I always knew what that word meant, in a technical sense. However, until recently, I never truly "felt" overjoyed before. I've experienced happiness, but this goes so far beyond that.
Lately, I have been so excited as 4 of my books climb the charts over at Amazon. I'm not posting this to brag, but to share how I'm feeling right now. It seems that a lot of other writers get angry when they see someone posting about book ratings or good reviews. I think they are missing the point. Being happy for someone else when they succeed is the very best way to assure your own success.
Most people do not share their "wins" to be jerks. They are just thrilled that something good has happened to them. As I watch those numbers climb higher and higher, I don't want to rub it in anyone's face. Here's an example of what's going through my head.
"I can pay my bills now!"
"So, THIS is what it feels like to make real money doing what you love!."
"Oh, my GOD. People are actually reading my work and "getting" me."
"This is amazing!"
"I feel like a real author now."
There are not words to express how happy I am. That is what being overjoyed feels like. Not only are my book's rankings improving, so is my author ranking. Right now I'm in the top 100 in Horror and Paranormal Romance. That is freaking amazing! As far as I know those are two of the hardest categories to break into, simply because there is so much horror and paranormal romance out there. LOL
I'm positively giddy right now. I am watching my dreams come to life one day at a time. I wish I had the words to let you know how that feels.
Showing posts with label positive thinking for writers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label positive thinking for writers. Show all posts
Friday, December 6, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Everybody wants more happiness, right?
Well, there are several simple ways to boost your feelings of happiness. Most of these involve increasing production of the hormone serotonin. (This is the "feel good" hormone.) Everyone is under stress, no matter what they do for a living. However, writers face a different set of challenges. For one thing, writing is by its nature a very lonely profession. We spend countless hours alone with our computers. No matter how much you might be in love with your PC, it can't talk back and the closest it comes to showing affection is not contracting a virus. LOL
With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips to increase your level of happiness.
Eat oatmeal for breakfast. One cup of oatmeal contains 94 mg. of tryptophan, an essential building block of serotonin. Plus, if you add a banana to the mix, you get extra vitamin B6 a nutrient that helps convert tryptophan to serotonin. Eating this first thing in the morning helps you get off to a "feel good" start.
Snack on carbs. Yes, I used the "c" word. Ha. Ha. Ha. Eating a snack of carbohydrates alone speeds up the production of serotonin within 20 minutes. Don't grab a doughnut though. Go for fruit, veggies, and whole grain crackers. That way you can do something good for yourself and not feel guilty. Or, if it's been a really crap day, maybe go for the doughnut.
Get more vitamin D. Vitamin D is relatively cheap and can be purchased at most any supermarket. Taking this supplement daily can boost your serotonin levels by as much as 26%.
Read a book. This is a great way to keep your stress levels low. If you can only spend one hour a day reading something you enjoy, it will do wonders.
Drink hot chocolate. The combination of calcium and antioxidants in hot cocoa boosts your brain's serotonin output for up to seven hours. Indulging in this treat can make you calmer and happier, plus sleep sounder if you have this before bedtime.
Using these stress busting tips can decrease your chances of headaches, indigestion, joint pain, and even weight gain.
Now, doesn't that sound relaxing?
If you're wondering how I know all this, I researched it. Thoroughly. Now that's just one less stressful thing you have to worry about. You can just collect the information and move on with your busy life. :)
With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips to increase your level of happiness.
Eat oatmeal for breakfast. One cup of oatmeal contains 94 mg. of tryptophan, an essential building block of serotonin. Plus, if you add a banana to the mix, you get extra vitamin B6 a nutrient that helps convert tryptophan to serotonin. Eating this first thing in the morning helps you get off to a "feel good" start.
Snack on carbs. Yes, I used the "c" word. Ha. Ha. Ha. Eating a snack of carbohydrates alone speeds up the production of serotonin within 20 minutes. Don't grab a doughnut though. Go for fruit, veggies, and whole grain crackers. That way you can do something good for yourself and not feel guilty. Or, if it's been a really crap day, maybe go for the doughnut.
Get more vitamin D. Vitamin D is relatively cheap and can be purchased at most any supermarket. Taking this supplement daily can boost your serotonin levels by as much as 26%.
Read a book. This is a great way to keep your stress levels low. If you can only spend one hour a day reading something you enjoy, it will do wonders.
Drink hot chocolate. The combination of calcium and antioxidants in hot cocoa boosts your brain's serotonin output for up to seven hours. Indulging in this treat can make you calmer and happier, plus sleep sounder if you have this before bedtime.
Using these stress busting tips can decrease your chances of headaches, indigestion, joint pain, and even weight gain.
Now, doesn't that sound relaxing?
If you're wondering how I know all this, I researched it. Thoroughly. Now that's just one less stressful thing you have to worry about. You can just collect the information and move on with your busy life. :)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Positive thinking for writers, and other random advice
Last night, I dreamed about my sister-in-law, Rita. As some of you may know, she passed away very unexpectedly in a car accident just a few months ago. If I learned anything from this (besides how much I miss her), it's that life is very short. You have to decide what you want from life and go for it. You may never get another chance.
