Day 8: No Stopping (Photography and Doodle Inspirations)

I was asking for guidance, "What is the next step with Heal My Voice?"

Here was the answer ...

Here was my inspired doodle:

Day 7: Giraffe Energy (My summer: Photography and Doodle Inspirations)

This sculpture is in someone's front yard in Toluca Lake, CA.

Giraffe Energy: Balancing speech with silence, open to the bigger picture, stay connected to the earth, open your 3rd eye for wisdom, increase your perspective by looking in all directions.

A closer picture...

The inspired Doodle:

Day 6: Dragon Energy (Photography and Doodle Inspiration)

Day 6 of a Photography and Doodle exercise to explore creativity and self-expression.

On Riverside Drive, there is a magnificent dragon scultpture in a courtyard surrounded by offices. The dragon totem is described as a powerful guardian and guide and supports the Power of Change and Transformation

Here is a closer picture...

Doodling the dragon and water and fire...

Day 5: Roots...(Photography and Doodle-Inspired Self-Expression)

I love the trees on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, CA. I am fascinated by the depth and twisting and turning of the roots. They remind me to connect to the Earth and stay grounded.

The Doodle and the words I feel in the roots of this magnificent tree.:

Day 4: Clouds (An August Break with Photography and Doodling)

When I walk the mile to Priscilla's coffee shop once or twice a day, I have developed a meditative practice.

I walk along the street opening and closing my eyes. Eyes closed for 5-10 steps connecting to my heart and breathing and feeling the impact of my feet on the pavement. 

When I open my eyes, I listen to my heart and I look to a place where I feel guided to look. I observe nature, the sidewalk, the skyline. I might stop and touch the leaves of a tree or stop to observe bees and butterflies pollinating a group of flowers. I notice a red flower growing in the midst of yellow and white petunias.

I notice things. I look into the eyes of the people I pass on the street. Words pop off a sign. U Love. The world has an aliveness that could have been missed by swiftly walking and thinking about what I will do when I get to the coffeeshop or when I get home.

A view of the skyline:

Doodling late last night. The words Freedom and Rich came to me. Combining all of the parts of life as I open to the inspiration on my walk.

Day 3: Butterflies (Inspired by Photography and Doodling)

Butterflies...seems to be the theme of the last 24 hours. From Jason Mraz singing the song Butterfly to finding a butterfly on this bush of flowers to a Virtual Tour of Oregon with the Yellow Swallowtail on Facebook Page Live a Life Worth Celebrating.

Below are two photographs and the doodle.

Here's the bush:

The Butterfly:

The Doodle: Freedom to Fly and Transform

Day 2: Photography and Doodle: There's a Wishbone in my Tree

Outside the window of my apartment, there is a wishbone shape in the tree. The first time I saw it was a month after I moved in. This was a year ago. I was talking on the phone with my friend, Sherryl Frauenglass. All of a sudden I stopped and I said, "There is a wishbone in my tree!"


Look at the picture...do you see the wishbone?

How about now? Do you see it?

 Look closer...Now...make a wish!

 My Doodle: Make a Wish!

Day 1 Photography and Doodle-Trader Joe's is an Event

Two or three times per week, I walk about a mile to Trader Joe's. I purchase whatever I can carry in two cloth bags or I swing by for samples. The samples make this an event.

On the way into the store, select a shopping basket, not a cart.

Make a beeline to the far corner in the back and get a free sample of coffee.

Check out the sample.

Walk around the store, shopping and drinking coffee.

Find a new food and read the label for possible future.

Grocery shopping is an Event!

Trader Joe's is an Event!

Doodled the Adventure of Trader Joe's

Heal My Voice: Inspired by Photography and Doodling

Heal My Voice launched the first official project at a women gathering in Baltimore/DC in May 2011.

In June, twenty-one women said, yes, to a nine month project of writing, speaking and leadership growth. We spent the first month listening for the story that wants to emerge.

Doodle from your heart.

 In July, we added Doodling, inspired by the colorful, creative, Melissa McClain. (We were focused on Discovering the story.) You can find Melissa on Facebook to learn more about the Doodling Challenge every month.  http://www.facebook.com/melissaAnneColors .

