What Are We Doing Here Anyway?
October 31, 2007 | 9:20 am
I’ve been having a lot of conversations in the last week or so about what the Open Your Heart series is about, so perhaps it makes sense to share some of those musings here.
There are, let me start by saying, very many books out there that open the world to people. Self-help books. adventure books. Birdwatching books. Parasailing books. If you want to try something new, the shelves of any library are filled with possibilities, with options, with promise.
And that is not what the Open Your Heart series is about.
I was fortunate to have the exceptionally talented Mary Votava review my book, Open Your Heart with Geocaching, and her comment was that “in a sea of how-to books, Jeannette has finally written a why-to book.” And I really think that that can be a comment about the series as a whole. We’re not offering readers yet another book on a new activity or hobby — we’re sharing ourselves, our lives, our experiences, with them, giving them a sense of the passion that we feel for and through the activity, and inviting them to share it.
Our job, as authors, is not simply to write the books; we’re here for the long haul, to keep the excitement we feel ignited by speaking, by sharing, by blogging, by reminding people that we’re excited and eager to share that excitment.
You, the readers — tell us how we’re doing! What books from the series have you read? Did they excite you? Did you feel the delight and insight experienced by the author? Tell us … because you’re an important (perhaps the most important!) part of the Open Your Heart series!
How are we doing?
– Jeannette Cézanne
www.jeannetteCezanne.com
Posted by: writing, writing books — jcezanne
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Open-Hearted Animal Lovers are Everyday Heroes
October 28, 2007 | 3:28 pm
Several years ago I wrote a book entitled What Saved Me: A Dozen Ways to Embrace Life. (under the pen name Claire Starr). In it I mentioned the importance of everyday heroes: the veteran next door, the senior citizen on a limited budget who is still able to make a donation to a charity or take the time to help a child learn to love reading, those who volunteer for Special Olympic events, or work to make the lives of others better, without any sense of karmaic rebate, just because it feels like the right thing to do.
There should be another word, just one word, for “everyday hero,” because a hero or a heroic effort should be reserved for those who risk their life for others. But, I don’t know what word or term to insert between selfless/altruistic person and a heroic person. So, “everyday hero” will have to do for today. Perhaps you have a better word?
Which brings me around to the everyday heroes who work on behalf of animals; they are in communities throughout the U.S., and throughout the world, working to help non-human beings who are unable to take things into their own hands or, more accurately, paws, claws, or wings. Creatures unable to speak for themselves depend upon humans to act in their best interest and, thank God, many do.
I recently had the pleasure of working with a new organization, Fairfield County CARES to create a website for them to begin gathering resources for concerned pet lovers in Central Ohio. My efforts were small and not selfless, for FC-CARES gave me a page to promote Open Your Heart with Pets: Mastering Life through Love of Animals. The everyday hero I’m thinking of this afternoon is also named Janice, but she is Janice Kobi—a wife, mother, fundraiser, advocate…a one-woman “energizer bunny” who brings to mind that famous quote “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.” Janice doesn’t want us to be comfortable with less-than-compassionate practices in animal control facilities. She doesn’t want us to be comfortable with abuse in our community, whether directed toward humans, old or young, male or female, or animals. In the face of heartache, Janice Kobi continues to do what she can to help others. She is a person who always has an open heart, a heart that says “Yes!” to improvement, to effort, to hope. She is an everyday hero.
The site I mentioned—http://www.fairfieldcountycares.org—will give folks in the Central Ohio area a place to go for all the information they need to responsibly adopt an animal, volunteer for a rescue organization, or keep informed about legislation concerning animals in their area. It’s just a start-up right now, but let’s not despise the day of small beginnings. Everything starts somewhere and when people are propelled to act with limited budget and in the face of political and social speed bumps, well my hat’s off to them.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar efforts going on throughout the world; but all these efforts started with one person saying yes; to opening their heart. Best Friends of Utah, the Humane Association of the United States, the list could fill this blog… efforts are being made, animals are being saved, hearts are being opened.
