A ruckus erupted outside my office window. I looked out to see a mob of magpies attacking one of their own. I raced downstairs, out the garage and gave them my stern mom clap and voice, as if I was breaking up a playground skirmish. "That's enough. You guys leave him alone. Off you go... … Continue reading Magpie Wisdom
This is my 3rd move in 3 years. I'd planned to keep the beautifully-crafted sturdy wooden doll house I'd ordered for my daughter as a "gift from Santa" when she was 2 years old. Maybe one day I'd gift it to my grandchildren. When I lifted the lid on the bin, it felt like one … Continue reading Feng Shui, A Doll House & Living Lightly
I sat on my front step in morning meditation, a practice I'd observed for nearly 10 years. "I am joy." I ran the affirmation through my brain as a mantra. My shoulders shirked it off. Nope. Not joy. I had no idea what joy felt like. I certainly couldn't conjure it. Happiness I knew, but … Continue reading A Vessel for Joy
Sometimes, a story takes you by the hand and leads you onto the dance floor. It reveals itself to you as you move together. And sometimes a book requires a more structured approach. When you have a plan, you know where you're going, and suddenly writing your book feels a lot less intimidating. My editor, … Continue reading How to Write a Book
Yes, that's a long title. But a rant entered my mind this morning. I was in a flow of energy around clients who want to write books. And clients who want to publish books through Author & Beyond publishing coaching in 2019. But they're not getting around to it. Because they are scared or don't … Continue reading The Most Empowering Advice I can Give You
While you are here, in this earthly existence working out your karma... are you meant to spend your time diving into life on Earth: smell the flowers, taste the foods and enjoy the people around you? Or is it best to invest your time in practice, working toward enlightenment? Maybe you become enlightened through … Continue reading Today’s Contemplation
I'm knee-deep in the process of manuscript revision. At first, it seemed impossible to remove 30,000 words from my 120,000-word story. 30,000 words. That's a small book. But I did it. And there's a tipping point. Just like cleaning your closet. The mountain looms large and you trudge hard. But at some point, you reach … Continue reading What you don’t need
And it's not about you. It's not even necessarily about your work. It can be about timing. About platform (I hate that word but it's a part of author life). About relationships (or lack thereof). About literary maturity. About Mercury conjunct Uranus... But it's not about you. Though it feels like it is. I pretty … Continue reading Rejection is what it is
It's funny how life and writing intersect. I'm in the process of trimming the 110,000 word yoga memoir manuscript down to 80,000 words. It's hard at first... cutting down your writing. It seems like such a monster. Where to start? So you do a few words here and there. Then you leave it. Then a … Continue reading Clean up your mess
Today is day ten of our Nourish twenty-one day detox. Last week found me expounding to my weekly meditation circle about supplication of emotions through substance: in this case, food. Today, perched upon my stationary bike reading The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr, a moment of clarity arrives. Seemingly disconnected dots (memoir and detox) … Continue reading The Memory of Food
Stephanie Hrehirchuk - Author 