In August, I am going to combine the Doodling with Photography. This month in Heal My Voice we are Exploring the story. The other night, I was weaving around Facebook and found something called the August Break 2011 on Amy Miyamoto's page. (http://www.facebook.com/AmyMiyamotoPage)

Amy wrote a blog about how she was joining a "No rules. No pressure. August Break from regular blogging."  The idea was created by Susannah Conway. (Link to her blog: http://www.susannahconway.com/the-august-break-2011/)

Words from Susannah's blog:

"Okay, here’s the plan for the August Break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you feel moved to share. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, film or digital – with or without words – anything goes! – for the whole of August. No pressure – just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging.

There are NO RULES, people! Just sunshine (hopefully) and a bit of fun. And lots of lovely photos to look at."

So, I am totally inspired by the combination of the two. As I walk around Toluca Lake, CA every day, I am always inspired by words, nature, people and more. I am thinking about Doodling the Photograph of the Day.

Join me for some creative expansion during the month of August. Or anytime... Post your doodles on Facebook: Heal My Voice Page or Jonas Watch Page.

Interactive E-book Club...Series 1

Interactive E-book Club...Series 1
(Sept 2010-Sept 2011)

September 6, 2010

Here is a lasered blog with the membership details and two video links (at bottom of blog) describing the essence and purpose of the club.

Membership is $22 for the Series (For a short period of time the price is $17)

*You will receive 8-10 chapters per month, e-mailed in pdf form.

*At the end of Dec 2010, April 2011 and Sept 2011, you will receive a complete E-book in pdf document. (3 full length e-books)

Book 1- 24,000 mile journey Part 1 (Approx 40 chapters)
Book 2- 24,000 mile journey Part 2 (Approx 40 chapters)
Book 3- The journey of leaving Maryland to move to California  Part 1 (Approx 40 chapters)

* Reflective questions at the end of each chapter to help you activate your own dreams and explore your own inner journey.

*Monthly survey: Your ideas, your input, voting for the book cover and book title, and more...

*Monthly drawing with prizes like books, posters and goodies.

*Teleseminar type event on ustream, blog talk radio or telephone conference 3 times during the year. Scheduled after each completed book. Topics will emerge out of discussions and surveys. For example, "How to create and follow a dream"

*The Club is for all Ages. Wisdom from teens, adults and elders is ALL welcome! (posting a video with examples of wisdom from all ages on this journey. Coming soon!)

*Facebook Page: An Evolutionary Woman's Journey Series.

Watch the videos to understand more about the IDEA! Thanks for watching... (See below)

Go to my formspring account, if you have more questions: http://www.formspring.me/andreahylen

Introduction to An Interactive E-Book Club: Click Here for Introduction

Membership details: Click Here for Membership Details

Longer blog with excerpts from the book: http://bit.ly/membdescription

Click here to sign up now! www.opentoinspiration.com

Moved to another blog for the summer/fall 2010

Hello community of supporters and life travelers!

I wanted to let you know that I created another blog for the summer and fall of 2010.

The name of the new blog is A Call to Inspiration. Initially, it will be one blog a week until I submit my book to a publisher.  I would love if you would go to the site and become a follower.

The focus will be the call to inspiration I am observing in the world. The blogs will include music, film, art, spiritual leaders and inspiration. Examples of hope and infinite possibilities.

Please comment your own experiences as a way to share and inspire each other. Please share the new blog on Facebook and Twitter.

http://calltoinspiration.blogspot.com/

Embrace the adventure,
Andrea

Day 108: On the road-Spiritual Authors Part 8

Spiritual Authors: Part 8

This is the last blog in a series of 8. The five authors in this last blog were all people I connected with through the contest and Facebook. My body is energized from listening to the messages they are each bringing forth.

The Next Top Spiritual Author Contest has been a calling for 3000 people to share their gifts with the world. With this kind of passion and enthusiasm, imagine what we can do to heal, transform and create a shift in consciousness?  Peace within creates peace on Earth.

