Yes, I'm a writer.  There I've said it out loud and I'm proud. Does it matter that I'm not technically published yet? No, it doesn't.  I'm two steps ahead of most writers in that I've at least written something.  Many things actually.  Articles, short stories, children's books, a novel, an ebook, and more...

How can I say I'm not published, my eBook, "A-Z Guide, The Best Ways to Work with a VA" is published online.  That's easy.  Just write, announce and you're published.  I haven't even tried to get any of my other writings published.  Can one expect to be found without trying to be found?

I've been writing for 10 years, then life got in the way, and I stopped.  I missed it terribly though and now am back on my destined path.

It was scary at first, leaving what I knew, the comfort of where I was but I asked for guidance and have been lead to take this path.  I am a writer and I am proud.

Yes! I do believe in guardian angels and the power of prayer.  I'm not a religious soul, at least not in the Christian sense of the word.

I do give thanks for all my blessings every night and I continue asking for the power and strength to make it through another day.  I take each day as a blessing and do my best to fulfill that day with production, positive thoughts.

I'm living proof, that by asking for what you want, and asking out loud is key, you will be given what you ask for, so be careful, because it's not always what you need.

My computer has become like a drug to me.

It's colorful screen and endless source of information has a power over me I struggle to resist. I crave to see what's waiting for me when I turn it on each day. Who has something to ask me or tell me.

It calls my name when I walk near, check your email, there's a message waiting.  I can't resist this box of knowlege and think about it when I'm not on it.

Must set boundaries....

There is a fire burning deep inside me.
it gives me a lot of power and energy.
People around me are receptive
to this energy and I can
feel them thrive on my fire.
It's best not to hide my energy
for if I do, it may disappear
or even burn me.

I can honestly say, I'm finally at peace.  I'm happy where I am in life.  I'm fulfilled in my career, my relationships, my health. It's a good feeling.  It's taken a long time to get to this point and a count my blessings every day.

It makes me wonder, if those that had a bad childhood are then allowed to have a good adulthood. And are those that had a good childhood destined to have a bad adulthood? 

I know some friends that talk about their great childhood but seem to be struggling as adults. I think back to my own childhood and remember myself as being painfully shy, struggling with ADD (back when ADD wasn't even heard of) and being very angry.  I was a tall, gangly youth and teased a lot. I carried my anger through most of my young adult life, but now, well into my 40s have found my place, my understanding, my happiness.

What is your childhood compared to your adult life?  Good? Bad? The same?  I'd be curious to know.

I'm on a death and rebirth kick right now, so many of my posts may feel a bit morbid. I'm a Scorpio, we are fasinated with the mysteries of death and truly believe in rebirth.

When close family members are struck with illness or death, it really makes you stop and ask yourself, "What have I done with my life," and "Do I have any regrets?"

I've asked myself these questions many times and have to say, no I have no regrets.  I've certainly made plenty of bad and wrong decisions, but isn't that what has made me who I am today?  How can I regret past actions that have been the modeling clay of my present?

If I could go back and do a few things over, yes, I probably would, but would that then change my future and who I am now? 

It seems like everyone I know right now is finally finding their path in life.  The career they've always dreamed of, the relationship they've longed for.

These are all people, including me, in our 40s, and in my case, late 40s.  Is that life's destiny? To try and fail for half our life and then after paying our dues, we're allowed to live a fulfilling live....even though it's now half over!

Does it take that long for our brain to develop to a maturity level where we know what we want? Or do we just get tired of living a life everyone tells us we should live and finally decide we're not going to take it anymore?  Do we not recognize our life is passing us by until it's already passed us by?

When you're pushing 50, it seems a certain courage grows within and that "I've got nothin' to lose" attitude takes over.  We take more chances, say "no" to more things that don't fit into our life's plan and sometimes it just takes getting out of our own way.

I'm excited to announce I've  partnered with The Entrepreneur's Toolbox to help new and established entrepreneurs build their business success. 

The Entrepreneur's Toolbox offers on-going online tele-classes on topics ranging from software & technology productivity to punching up your web content and search engine optimization.

The first class is Thursday, March 23 at Noon MST - the topic is "Advanced Microsoft Office".

On Tuesday, March 28 at Noon MST, the topic will be "Technology for the Virtual Office".

Look for my class "How to Make Your Web Content Work for You"  in April and be sure to check out all the fabulous tele-classes at  The Entrepreneur's Toolbox.

   
                         Karen                                                                  Holly

 My 13-year old daughter and I took a Bob Ross painting class on Saturday. What fun!

We started with a totally blank, white canvas, and by the end of the class we were artists. No prior experience necessary.

Happy trees!!

I have finally found my niche. Some things are right there staring you in the face. I don't know why we can't see the obvious, I guess we're looking too hard.

As an avid reader and long-time writer, it is only natural that my next step would be editing. I love to proofread.  I love to find typos that no one else seems to notice. I love dissecting each sentence, each paragraph and finding the right words to make the copy shine.

So I've taken the natural course of life and started another home-based business, as you can see. The Red Pen Editor, offers copy editing, proofreading, manuscript typing and writing services. 

I'm ready to launch my new project and look forward to its success. Visit The Red Pen Editor and see what everyone's talking about.

Clean, Crisp Copy for all your Prose
www.theredpeneditor.com