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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

     I just read a book by Jennifer Fulwiler that literally could have been about my life, called One Beautiful Dream


     

 In this book, she writes her story about her journey to becoming a published author while being a stay-at-home mom of six children. She writes about feeling inadequate with being a mother, a teacher, and a writer and how she overcomes those feelings by including her family in her decisions and how thinking differently helped her home life. This is a book that I recommend anyone who has ever done anything to read.

     As a mom who stays home, I've wondered if what I do matters. I see my kids and I wonder if the way that I'm raising them is going to help them in life or make them little serial killers in the future. (Since they are playing nicely and aren't skinning animals, I think it's safe to assume they're going to be ok). There really isn't a right way to raise kids, especially when they all have their own individual personalities. My daughter, for instance, wants to be a mother when she grows up. (One good parent point for me) My oldest son wants to be a video game designer (maybe I let him spend too much time on video games) and when he's done with that, he wants to be the president of the United States. I'm a creative person and not a teacher, I find house cleaning abhorrent, (I get cleaned what needs to be clean, I just detest it in the process), and I don't like to play toys with my kids the way that they want to play. That doesn't make me a bad mom, though.

      Jennifer explains many of the things that I've talked about and have wondered in her book and says it better than I could. I highly recommend that you read it!

      I've had this blog for over a year and still don't consider myself a writer. My whole life I've written stories and have started writing books and am almost finished, but still don't think of myself as an author. In the book, Jennifer says that everyone has something that fuels them whether it be arts and crafts, writing, organization, or hospitality. She calls this your blue flame. This is the thing that energizes you and gives your life fire. You see, the blue flame in fire is the hottest source of the fire and is where it originates. We can be stay-at-home moms or women or men who work, but we all need something to fuel us. Even if we are good at what we do, we can still burn out, which is why she says to find that thing that fuels you.

      Find your niche- that's something I've been reading about when creating a blog. My blog has been a smorgasbord of topics, therefore not quite how it should be according to the "blogging experts", but this is my life and things that I enjoy. I may not think of myself as a writer or author because someone hasn't said, "Girl, you're a writer,"but that doesn't mean it isn't so. Jennifer wrote and kept writing and she called herself a writer even though it took her five years to finish her first book. I just need to keep on doing what I love. I'm writing, (Ok, maybe typing) I'm publishing online, I'm getting the things in my brain on paper and into words, I'm a writer.

      Keep on persevering, keep doing what you love! If you keep doing it, you are it. I'm a writer, you're an artist, you're a teacher, you're a caregiver, you're a minister. Embrace who you are, weirdness and all. You don't need someone to tell you who you are, just DO IT!

Have you found your blue flame? What gets you energized?


Any links in this post may be an affiliate link and could earn me extra income.

38 comments:

  1. Yes, I just love to write. I always keep going even when I get frustrating. I've always said writing keeps me sane!

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    1. I wish I was one of those people who walks around with a notebook everywhere I go so I could write down my ideas. Inspiration springs up everywhere!

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  2. This sounds like an interesting book, I bet it is amazing to follow her on the way to becoming a published author.

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  3. I have been looking for a book to read, I guess I should give this a try sounds really good and interesting too.

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  4. Great advice! I will definitely check out that book.

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  5. I have a few areas that interest me. One is my business but the others I have not really looked into blogging until recently. Launched one blogalmost a week ago and already have 8 blog posts.

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  6. What a great review, thank you!

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  7. I'm in the exact same boat as you. I've been writing my blog for a little over three years now, I have academic publications, but I still do not consider myself a writer.

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    1. Since reading the book, I've been trying to get myself into that mindset. I love to write, therefore, I'm a writer.

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  8. Great words of encouragement. I do love writing and will keep doing just that.

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  9. Five years... that's about how long my present unfinished book has been in the creation stage. I can definitely understand this difficulty. Fantastic you found something to give you inspiration, that's really important.

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    1. I have one I started about 5 years ago, but put it on the back burner. The book I've been working on now is a little over a year in the making, but I hope to finish it soon. But then there's edits and finding an agent and a publisher. Then I have to decide to publish myself if those don't work out. It could take longer.

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  10. This is so great and I do love reading your own story and it's really inspires and motivates me a lot to continue to do the things that I love and not let others says who am I and what I need to do.

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    1. Everything happens the way it's going to happen. If you9happy with what you're doing, then others opinions don't matter... unless it's illegal.

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  11. I have always wanted to publish a book but I never got to deciding what I wanted to publish. So I never go to start writing it. I am now 43, so I am not sure if I can ever get to writing my book, even after reading this story.

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  12. I'd love to check out this book. I've had blogs since 2001 and still don't consider myself a writer. I just love to blog and have never thought about writing beyond that but my sister has.

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    1. Blogging is something that you enjoy and I've read your blog and your niche seems to also be fashion. We don't have to have just one blue flame, we can have many to make a fire.

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  13. This book sounds like it has a great plot. I would love to be able to make more time in my schedule to read more often.

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    1. I often find myself reading before bed after the kids fall asleep and fall asleep about 5 minutes later

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  14. Ok, now I want to read this book. You have some great advice. I also feel inadequate at times. As a mom, photographer, entrepreneur and more!

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    1. You should read it! I'm just paraphrasing. You are more than just a mom! Dad's get to have multiple titles, why can't we?

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  15. This sounds like a book I would enjoy. I wish I had time to read more.

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    1. I'm always reading and about 5 or 10 minutes in, falling asleep.

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  16. You definitely need to keep doing the things you love. Ultimately you are what you do. And you want to do it your best.

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  17. Thank for sharing this book, but must importantly your thoughts! I have been also blogging for about a year and it takes time and practice, and of xourse finding a niche in which you feel comfortable!

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  18. It also takes patience. Thanks for commenting!

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  19. Sounds like a great book. I would be so happy to check it out.

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  20. This is a very nice blog post. For me as well, inspiration is one of the most important things a writer should have. Thanks for sharing. I would love to check your book out.

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    1. Jennifer did a great job portraying motherhood. It's not always the same for every person, but there are still things that we similarly cross.

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