Here are the authors:

36) Laura Cannon and Tim Mulosmanaj. Laura and Tim are a happily married couple who have committed themselves to helping other couples create connection, purpose and growth in their relationships. They are filled with joy, passion and laughter. I already feel that Laura is a soul sister. She is a member of On Purpose Networking in Baltimore, one of my favorite places on the planet. The name of their book is Creationships: Transform your romantic relationship into the ultimate tool for growth and fulfillment. Watch their video here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=532

37) Mahri Best.  Mahri is a live-er of life. She has followed her inner guidance throughout her life to a variety of jobs and travel. After watching her video, I felt more connected to myself. She delivers a passion of beautiful words and a feeling of unlimited potential. I have so much I want to say here about her! I suggest you click on the link and read the description of her book. Her message carries a powerful energy of healing. Her book is called, "Soul Talking: Wisdom in Rhyme to make a difference through her words and music." http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2156

38) Marguerite Piazza Bonnett. Marguerite's life could easily be made into a Hallmark movie of the week. Her mother was a famous actress. Her father was a socialite who died when she was 7.  And the stepfather spent all of their money while her mother was battling cancer. With all of that, Marguerite went on a path of discovering who she REALLY is! Now, she wants to help you do that, too.   She radiates so much light. The name of her book is: 12 New Thought Steps: The Secret to Releasing Old Patterns And Creating a Life You Love Living.  View the link to her video here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=256 

39) Michelle Casto. At the bottom of Michelle's bio is a quote by Osho, "A master cannot teach, but she can invite you." This is the perfect description of Michelle. When I read her facebook page or the words on her author page, I feel invited into her space. She is a consciousness catalyst who ignites the inner fire of anyone who is willing and enters into her space. I would describe her as a spiritual mover and shaker! The name of her book is, "The Destiny Decision: Integrating Choice and Grace on your Sacred Path of Purpose" http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2107

40) Stuart Rosen. Stuart is an author, speaker and has hosted 3 radio shows, EnLighten Up, Manifesting the Positive, and Dare to Be Your Best. By watching his video, I know that the book he has written about a man who lost his job and is at a spiritual crossroads is going to be entertaining. Stuart is a cat lover.  From the hairdresser cat, to the yoda cat, to all of the beautiful cat expressions in his video, he had me at, "So I was telling my hairdresser all about my new novel." The name of his book is , "Dare to Be Your Best" Click on the link to watch his video http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2339

Enjoy the spiritual wisdom, and heart centered connection of the authors and Vote! Thanks so much.

My book is Open to Inspiration: The summer a woman discovered herself with a teenage daughter and the Jonas Brothers on a 10,000 mile road trip.  http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=49

Top 250 authors go to Round 2.

Day 106: On the Road Spiritual Authors Part 7

This is the last week of voting for the Next Top Spiritual Author contest. May 3, 2010 midnight. Don't wait! Vote now!

I decided to devote a blog to five of the male authors in the contest. All five of the men are writing books that inspired me in different ways. All 5 of them were on Tambra Harck's radio show Joy of Love and Life. When Tambra finishes the last few shows this week , there will be 13 shows with 4-6 authors on each show. Here is the link to all of the recordings:
http://joyofloveandlife.com/NTSAseries.htm

And here is the link for Tambra's book, Sacred Truths: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2109

Now on to the men:

31) Brad Williams. Brad is an astrologer and a spiritual counselor. He believes that we each need to embrace the inner feminine to support the transformation in the world to balance the mind and the heart. His book is called Thinking Man's Dreamer, Based on a true story: One man's journey finding balance in the divine feminine. Click here to listen to his book video: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2827

32) David Wodtke. David is a deep lover of nature and animals. Watching his video with his calming soul and pictures of nature, I felt peace. David is peace. His book talks about seeing the external environment, including nature as a part of us. The name of his book is Awakening the Heart's Natural Love. To view his video, click here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=44

33) Michael Brown. Mike is a spiritual coach who helps people turn their blocks into blessings. He is so passionate and full of laughter and love.  The name of his book came from the words his mother said to him throughout his life. It wasn't until he was about 34 that he began to feel that what she said was true about each one of us. The name of his book is: You are a Gift to the World: A Message from my Mother. View his audio here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=1878

34) Michael David Lawrence.  Michael is a Residential Coach at a therapeutic boarding school for teenage girls. I was really inspired by his message, the work he has been doing for 35 years and his commitment to help people heal. His book was written to help you get in touch with your wounded inner child and how to recover from trauma. The name of his book is, "Emotional Health: Freedom From Suffering and Trauma." Listen to his audio here http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2627

35) Paul Terrill. Paul is a Conscious Living Coach. He lives and breathes his passion to live life with joy and purpose and gratitude. In his book, he uses real life stories of people he has coached and the steps to live life empowered. His book is called, "Applied Empowerment: A Manual for Conscious Living" http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=1898

Enjoy the spiritual wisdom, and heart centered connection of the authors and Vote! Thanks so much.