If you would like to share the story of an everyday hero who works to make life better for animals, email me at OYH.PETS@gmail.com. I hope to write a sequel to Open Your Heart with Pets one day and to include more real-life stories of animal lovers. Also, I’d like to include some of your stories on this blog. Be sure to include your name and address in the email to me, if you want your story considered for the sequel, and understand that submission gives me the write to include your story in my book, with editorial license and credit given to you as is right and ethical and legal. (Your name, address and email will not be given or sold to another company, but are used solely to collect real-life stories for a second book for animal lovers.)
Thank you for bringing the efforts of everyday heroes, open-hearted animal lovers, to light, so that we can be encouraged and inspired by their example!—Janice Marie Phelps 10/28/07
Posted by: — jphelps
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Alum Creek Dog Park, Oct. 2007
October 25, 2007 | 11:38 am
This past weekend I discovered just how many dog lovers (owners, rescue folks, and people who just like to be around dogs) there are in Northern Columbus (Ohio). Mark (my husband) and I joined Poundhounds Adoption Welfare Society at Alum Creek Dog Park. Poundhounds is only a few years old, but they have done so much for dogs already. They have foster dogs and match them up with good owners; some of the dogs they foster have been rescued from “pounds.” They raise money through dog washes, microchipping and nail clipping and, my favorite, taking photos of dogs and their owners with assorted Buckeye novelties, with the beautiful autumn leaves in the background.
I learned that Alum Creek Dog Park was started just two years ago by a woman on a mission. In one half of the summer of 2006, approx. 40,000 cars visited this area of the park, the second most visited section of Alum Creek Park. Still, it is not supported by the government, but by private donations. It was great seeing the constant stream of cars visiting on this October Saturday. By the afternoon the parking lot was full.
There were Newfundlands, Retrievers, Labs, St. Bernards…. in the large area. And Pomeranians, Chihuahuas, and other small dogs in the smaller dog area. Plus a few labs were having a ball in the enclosed dog beach area. As the trees showed some color (finally) and a sailboat went by on the lake, I thought this was a great way to spend a day spreading the word about Poundhounds and Open Your Heart with Pets.
Photo of Janice Phelps and Nikki Fetingas (volunteer), taken by Mark Williams.
I will be at Poundhounds next fundraiser, put on by the Powell Woman’s Assocation. It is “Pictures with Santa” and more info can be found at www.ohiopoundhounds.com. —Janice Marie Phelps 10/2007
Posted by: — jphelps
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You Can Help — Right Now!
October 23, 2007 | 11:09 am
We’d all like to do our part to make the world a better place. Despite some evidence to the contrary, I believe that people generally do the best that they can in a given set of circumstances, that they genuinely want to do what is right, to help others.
But doing so feels often like an insurmountable task. Too much, too big, too difficult.
I’m here to tell you that that’s a cop-out. There’s a lot you can do, in your life, in your community, in your time. And here’s where you can start: click here, once a day, every day, and help the Literacy Site give a book to a child who will not otherwise have one. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it will lower the frightening statistic of 90 million Americans being functionally illiterate.
(And while you’re there, don’t forget to click on the other sites: the hunger site, the child health site, the breast cancer site, the animal rescue site, and the rainforest site.)
Five minutes a day to change the world. Not a bad deal!
– Jeannette Cézanne
www.JeannetteCezanne.com
Posted by: — jcezanne
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Learn How to Get Your Spiritual Writing Published, Part Two
October 21, 2007 | 7:46 pm
Now that you’ve given some thought as to how spiritual writing is different from other writing (see Part One, posted on this blog), consider your goals for writing. Do you have a specific message you want to convey? If so, do you know how to convey it without sounding as though you are lecturing your reader? Do you feel driven to write, or are you writing because you feel you “ought” to? In other words, is ego driving you, or are you truly inspired to write?
Wayne Dyer has a great quote about motivation and inspiration: When you’re motivated, you get hold of an idea and don’t let go. When you’re inspired, an idea gets hold of you and doesn’t let go.
What’s behind *your* desire to write?
Posted by: — Meg
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Opening Your Heart with Pets
October 17, 2007 | 10:41 am
It’s one of the titles in the Open Your Heart series … but it’s also an experience.
