Spring Forward with Mindfulness and Grace
Lots of Updates, including a BIG REVEAL, PLUS the foundation to self-grace — gifting ourselves the kindness, patience, and love we need to thrive.
Happy Spring!🌷
It’s been a busy couple weeks, and I have a LOT of updates to share before we get to TODAY’S TIP!
First, I realize this newsletter is a couple days late. That’s so I could complete a big change - more about that in a minute.
Second, the email system finally pruned the mailing list, so THANK YOU for choosing to stay with our FABULOUS FAMILY! I very much appreciate your taking the time to read what I write!
Speaking of reading my writing - the prestigious Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung, Bibliothek und wissenschaftliche Information in Berlin, Germany added FABULOUS to its catalog - the first international library to do so!
Adding FABULOUS to library catalogues makes the book accessible to those who might not have $10 to spend on a book. To get FABULOUS added to YOUR local library, simply request the book at your library’s circulation desk or send me an email with their contact info.
Next, here are the results from the previous CALLS TO ACTION! Thank you to all who replied!
Shall we keep the Book Recommendations : YES! Not one person voted ‘no,’ so be sure to read to the end to see this week’s exciting recommendation!
To recommend a book, just email me the title.
Will you write a FABULOUS review: several of you have done so already! THANK YOU! If you haven’t yet submitted a review, there’s still time. My goal is 50 reviews by the end of March - I hope you’ll help. Reviews are one of the most important tools for getting a book seen and helping other readers decide if it’s right for them.
It’s easy to submit a review!
Click HERE, select stars (hopefully 5, which = ‘recommend’)
add a headline (e.g., ‘great read’)
comment (e.g., ‘enjoyed this book’)
That’s it!
If your review isn’t showing up, please email community-help@amazon.com to confirm that you (a real person) submitted the review, and it is not fake.
If you don’t have an Amazon account, reviews on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble also work!
Hopefully, you were able to take advantage of the $1.99 eBook sale during the first week of March. If so, and if you haven’t yet done your review, I would really appreciate if you submit one before 3/31. If you have questions, email me and I’ll do my best to answer.
AND NOW THE BIG REVEAL!
For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on a complete rebrand, including a fully revised website. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT! It’s still a work in progress, so feel free to send feedback, positive and constructive!
And now on to…
Today’s Tip
💝BE KIND TO YOURSELF ❤️🩹
In the first two pages of FABULOUS, I encourage readers to live the Golden Rule and treat others as they would have others treat us, but we also must treat ourselves as we would like others to treat us. Too often we criticize ourselves for personal flaws, rebuke ourselves for minor mistakes, and fail to be kind to ourselves during difficult times. That needs to change, so we don’t...
…find ourselves in an endless feedback loop of self-recrimination
– Fabulous, p.18
Action Corner
Learning to be kind to ourselves can be surprisingly difficult, even counter-intuitive. That’s because many of us are taught to put other’s needs first, and while it is crucial that we are kind to others and help as we can, it’s equally important to care for ourselves.
To help find your self-care groove, try following these steps:
actively schedule “you time” into every day
Engage in situations that improve your mood
journal or see a friend or do your favorite hobby
Develop and maintain boundaries
‘no’ is a perfectly legitimate response to an unwanted request
actively and attentively listen inwardly
our subconscious often has solutions our conscious mind has not yet recognized
remember to listen with an open mind and without judgement
speak to yourself the way you would speak to a close friend
lace your self-talk with kindness, compassion, and empathy
Focus on personal health
physical activity relieves stress
eating healthy food energizes the body and mind
sleeping enough enables patience and improves mood
don’t forget your mental health
mental health is just as important as physical health!
Go tech-free every day
put down the phone and close the computer
listen to music, read a book, talk to a friend
If you’re up for it, meditate
meditation has many proven heath benefits
Getting in touch with our inner selves, listening to others, and living an intentional life all help us better understand our needs. Elevating those needs above petty distractions is the foundation of self-grace — gifting ourselves the kindness, patience, and love we need to thrive. And in thriving, we ignite our motivation to continue our journey to self-discovery and positivity so we can maximize our potential.
✨Be as kind to yourself as you are to others.✨
Projected publication date: Late Fall 2024!
Ally’s Fabulous Book Nook
This edition’s recommendation comes from Teri B: The Psychologist's Shadow by Laury A. Egan.
In October 1992, Dr. Ellen Haskell begins a new therapy practice in Princeton after a tragic error with a former client. Demoralized by her failure, Ellen strives to restore her emotional and professional confidence. Her parents have departed for Greece, leaving Ellen alone in their secluded country house. As her clients are introduced through their individual sessions, Ellen becomes unnerved when she receives hang-up phone calls and a series of bizarre gifts from an anonymous admirer—first at her office and then at home. As the obsessive lover increasingly invades her life, Ellen's anxiety crescendos and she begins to fear the stalker's behavior will escalate into violence.
The Psychologist's Shadow is a simmering literary suspense and a portrait of a compassionate, introspective therapist who finds herself in a dangerous struggle. As tension accumulates, the reader gains insights during sessions and through the stalker's journal entries, which serve as discordant counterpoints. Who is the shadow lover? An acquaintance, a shopkeeper, an old boyfriend, or a client?
'Til next time, remember to gift yourself grace, especially when you feel discouraged.
Warmly, Ally
Click HERE to get your copy of the award-winning It’s Okay Not to Be Fabulous Every Day!