My book is Open to Inspiration: The summer a woman discovered herself with a teenage daughter and the Jonas Brothers on a 10,000 mile road trip.  http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=49

Top 250 authors go to Round 2.

Day 101: On the road Next Top Spiritual Author contest Part 6

April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!

Here is Part 6 of the Introduction of 5 more authors in the Next Top Spiritual Author contest. I am so grateful for the divine way I have been led to each of the authors. Some of them I have known for years and others have crossed by path in the last week.

Enjoy the journey and adventure with each of these pure souls.

26) Carol Woodliff. Carol is a hypnotherapist and a speaker. She has had an amazing career and background.  Her book emerged from a conversation with a voice within that asked her to write this book. All of her life experiences led her to this moment.  I met Carol through my book buddy, Anna Stookey. Anna spoke of the incredible spirit of Carol and I agree. Her book is called, "From Scared to Sacred: A Skeptic's Journey of Hearing, Accepting, and Living from the Voice Within. Listen to her audio here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2127

27) Cerena Mary Lauren. Cerena Mary is a professional social worker and a Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking.  I met her through the network of ministers from the Beloved Community and James Twyman. She is devoted to helping people heal deep wounds from their past. Her book is called, "Sacred Release: How to change your stories and reclaim who you came here to be." View her video here:  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=634

28) Cynthia Reiber. Cynthia is a Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking and co-founder of an organization called Home: Healing Our Mutual Earth. Her resume is a mile long.  She is one of the most generous ministers in the Beloved Community and is always leading groups and sharing her time. Her book is called, "Becoming an Alchemist: Tools for Understanding and Developing Your Connection to the Divine" Listen to her audio here:  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=245

29) Maria Gamb. Maria is a former Fortune 500 executive trailblazer who worked in corporate America for more than 20 years. Another powerful woman with a long resume. I met Maria at the Freedom Formula Experience in Los Angeles in 2009. The way I would describe her is powerful, heart-centered and passionate. She is absolutely a leader who is blazing a trail for healing.  Her book is called, "The Healing of Corporate America: How to create powerful values based leadership that gets results." View her video here:  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2343

30) Margie Marketta Myllari. Margie is a Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking who is devoted to the Divine Mother. Her hometown is in the Arctic Circle in Lapland, the official city of Santa Claus. She has an incredible vision to build a Peace Chapel there. Her book is called, "Maria Magdalena in my Heart: Margie's Courageous Journey to Maria Magdalena.   http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=233

Enjoy the spiritual wisdom, and heart centered connection of the authors and Vote! Thanks so much.

My book is Open to Inspiration: The summer a woman discovered herself with a teenage daughter and the Jonas Brothers on a 10,000 mile road trip.  http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=49

Top 250 authors go to Round 2.

Day 100: On the road-Dramatic Adventure and the grant writing process

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Dramatic Adventure Theatre shares the journey of the Pepsi Refresh Challenge

                                              The Application Process

I had a conversation with my daughter, Mary K., co-owner of Dramatic Adventure Theatre. We went through the process of filling out the application and gathered experiences to share with you.

Here is the link to the Dramatic Adventure Theatre idea. They need DAILY voting for the next 9 days:

http://www.refresheverything.com/dramaticadventure

If you are specifically interested in applying for this grant, the first thing I would do is click on the link above. Then, After voting! Click on the following words:

How It Works
anyone can submit their idea
Download the toolkit

The toolkit lists the step by step instructions and lists the dates for applying. This is the most critical piece to understand.

Here is some advice from Mary K. about the application:

1) Go into the site and pick a few "ideas" to follow. "Ideas" is the term that pepsi uses throughout the site. 

2) Look at the ideas in the Top 10 spots and the bottom 10 spots. Look at the presentation of the ideas.

3) Make a list of things you like and don't like. Think about things you already have created for your organizations website. Do you have pictures, a solid mission statement, short videos? Do you have a "why" for doing this?