A year and a half ago, my cat-companion of 14 years died. My relationship with Spike was the longest relationship I’d ever had with anybody, and his death hit me hard. We have other animals — another cat, Kirsipuu, a lovebird named Robert Johnson, a bearded dragon and various assorted fish — but Spike was special. He was my boy.
And I still go on crying jags because I miss him so much I feel that I can barely breathe without him.
I’d determined not to go that way again. And then our local animal shelter put out a SOS: they’re overrun with cats, carriers are stacked in the hallway, they need some homes. And so we went and visited, and finally came away one cat richer: a black and white three-year-old whom we named Becket.
Becket is still settling in, but has already made it very clear that he’s happy to be here. When I first adopted Spike, I didn’t see him for a full two weeks. Litter was used and food and water consumed, but he was nowhere to be found. It took him a very long time to accept that I wished him no harm. By way of contrast, a half-hour after arriving home, Becket was purring in my arms and giving me head-butts.
I cried again this morning for Spike, but passing along the love I felt — that I still feel — for him is a far better tribute to his time on earth than being wrapped up in self-absorbed grief. And just as Spike opened my heart in many, many ways, so too will Becket, I’m sure.
We’re lucky to share space with them. And if you know cats at all, you’ll know that they agree whole-heartedly: yes, indeed, humans are lucky to share space with us!
– Jeannette Cezanne
www.JeannetteCezanne.com
Posted by: — jcezanne
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Ski Season Travel
October 12, 2007 | 2:37 pm
So many resorts. So little time. How do you find the best place for you ski vacation? As someone who skis all over the map, I felt that it was my duty to write a series of unbiased articles about my favorite resorts. As such, I invite you to visit this page
to read some enlightening articles on ski vacations and other types of travel.
Posted by: — lmercer
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Do You Love Language?
October 10, 2007 | 7:56 pm
If so, have I got a website for you … it’s I love Languages, and instead of repeating myself about it, you can read more here. It’s a great site that makes you want to learn more, to stretch your mind, to challenge yourself.
That’s one of the most important parts of opening your heart: making yourself open to life – to new information, to people’s opinions (particularly when they are different from yours!), to new experiences. Being open is forgetting to judge, forgetting to show off how smart or chic or popular you are. Being open is …. breathing.
If you haven’t done so already, do yourself a tremendous favor and listen to Anna Nalick’s song, Breathe, 2am. When she sings “and breathe … just breathe …” I am reminded of the experiences I describe in my two DreamTime books. Open your heart. Breathe. Fly away.
However you feed your soul — through love of language, or music, or just intentional breathing — take care to do so this week. It’s a good time to be alive.
Jeannette Cézanne
www.JeannetteCezanne.com
Posted by: — jcezanne
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Are You in Shape for Ski Season?
October 6, 2007 | 5:36 pm
If you have not yet purchased my book, Open Your Heart With Winter Fitness, what are you waiting for? Ski season is almost here! In the meantime, be sure to read this ski-fitness article
Don’t plan your ski vacation without it!
Posted by: — lmercer
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The End of an Era
October 3, 2007 | 3:50 pm
This past Monday was my last evening hosting The World of Publishing, an Internet radio show that I’ve been with for just over a year and a half. Part of me is relieved, and part of me mourns the passing of my participation in the show; all in all, a pretty normal reaction to the end of any era.
There are a lot of good reasons for moving on, but it’s going to take a while for me to shed my “Dr. J.” persona, one that was bestowed on me by my producer and one that I’ve really loved assuming. I’ve loved knowing that I was touching a lot of lives (we had anywhere from a couple hundred listeners to a few terrific bumps up into the thousands). I’ve also loved talking on-air with a wide swath of the publishing world — authors, agents, editors, and publicists — and have learned a lot through my many conversations with them.
I always asked guests for their advice to beginning writers, and while the advice varied, more often than not it had to do with perseverance. So if you’re reading these blogs because you dream of writing, take this to heart: never give up. On writing. On hobbies that open your heart. On life.
– Jeannette, the erstwhile Dr. J.
www.JeannetteCezanne.com
Posted by: — jcezanne
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