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Writer's Notes - By Jeanne Dininni

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Writer's Notes - July 2011

Technical Issues: Slow-Loading Blog

July 26th 2011 05:27


My Sincere Apologies!

I really must apologize for how slowly my blog has been loading lately! I'm sure it's been just as frustrating for you as it has for me -- if not more so! I've been doing a bit of investigating/experimenting today to try to figure out what's causing the problem, but so far no luck.

You may notice that I've removed a few widgets from my left sidebar in the hope that doing so might help. But, alas, it didn't make the slightest difference. I've also experimented with various other changes, including

1. Moving my Sites for Writers list (which, after all, is quite a lengthy list of links) out of my sidebar and into a blog post

2. Trying various blog templates

3. Removing Google ads entirely

None of these tactics has worked. So, I've put everything back the way it was before except for the sidebar widgets that I removed. (It really isn't at all surprising to me that these tactics haven't worked, because my blog has been this way for quite some time and I've only just begun having this problem recently.)


Technical Problems: No Fun!

At this point, I'm pretty much at a loss as to how to correct the problem, since I have no idea what the problem is. Since sidebar overloading doesn't appear to be the culprit, I'm not sure what else I can do to correct it. No matter how many items I remove, the blog loads just as slowly. If you have any suggestions for something else I might try, I certainly would appreciate hearing them. However, I suspect that when all is said and done, I'll have to contact Orble Support for help. (I will probably do this tomorrow.) I hope everyone will bear with me until I'm able to get this problem worked out.

Here's hoping that I -- or Orble -- will be able to figure it out soon! Technical issues are no fun for us non-techies! And slow-loading blogs are no fun for anybody!


Thanks for your patience!
Jeanne


Have you had many technical problems with your own blog? How did you solve them?



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How Vision Drives Success: Wisdom from W. Clement Stone

July 21st 2011 19:43


A Blueprint for Achieving Your Dreams

Shortly before his death at age 100, Chicago financier and philanthropist W. Clement Stone was asked the question, “How have you done so much in your lifetime?” His reply offers an inspiring glimpse into the inner workings of a visionary who first saw clearly what he hoped to accomplish and then set about to accomplish it:

I have dreamed. I have turned my mind loose to imagine what I wanted to do. Then I have gone to bed and thought about my dreams. In the night, I have dreamed about them. And when I have arisen in the morning, I have seen the way to get to my dreams. While other people were saying, 'You can't do that, it isn't possible,' I was well on my way to achieving what I wanted.

Take a moment to let Stone’s words sink in. Read them again, if necessary.

This deceptively simple formula worked for Stone (who achieved phenomenal success in his lifetime), and it can also become our “blueprint for success” – if we make each step a natural part of our daily lives. (Notice, I didn’t say “our daily routines.” That’s because dreaming – and creatively making our dreams come true – transcends routine and in fact makes our lives anything but!)


Follow Stone's Formula for Success

Let’s examine Stone’s formula and see how we can apply each part to our own lives:

Dream – as in daydream. Just as Stone did, set your imagination free to explore the things you love, enjoy, and value – the things that spark your passion. You’ll recognize them right away because they will capture your imagination, creating a strange sense of excitement and anticipation each time you think about them and bringing with them a unique creative energy that can propel you forward in pursuing them. (And everyone always told you that daydreaming is a waste of time!) As you visualize the possibilities, the “what ifs,” you’ll begin to feel a strong motivation to turn those dreams into reality. Don’t ignore it! That urge can provide the power you need to get where you want to go!

Think about your dreams. Take time to ponder and reflect on the aspirations that are beginning to blossom during your daydreams. You won’t be making formal plans at this point, though you will often resolve to accomplish something specific. Even if your dreams don’t seem very practical – or even possible – think about them anyway. You’ll gradually – or maybe even suddenly – begin discovering ways to start accomplishing your goals. Think about the positive, reinforcing aspects of your dreams before you fall asleep each night. (Skip the negatives and the detailed planning, as these could just keep you awake, defeating your purpose.)

Dream – as in night dream. Pondering your daydreams before falling asleep, as Stone did, will not only give you many conscious insights but will also trigger your subconscious to begin working while you sleep. This often means you will dream about your goal. But, even if you don’t, rest assured that your subconscious will be at work. As Dr. Ellen Weber points out in Brain-Powering Your Dream, your brain will begin building new neural pathways as you sleep – pathways that will help reinforce your determination, fuel your desire, and increase your ability to reach your goals.

Plan to fulfill your dream. The subconscious insights gained during sleep will help you more clearly envision the path that will ultimately lead to your dreams. Use these insights and intuitions to create a plan to get you there. Do any research you may need to make an intelligent and workable plan. Whether your plan is highly structured or a bit more flexible and intuitive is entirely up to you. But, check back in every now and then to see whether your plan needs adjusting (as it likely will). Does it need a little more structure – or a little more freedom? Has your situation (or your market) changed since you made your plan? Have you acquired new information that would demand a slight detour on the path to your goals? Adjust your plan accordingly, using the same dream-driven creativity that went into the original plan.

