MUSE MONDAY
I'm so pleased to welcome Joanne Guidoccio back to Discover Yourself. What a great positive message for all of us. We'd love some input from you on this great topic.
Using Affirmations to Achieve Health and Writing
Goals
During my cancer journey, I read Louise Hay’s book,
You Can Heal Your Life, and developed
an interest in affirmations.
What is an affirmation?
An affirmation states an outcome or truth you wish
to impress upon your mind. While the affirmation doesn’t actually make things
happen, it can raise your vibration so that you are more receptive to the
desired outcome.
At first wary, I slowly warmed up to the topic and
adopted several of Louise’s suggestions:
Every cell
of my body radiates health.
I relax and
let my body heal itself.
I lovingly do everything I can to assist my body in
maintaining physical health.
I also liked using the following mantra-like
affirmation from French psychologist Émile Coué de la Châtaigneraie:
Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and
better.
Having experienced success with these health-based
affirmations, I decided to use this technique to help achieve my writing goals.
And I wanted to create my own personal affirmations rather than piggy-backing
on someone else’s success.
Here are the affirmations I’ve used during the past
ten years of my writing journey:
My words
flow easily.
Each day, I
write with confidence and enthusiasm.
I submit a
manuscript that is well received by a publishing house.
Joyful and
creative, I delight in inspiring and motivating others with my written work.
Tips for Writing and Using Affirmations
1. Use the first person and the present tense.
2. Keep the affirmations brief and limited. Focus on
one or two until you’ve incorporated them into your psyche.
3. Don’t sabotage yourself with an unrealistic goal.
For example, “My book achieves best-seller status” is too much of a jump for an
unpublished writer who is struggling with the first draft of her book.
4. Practice your affirmations each day. You can say
them first thing in the morning, while looking in the mirror, or while
exercising.
5. Write down your affirmations. You can stick them on
your mirror or bulletin board, post them on your computer, or carry them in
your purse or wallet.
Any affirmations out there? Please share.
Blurb
While
not usually a big deal, one overlooked email would haunt teacher Gilda Greco.
Had she read it, former student Sarah McHenry might still be alive.
Suspecting foul play, Constable Leo Mulligan plays on Gilda’s guilt and persuades her to participate in a séance facilitated by one of Canada’s best-known psychics. Six former students also agree to participate. At first cooperative and willing, their camaraderie is short-lived as old grudges and rivalries emerge. The séance is a bust.
Determined to solve Sarah’s murder, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers shocking revelations that could put several lives—including her own—in danger. Can Gilda and the psychic solve this case before the killer strikes again?
Suspecting foul play, Constable Leo Mulligan plays on Gilda’s guilt and persuades her to participate in a séance facilitated by one of Canada’s best-known psychics. Six former students also agree to participate. At first cooperative and willing, their camaraderie is short-lived as old grudges and rivalries emerge. The séance is a bust.
Determined to solve Sarah’s murder, Gilda launches her own investigation and uncovers shocking revelations that could put several lives—including her own—in danger. Can Gilda and the psychic solve this case before the killer strikes again?
Excerpt
One
missed email. While I couldn’t be one hundred percent certain it was the only
one I had ever overlooked, I knew this omission would haunt me. And matters
weren’t helped when the cantankerous constable on the telephone said, “If you
had read that email, Sarah McHenry might still be alive.”
Leaning
back in my recliner, I closed my eyes and tried to recall Sarah’s face. But all
I could see were curtains of blond hair or, more precisely, three sets of
curtains of blond hair. The Barbies—Mean Barbie, Mellow Barbie, Moody Barbie—came
to mind. How I had detested those nicknames and some of the more cruel ones the
students tossed about like puffs of cotton candy, oblivious to the pain and
potential scarring that could linger for decades and even lifetimes. I spent
the first two weeks of my teaching stint calling out the children whenever they
used those nicknames and giving detentions to anyone who persisted.
Moody
Barbie. That had been Sarah’s moniker. Prone to tears and bouts of the silent
treatment, she often retreated into her own world. A budding artist, she would
take out her sketch pad and draw whenever she finished her work or needed to
separate herself from the others. Had she decided life was much too difficult
and retreated even farther? That had been my first thought when Constable
Mulligan read the infamous email: We need
your help. But the use of the first person, plural pronoun conjured up
another meaning, one even more sinister.
Who
was in danger? Family members? The Barbies? Other classmates? Why reach out to
me after over two decades of silence? And how did she find my workplace email
address? All these questions swirled through my mind, and I longed to ask for
details. But I didn’t want to anger the grief-stricken constable who was bemoaning
the senseless way Sarah had died, alone and exposed to the cool autumn evening.
A shocking occurrence, but even more so in Parry Sound.
Giveaway
Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your
chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
Buy Links
Amazon
(Canada): https://is.gd/vR5Sxn
Amazon
(United States): https://is.gd/lU0qw7
Kobo:
https://is.gd/5MMKWF
Indigo:
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Barnes
& Noble: https://is.gd/ckNfhx
iTunes:
https://is.gd/oPe0RD
The
Wild Rose Press: https://is.gd/nQ2ZjT
Bio
In
2008, Joanne Guidoccio took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch
a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her
well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her
articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online.
When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in
her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in
Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes cozy mysteries, paranormal
romance, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
Where to find
Joanne Guidoccio
Website: http://joanneguidoccio.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccio
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jguidoccio/
Thanks for hosting me, Brenda :)
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt and blog post! I know the Coué quote from The Pink Panther Strikes Again - I had no idea it was anything more official. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kerry! I had also heard the Coué quote many times before I learned of its origins.
DeleteThis is a great post, Joanne. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Brenda. I like visiting this blog. :)
DeleteA good post, Joanne!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, Vicki :)
DeleteI really enjoyed this post Joanne! I think affirmations are another great way of focusing on the positive.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! What we focus upon expands. Good to see you here, Linda :)
DeleteGreat post, and it's so true about setting realistic goals.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, Amber! When "The Secret" first came out, many people believed that all you had to do was visualize millions of dollars, best-selling lists, soulmates, and other goals. Starting small works much better.
DeleteI'm glad your affirmations work for you, Joanne. Being confined to a wheelchair, I have to set my health goals a little lower. I focus on the things I can still do. Great excerpt!
ReplyDeleteExcellent attitude, Ilona! Focusing on what can be realistically accomplished is much better than setting "pie in the sky" goals. Best of luck to you.
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