4) There are 10 winners every month in the $5,000, $25,000 and $50,000 categories. The top 10 ideas with the most votes.

5) The $250,000 category is awarded to the Top 2. She feels that you need a really solid support system in place to receive enough votes to reach that level.

6. When applying for a grant take the lower category instead of reaching for a higher number. For example, if you have an idea with a budget of $30,000, select the $25,000 level. In the budget notes, make a note that you will be raising the additional $5,000 for the project. Someone may see that note and donate money to you. Do not add an extra $20,000 to your budget, if you can do it for $30,000.

7. Your application is also your "idea" website. So, it all has to be ready when you submit it.

8. Mary K and Jesse applied on the first day of the month, at 12:00 am (midnight). They received confirmation at 12:08 am. When they checked something at 12:28 am, the application process for the month was closed. 1000 applications were received.

9. The first picture you upload becomes the lead picture on your site. You can't change it. Choose the picture that best reflects your idea.

10. On that note, Mary K. was noticing all kinds of typos, even on an organization's name. Review all of the information well. This will be the face of your organization for the entire month. You can not change it once it uploaded and the voting begins.

11. If you are an individual applying for a grant vs an organization, select one of the lower amounts of money. *one important note for an individual. Write the description like a biography in 3rd person. It brings more credibility to the project. For example, you have a quilting project and you need funding for materials. "Dana has been a quilter for 20 years. Her greatest passion is providing quilts to people who are in hospice. The quilts provide warmth for the patient who is dying and the quilt goes home with the family member as a memory of the last days of their life. The quilts created by Dana will provide..." Mary the presentation from 3rd person is more powerful and compelling. Instead of writing, I have been a quilter for ... I will provide...I have done...

12. This last piece can be a little confusing. I am going to break this down into bite-size pieces.
-You have applied for the grant and your application has been "received"
-You will receive notification of final acceptance around 6am on the first day of the month.
-The pepsi website shuts down 8pm-midnight on the last day of the month.
-Basically, you will prepare everything and still you don't know if you are accepted until the day the voting begins.

Timeline example:

Idea site is completed by Feb 28 at noon
Application submitted at 12:01 am on March 1
March is the month to prepare your idea site with information and videos and pictures
April 1 6am (approx time) you receive the Yes! that you are accepted and everything goes LIVE.

I hope this was helpful to some of you who will be applying for this grant or another grant. Next week, we will list things Dramatic Adventure Theatre did to prepare for the voting.

All of the preparations made their organization stronger. Even if they had not been accepted for the grant process, they created a momentum in their company. They have all learned and grown so much this month.

More information next week. Thanks for voting!

http://www.refresheverything.com/dramaticadventure

Day 99: On the Road: Next Top Spiritual Authors Part 5

Next Top Spiritual Authors Part 5
April 20, 2010

My intention is to introduce you to 5 more incredible authors on Tues and Thurs through May 3. This has become a spiritual journey of receiving inspiration from all over the world.

As a reminder, you can vote for as many people as you want to in Round 1. I have voted for approx 40 authors in the contest. Top 250 go on to Round 2.

21) Lynn Serafinn. Lynn is a Transformation Coach who has used her personal story to help people unlock their own. She is an author, radio talk show host and has a passion to help other spiritual authors unlock their own passions. I heard her story on Tambra Harck's radio show and felt inspired to reach out and connect with her. Her book is called, The Garden of the Soul:  Lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. The link to her video is here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2016

22) Margaret Adams. Margaret is a retired nurse and widow who is sharing wisdom in her community. I met Margaret at a women's gathering in Conway, Arkansas when I was invited to share insights from a book I co-authored called Conscious Choices. Margaret has been a well kept secret up until now. Being in her presence and talking about life in a very simple way, I felt transformed from listening to her stories and connecting with her deep wisdom. Her book is called, Messages of Love: My spiritual experiences. Click here to watch her video-  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=206

23) Sandy Harper. Sandy considers herself a Mommy first to her 3 yr old miracle baby Jake. She was inspired in prayer to create Gratitude Boot Camp. I first heard of Sandy on Tambra Harck's radio show. I love gratitude and felt a connection to her book. The book is called:  Gratitude Habit: Live in Gratitude and Create the Life of your Dreams. Her video link is here:  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2649