Ignore the naysayers. Refuse to listen to the people who don’t believe that what you hope to accomplish is possible or who aren’t convinced that you can do it. Surround yourself with positive, encouraging, empowering people – or if need be, act as your own cheerleader. (You are perfectly capable of giving yourself a pep talk anytime you need one. Just recall your hopes, your dreams, your passion, your talent, your faith in yourself and your abilities, and your prior successes, however small. Those should be more than enough to get you back on track!) Whatever you do, stay focused on the prize rather than the obstacles that stand in your way, and you will be irresistibly drawn toward that prize – even though you may have to take a temporary detour around the obstacles first. Creative solutions powered by your dream-inspired determination and drive can help you maneuver smoothly around those obstacles.

Get moving! Just as acting without insight, vision, and focus are counterproductive and will never help us reach our goals, possessing all the vision in the world will never produce results unless we’re willing to do whatever it takes to make the dream a reality. Even a journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step. Decide what that first step should be and take it. Then, move on to the next step. Before you know it, like Stone, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your dreams!


You can do it!
Jeanne


What are your thoughts on Stone's method for achieving his dreams? In your own experience, have you found any of the above steps particularly easy -- or hard -- to implement? Are any unnecessary? Would you add any?



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Are You Brain-Powering Your Dream?

July 19th 2011 17:37


A Post to Help You Power Your Dreams

In perfect sync with yesterday's post about visualizing our goals to achieve success is this excellent guest post by Ellen Weber: Brain-Powering Your Dream. Read and prepare to make your dreams come true!

If you've never read Ellen's blog, Brain Leaders and Learners, and are at all interested in the way the brain can power innovation, create success, and help you fulfill your dreams, you're in for a fascinating cerebral treat! Bookmark BL&L (or follow it on Facebook's Networked Blogs: Brain Leaders and Learners). You'll learn so much!


Here's to making your dreams come true!
Jeanne


What are your thoughts on the brain and its role in the "success" equation? Does Ellen's statement that our neurons rewire nightly as we sleep surprise you? What potential do you see in that idea, and what sort of new horizons might Ellen's insights open for you?



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Today Is the Day to Reach Your Writing Goals!

July 18th 2011 19:26


"Fortune-Cookie Goal-Setting" for Writers

This morning just for the fun (and inspiration) of it, I decided to open a fortune cookie left over from a recent Chinese food delivery. As many of you know, I've posted before on the words of wisdom often found in fortune-cookie fortunes which can help inspire us writers along our creative journeys. While I don't actually consider these "fortunes," per se, I do believe that many consist of great life lessons that can help motivate us toward success.

As it turns out, I received just about the best message I could have for beginning a brand new week: "The time is right to reach your goals." Now, if that isn't a powerful motivator and a fabulous catalyst for a "success" mindset, nothing is!


A Few Great Takeaways for Writers – and Others

Here are a few nuggets of wisdom I've drawn from this short, simple saying that make it a real motivator for me. (Perhaps you'll notice others.)


1. The time is right to reach your goals.

This simple phrase brings the potential for success directly into the present moment, in fact causing it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy if we let it, as we allow the promise it holds to filter down through all our doubts and fears, insecurities and inhibitions, permeating our very being. By recognizing the possibilities that lie before us and becoming thoroughly convinced that the time is indeed right for reaching our goals, we can actually begin experiencing the initial rewards of success now. By believing that the time is right for accomplishing our goals, we actually initiate the almost-magical process of making the present time the right time for achieving success.


2. The time is right to reach your goals.

This simple saying uses the word "reach," rather than "strive toward" or "work toward." The focus is on achievement and not work. I think that's significant because it inspires us to envision success...to look toward the prize, instead of focusing on the mundane tasks involved in acquiring it. Of course, there will be a time to focus on the work and plan the actual means for achieving our goals. Yet, it's that initial vision that sparks the subconscious mind to begin working creatively to bring success to pass.

Focusing our imaginations on the end result is somewhat like an insect being drawn to a flame – only in this case, that flame will help us, rather than harm us. (Don't you just love that?) Seeing the end result (or the interim goal) from the beginning will make the work involved in getting there incidental. We all know how hard people are willing to work when they are thoroughly focused on and excited about the end result. Yet, sadly, we also know how difficult and unpleasant work can be when approached as an end in itself – a simple means for making money – with no larger purpose or goal.


3. The time is right to reach your goals.

By sparking thoughts of our goals, this simple phrase helps clarify our vision of what success would actually entail for us. It causes us to focus our mind's eye on specific achievements or milestones we would like to see in our lives – and view these as actually being possible. This sets the "success" mechanism in motion. You'll notice that as you begin to feel inspired by this saying, one or more goals you'd love to accomplish will simply appear in your mind's eye. These are the goals – the dreams – your intuition is telling you are right for you. They are the successes that you are totally capable of achieving if you will only set your mind to them and bring all your determination, belief, and talents to bear. Listen to that inner voice and its innate wisdom! Then, let those goals draw you ever forward toward fulfilling them. You can do it! No question about it! The real question is, “Will you trust yourself enough to prove it?”


Will today be the day for you?
Jeanne


What are your thoughts on this "fortune"? In what ways does it speak to you?



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