.
Goths aren't all the same, you know. Some are Christians.
...Christians to whom God sends visions.

Students at her university are being attacked, and Winter knows there's more than flesh and blood at work.
Her gift means she's the only one who can stop it - but at what price?


MUST SEE video trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It8aP6speuo

... or view it in its natural environment at http://darkwater.splashdownbooks.com/

Winter is now available for pre-order at http://www.splashdownbooks.com/winter.html


Are you ready for the chill?

June 1, 2011

Microbusiness for Teen Tips with Carol Topp - enter the drawing

Starting a Micro Business for Teens
By Carol Topp
c. 2010
Ambassador Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1
Retail price: $9.95

This nifty little book sets out to make a big difference in encouraging families with teens who are interested in more than setting up a lemonade stand or playing around with real dollars. Topp's reason for adding this book to her collection of teen helps is that she wanted to create a useful and practical guide for teens, written by a mom who had teens, and include the inspiration reasons behind stewardship.

Each chapter, from the introduction of "What is a Micro Business" through the practical steps of figuring out suitable ideas to making them work and how to establish realistic goals, is filled with brief paragraphs of advice in easy-to-understand and follow tips, and ends with bullet-pointed Important Points. I loved her sample Business Plan, her encouragement, even the word-for-word advice for shy teens when they are encouraged to seek advice over the phone or in person from help desks or professionals.

Topp doesn't stop when the micro business is set up; she makes sure all accountable areas are covered, particularly with licensing and the all-important responsible government cut. Kudos to Topp for this wonderful and practical guide.

Carol Topp is a CPA who advises teenage business owners. Visit her web site: microbusinessforteens.com/

GRAND PRIZE!

The Complete Set of Carol Topp's Micro Business for Teens Series

(Winner will receive the four books shown below)

Starting a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1
Retail price: $9.95

Running a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-1-8
Retail price: $9.95

Money and Taxes in a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-3-2
Retail price: $9.95

The Micro Business for Teens Workbook

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-2-5
Retail price: $14.95