24) Shamim Sadiq.  Shamim is a physician by profession and a curious soul searcher living life around the world. One of my Facebook/networking friends connected me with Shamim. She talks about the journey of life in her book. Her book is called: Aim Vertically not Horizontally. Listen to her audio here. http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2738

25) Wal Achmueller. Wal is an artist and a communicator devoted to encourage creative Self-expression. Connecting with her was one of the inspired examples of this contest. I accepted a friend connection from her on Facebook. A few days later I felt inspired to get on the Author share site. She had shared the link to her video and a few inspired quotes that I connected to personally. I watched her video and decided to vote and ask if I could include her on the blog. Then I realized that we had been crossing paths for 3 days. Cool, huh? The title of her book is Sanctuary of Creativity: A Quest Into Self and the Creative Flow. The link to her video is here:  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=1978

Enjoy the spiritual wisdom, and heart centered connection of the authors and Vote! Thanks so much.

My book is Open to Inspiration: The summer a woman discovered herself with a teenage daughter and the Jonas Brothers on a 10,000 mile road trip.  http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=49

Top 250 authors go to Round 2.

Oklahoma City: An Example of Peace on Earth

Oklahoma City: An example of Peace on Earth by Andrea Hylen

(This was originally published in Beloved World- Voices of Peace Newsletter Sept 2008)

July 7, 2008 - A journal entry

Words seem so inadequate on this day.

By spending the morning and the evening at the Oklahoma City Memorial, I feel that my life has been touched in a profound way. I sit here staring at the blank page feeling the stillness, not knowing how to capture this experience in words.

A field of empty chairs represents the lives lost on April 19, 1995. My heart felt like it was bursting open when I first entered the Memorial. Tears ran down by cheeks, as I opened to the emotion. I felt that my heart was bursting with love and gratitude. Love and gratitude? This took me by surprise. I found out later that the entrance we walked through was the Door of Hope. And that is what I felt.

Through the tragedy of loss, the powerful emotions of forgiveness, healing, hope and love have arisen here. Beginning with the people who responded with help immediately, to those who came from afar, to the words of love from children, this is an example of the hope and beauty that is arising on the planet.

The people of Oklahoma City have risen from the ashes and chosen peace. They are an example of peace on Earth as we each make conscious choices for inner peace.

An educator shared the peace that has been birthed here. Conflict resolution classes in schools; Cards and artwork from children, like the tile that reads, ”The world cares.” Sharing tools of peace with the children.

Every night when the sun goes down, the lights below each chair shine brighter and brighter. As the darkness spreads throughout the city, I see the moon at the highest point in the sky. There is stillness. The chairs that represent loss are transformed and emerge into brilliant candles of hope and light.

I see in this moment, it is in the greatest times of darkness that we become the brightest lights.

Day 98- On the Road: A Journey of Creativity Part 2

Monday, April 19, 2010

A Journey of Creativity Part 2


There is a Buddhist Proverb: When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

The teacher signifies a readiness. It could be a teacher, a book, a class, a resource, a job or a next step. The step you have been preparing for has arrived. And many times it is a SURPRISE!
 
                                                             **********

At an Evolutionary Women's Retreat, in October 2007, there were conversations about expressing our creativity and the wisdom that was percolating all over the retreat center that weekend. On Sunday morning, Karen Porter, one of my friends who was also attending the retreat, stood up and shared an inspiration that came to her in the shower that morning.

We should all write a book together. The name of the book would be, "An Evolutionary Woman's Guide to Life." I felt a deep Yes! in my heart as soon as she said the words.

In the next minute, the woman behind her stood up. She said,  "I am a publisher who will publish your book."  One year later we had a published book! Christine Kloser became the mentor and publisher.

Before I share some of the details that emerged as we wrote the book, I want to tell you a little bit about Christine Kloser. She is a phenomenal resource. Her company is called Love Your Life Publishing, Inc.

Lynne Klippel is the managing partner in the company. The combination of their energy nurtures, inspires, and creates a supportive structure for a book to be birthed. If you feel that you have a book that wants to be birthed or have a story to write, I have included a few links to their programs.