With that in mind, here are some positive thoughts (and other random advice) for writers who are striving to reach the top. I'm not claiming to know everything. I'm sharing what has personally helped me. I'm not as successful as I will be some day. (See, positive thinking.) But I've come a long way.
I'm sure that if you've read much about positive thinking, most of you have at least heard the term Law of Attraction. First let me say, this has nothing to do with religion. I will never discuss religion on my blog. The Law of Attraction basically states that we all give off a certain vibration. This is a scientific fact, not some mumbo-jumbo. We all vibrate at a particular frequency. Whatever frequency you are sending out into the Universe, you are also attracting more of that frequency back to yourself.
Basically, if you always walk around feeling like crap and thinking about how much you feel like crap, you will attract more circumstances that cause you to feel like crap. It really is that simple. I've seen it at work too many times in my own life to think it's bull.
1. Be proud of your story. If your book has been professionally edited and has great cover art, stop worrying. Provided that you've told a good story, you have done all you can do. Worrying will not sell more copies of your book. If you start to worry about sales, stop yourself in the middle of that thought and say something like, "I am so glad that my sales are up" Or, "I'm so thankful for all the new book sales."
2. If it is your goal (or one of them) to be a highly successful writer, try this exercise. Imagine what emotions you would feel if you were already successful. What would it feel like to sell a million copies? Think about it and write it down. Refer to this list at least once a day. As often as possible, walk around feeling like a success.
3. This is probably the most important piece of advice and it's one that I have to remind myself of often. Keep a good attitude. Being a dick (yes, a dick) sends the wrong signal to the Universe.
4. It isn't possible to be aware of every single thought throughout the day. Here is an easy way to tell what signal you're sending out. How do you feel? If you feel pretty good, you are thinking good thoughts. If you feel awful, find something nice to think about.
5. Never underestimate the power of visualization. If the only spare moment you have is before you go to sleep at night, then do this as you fall asleep. Picture yourself in whatever circumstances that you consider to represent success. Maybe you're at a book signing with lots of adoring fans. Maybe you're on a yacht. Whatever works for you. Take a few minutes, picture this as clearly as you can and imagine what it would feel like to be there for real.
6. If you worry about reviews you are only hurting yourself with worry. If the thought of, "Oh, no. What if someone hates my book?" crosses your mind, stop immediately. Replace that thought with, "I am so grateful for all the good reviews."
These may sound cheesy, but I swear they work. I'm about to take some of my own advice right now and focus on success. Good luck and I hope these are helpful to you.
With that in mind, here are some positive thoughts (and other random advice) for writers who are striving to reach the top. I'm not claiming to know everything. I'm sharing what has personally helped me. I'm not as successful as I will be some day. (See, positive thinking.) But I've come a long way.
I'm sure that if you've read much about positive thinking, most of you have at least heard the term Law of Attraction. First let me say, this has nothing to do with religion. I will never discuss religion on my blog. The Law of Attraction basically states that we all give off a certain vibration. This is a scientific fact, not some mumbo-jumbo. We all vibrate at a particular frequency. Whatever frequency you are sending out into the Universe, you are also attracting more of that frequency back to yourself.
Basically, if you always walk around feeling like crap and thinking about how much you feel like crap, you will attract more circumstances that cause you to feel like crap. It really is that simple. I've seen it at work too many times in my own life to think it's bull.
1. Be proud of your story. If your book has been professionally edited and has great cover art, stop worrying. Provided that you've told a good story, you have done all you can do. Worrying will not sell more copies of your book. If you start to worry about sales, stop yourself in the middle of that thought and say something like, "I am so glad that my sales are up" Or, "I'm so thankful for all the new book sales."
2. If it is your goal (or one of them) to be a highly successful writer, try this exercise. Imagine what emotions you would feel if you were already successful. What would it feel like to sell a million copies? Think about it and write it down. Refer to this list at least once a day. As often as possible, walk around feeling like a success.
3. This is probably the most important piece of advice and it's one that I have to remind myself of often. Keep a good attitude. Being a dick (yes, a dick) sends the wrong signal to the Universe.
4. It isn't possible to be aware of every single thought throughout the day. Here is an easy way to tell what signal you're sending out. How do you feel? If you feel pretty good, you are thinking good thoughts. If you feel awful, find something nice to think about.
5. Never underestimate the power of visualization. If the only spare moment you have is before you go to sleep at night, then do this as you fall asleep. Picture yourself in whatever circumstances that you consider to represent success. Maybe you're at a book signing with lots of adoring fans. Maybe you're on a yacht. Whatever works for you. Take a few minutes, picture this as clearly as you can and imagine what it would feel like to be there for real.
6. If you worry about reviews you are only hurting yourself with worry. If the thought of, "Oh, no. What if someone hates my book?" crosses your mind, stop immediately. Replace that thought with, "I am so grateful for all the good reviews."
These may sound cheesy, but I swear they work. I'm about to take some of my own advice right now and focus on success. Good luck and I hope these are helpful to you.
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