Gratitude + Gratitude = Awesome Life Happenings

This is a blog hop. At the end of my post, you can click on links and go from one blog to another and join your favorite authors as they chat about Fall, Autumn, Monsters, Halloween history and customs, etc. There is also a contest you can enter

Fall has finally arrived and I’m not the least bit sorry to see the hot days of summer fade away. Oh, I already miss having fresh tomatoes and realize I didn’t cook and freeze enough as I’m nearly out of frozen, crushed tomato sauce! But there’s next year.

Aside from the cooler weather, I love fall colors: the oranges, yellows, browns, etc. Here in California where I live, we don’t get the fall colors of the East coast but still, there is a change. I find fall colors soothing and restful.

The color changes isn’t all that I like about this time of year. This is a time I focus on gratitude and being thankful. This year is different though. In January, when I wrote out my goals (writing, personal, health, etc.) one of my personal goals was to focus on the good things in my life, to be grateful for what I have and what I am

When it came time to write this, I thought back to that goal and I have to admit, I’ve done really well with this goal. When something works out, or something good happens, or something horrid is dealt with, I take a moment to send my thanks out into the universe (good brings good, right?).

And it’s not just money related areas. I try every day to be grateful for something or someone, even my pets, like the little black kitten I just rescued. She was hanging around strip mall when I spotted her trying to get food near the garbage cans where the staff at Wingstop or customers were dumping chicken bones on the ground for her.

I decided to rescue her. Got some chicken, lured her out, and snagged her. Took her home. Found out from my hairdresser that the employees of the shops there were all feeding her but no one could catch her. From what I learned, she had to be around six weeks when she was most likely dumped and had been foraging on her own for 2 weeks.

I was afraid she might have lost some important social time and could have issues as she kept hiding in my husband’s office under the desk drawers. My friend thought I should just let her be but I knew that she could not stay afraid and in hiding for weeks as that would put her behind socially even more.  My instincts and work paid off. She’s been here a month and is well adjusted, friendly and very loving and not afraid of anything. On her behalf, I’m grateful that she probably had a good first 6 weeks and overcame her scary two weeks. Now, my other cats aren’t quite that grateful <g>.

Taking a glance back over the year, there are two major events I am grateful for. Last December I took a scary leap into the unknown when I took on a ghostwriting project from an online freelance site. I’d never written short novella length books and hadn’t written in the erotica genre, or the BDSM sub-genre. Turns out, I was good at it.

Not only did this writing gig bring in much needed income, it led me to my current career change from writing historicals to erotica. Because I changed my outlook and was looking for positive changes, I took a chance and ended up rebranding myself without setting out to do anything more than earn some writing income.

I’m very grateful to the woman who hired me because she gave me the confidence to write a story for myself to submit. So I’m very grateful to the The Wild Rose Press for taking me on as one of their authors.

So, the question is, had I not been focusing on the good, on being grateful, and being positive, would I have taken the chance on writing erotica for someone else? (It is very hard to sign away all rights to a story you write!)

I don’t think so. I had a positive mind-set, was looking for those doors or windows to crack open and then I was willing to step into the unknown.  And my goal to be positive and focus on gratitude allowed me to think outside the box.

So what I’m really grateful for is gratitude.

It’s not always easy to show gratitude in life but I firmly believe that if we concentrate on the good, be mindful of what we have, what we are, we attract the same. You know the saying: like attracts like or good brings good, negative breed negative. Focusing on gratitude brings more things into our life to be grateful for.

Here’s an exercise: write out a list of 100 things you’re grateful for. Do this often. It’s enlightening and healthy for your mind. Every day, think of one thing you are grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

How often do you just give thanks? Doesn’t have to be to a God, just stop and say thank you aloud, or I’m grateful for___.

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Once Upon A Dom Series by Sydney St. Claire

http://sydneystclaire.com 

Red & Her Big Bad Dom — October 31, 2014

Wealthy computer genius Graham Winters is in love with a woman who won’t join him for a

stingy cup of coffee. How can he prove he’s nothing like her jerk of an ex if she won’t give him a chance? Then he spots her at a BDSM club and devises a plan. During the day, he’s “that damn geek.” At night, he’s the masked Dom known as The Wolf.

When it comes to her love life, Lucy Sanchez has one rule—no geeks. Not even rich, good looking geeks. She’s attracted to Graham but rules are rules. Besides, she has her wolf, the mysterious Dom who makes her blood sing. Then she’s invited to a fairytale event at Pleasure Manor and this Little Red Riding Hood plans to enjoy every delicious moment with her big, bad Dom.

 Wild Rose Press       KINDLE      NOOK     KOBO      IBOOKS               

OmniLit                       Bookstand                   All Romance

 

 

 

Cinderella & Prince Dom — September 2014

Jaimie Newberry is jobless, her rent is due, and her cat just died. On top of that, she was accused of embezzling before she was fired. When her friend invites her for a weekend of kinky fairytale role playing, she agrees to go as Cinderella. What has she got to lose when sex with a handsome prince is involved?

CEO Bryce Langston needs to know if Jamie is innocent of embezzlement or just very clever. He arranges for her to be his weekend sub but soon realizes the pretty scullery maid is naïve to the BDSM lifestyle. As her prince and her Dom, he intends to not only learn the truth but to make sure she has a fantasy come true.

Wild Rose Press         KINDLE            NOOK          KOBO          IBOOKS            Bookstand                  All Romance    OmniLit

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