This is a link to the home study program: Get Your Book Done Now
http://loveyourlifepublishing.com/cmd.php?af=1164833&u=http://getyourbookdone.com

In addition: Christine and Lynne have a group book project starting now. Here is a FREE tele-class about the book project: Align, Expand, Succeed. The call is on April 21, 2010 3pm Eastern time. There will be a recording of the call, but you must sign up to receive the link.

http://loveyourlifepublishing.com/cmd.php?af=1164833&u=http://loveyourlifepublishing.com/getpublished

Below, I have listed several steps to begin the writing of a book and some of the specifics of our process.

Step 1: Create a title for your book

Step 2: Go to bookstores to look at book cover pictures and back covers. Writing the back cover for your book can bring a clarity to the purpose of your book. A book front cover can be an inspired vision in front of you. Look for other books that are similar to yours to see what is on the market and what has been successful.

Step 3: Create a structure to invite authors and a structure for support. If you are writing a book by yourself use a program like Christine's or find a writer's group and book buddies who can be there to support you.

Here are some of the specific details that were formed with our book:

~ We formed a core group of Bonnie Kelley, Lucky Sweeny, Karen Porter and myself. The ideas was to generate ideas and hold the energetic structure for the book. The core group was the container that held the book as the writers and ideas emerged.

~Book title- Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman's Guide to Life

-Book cover was already a picture on our website and the graphic designer presented different lettering designs for us to choose.

 ~250 women who had attended Evolutionary Women Retreats were invited to submit a personal 1500 word story that wanted to emerge from them to share.

Over a period of several months, 44 women became the authors in the book.

~The idea of a sacred jar of stories emerged as a place to hold the intention of the stories. Story ideas were submitted to me. I printed the e-mail from the author, rolled it into a scroll, tied it with a ribbon and said a prayer for the author to bring forth the deepest expression of herself to share in the inspired story. It was the intention that this story would reach each person who needed to read it.

~ Sage Knight and Karen Porter, two of the 44 women authors, held a space for women to call on the phone every Tues night for three months. We used a free conference calling line. The women were responsible for their own phone charges. Some had unlimited long distance so the call was free to them. Women shared the journey of writing. They shared the joys, the frustrations, the tears, the celebrations, the doubts and received the encouragement to share their voices.

~ A group of women agreed to be gentle readers to give feedback. Some of them were authors and some were women who attended the retreats but were not writing a story in the book. The guidelines were to answer three questions.

          1) What do you like about the story?
          2) What is unclear?
          3) Any ideas or suggestions?

~The authors then had a chance to receive the feedback, reflect, re-write or not and return the story for the final editing. We also decided that the pure expression of each woman's voice was more important than grammar and literary significance. It was the emotion and the energy of the words.

~Judith Watson stepped forward and offered to do all of the final editing of the book.

~ We also had a few women who helped mentor individual authors, one word at a time, to write their story.

~Christine Kloser wrote the back cover of the book, after the book was published. We had an original intention and we also decided to see what emerged before writing a back cover.

Here are two pictures with some of the authors.

East Coast Retreat. Bon Secours Spiritual Center August 2008.

West Coast Retreat: La Casa de Maria, Santa Barbara, CA December 2008

                                                          *******************

~ One Tip about the back cover. If you are writing a story or a book, it is good to know the essence of what you are writing. What is the message? Why would someone want to read your book? Answering those questions is a personal growth experience on its own. Writing the back cover in advance can bring you clarity around your message and answer your "why" for writing the book. This can help you to write with a focus of your message.

Next week I will write about things I learned when I wrote my personal story for Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Woman's Guide to Life. I will share my experience and a few examples of other authors in the book.

Please write in the comments section to share with each other. Your own ideas and stirrings. If you have questions for me, go to: http://www.formspring.me/andreahylen Type in questions and I will answer them there.

If you haven't voted for me in the Next Top Spiritual Author contest, you can go to this link to register on the site,  view the video and vote. Thanks!
http://www.nexttopauthor.com/profile.cfm?aid=49

Day 94- On the Road: Authors Part 4

April 15, 2010

Here is Part 4 of the blogs to introduce you to some of the authors in the Next Top Spiritual Author contest.

16. Anita Pathik Law. Anita is a spiritual leader, a wisdom keeper, a song writer, a minister and great teacher. And none of these words really describes the powerful spirituality that pours from her soul out into the world. I met Anita when I was organizing an Evolutionary Women Retreat in 2007 and she agreed to be a speaker. The name of her book is Returning to Your Original Intention. View her video here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=881

17. Biff and Laurie Boggs Biff and Laurie were on on Tambra Harck's radio show on. When I heard the beginning of their story, I connected with their hearts and the love they transmit. The book was written by Biff and is telling Laurie's story. It is dedicated to their son, Preston. One of the ways the book is described, Learn to be empowered by your own tragedy.  The book is called, "Hitting Fear Head On: Become Light as a Feather, Joyful with Love, and Free to Fly."  View the powerful video here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=223

18. Cheryl Hiebert. Cheryl is a spiritual teacher who is committed to helping people cope with loss.. I connected with Cheryl through the peacemaker group. Her book focuses on grieving the loss of an animal and connects her personal experience to the common feelings many of us experience with any loss. Her book is called,  "Losing Willow: Grieving the loss of an animal companion" The video link is:  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2975

19. Lisa Bonnice. Lisa is a high energy, dynamo! I love her approach to excess weight or illness. She calls it a blessing and a clue your body is telling you. I listened to Lisa's story on the radio show with Tambra Harck and I connected with her immediately. I want you to hear her message. Her book is called, "Shape Shifting: The body/mind/spirit weight solution" Watch her video here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2155

20. Yvonne Read.   Yvonne is a Minister of Spiritual Peacemaking. We connected through an e-mail group of spiritual peacemakers. Her book is an illustrated book for young children and their parents. It has 52 colorful affirmations, one for each week. The name of her book is:  Parenting through the Power Within. You can view her video here http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=255

Enjoy the spiritual wisdom, and heart centered connection of the authors and Vote! Thanks so much.

My book is Open to Inspiration: The summer a woman discovered herself with a teenage daughter and the Jonas Brothers on a 10,000 mile road trip.  http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=49

Top 250 authors go to Round 2.

Day 92- On the Road: Authors Part 3

Tuesday, April 13

Authors in the Next Top Spiritual Author Contest- Part 3

I know that everyone has a full life and it takes time to listen to the videos and audios. I am personally feeling transformed by watching and voting for the authors. Listen, enjoy, and vote, if inspired!

11. Beth Rosen.  Beth is amazing! I would list all of her accomplishments, talents and interests here, but...watch her video instead. I met Beth on the SHARE area for the authors in the contest. She is high energy and is on the group site to encourage, connect and enlighten. Her book is called: It Does Matter and So Do You. Check out her video  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=667   

12. Betsy Muller-  Betsy is the founder of the Indigo Connection and is an energy coach. She also has 29 years of experience in corporate America. I met Betsy on Facebook, watched her video and felt an instant connection! Her book is called, "Energy Makeover: Simple Self Care and Soul Care for Creating a Magnificent Life" Watch her video here-  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=799

13. Eugene Pitout.  Eugene has had quite a journey of studying and experiencing spirituality and metaphysics. I met him on the Share site for the authors in this contest. About one minute into his audio, I felt like I was entering a relaxed meditative state. So glad he is feeling guided to creating  meditations!. His book is called, "I Create Therefore I Am." Listen to his audio here  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=2087

14. Phyllis Abbott.  Phyllis has a powerful story to tell about depression. Her energy is very soft and low key. I can see how important her story is for someone who is struggling with depression. I have attended spiritual retreats with Phyllis and she is passionate and filled with love about sharing a message with people and helping them heal. Her book is called, "Awakening." Watch her video here: http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=423

15. Raija Rintapaa.  Raija is a minister of spiritual peacemaking who lives in Finland. I met her in Oregon at a spiritual retreat with James Twyman. We were both ordained as ministers at that retreat in 2006. I love reading her simple messages of love and hope on her Facebook page. She is pure love and a gentle soul. Her book is called "Fearless Connection: How to keep your freedom in a relationship.  http://www.nexttopauthor.com/?aid=11

Enjoy the spiritual wisdom, and heart centered connection of the authors and Vote! Thanks so much.

My book is Open to Inspiration: The summer a woman discovered herself with a teenage daughter and the Jonas Brothers on a 10,000 mile road trip. http://www.NextTopAuthor.com/?aid=49

Top 250 authors go to Round 2.