Monthly Archives: January 2020

131 votes for My Life as a Mule

Mahalo for your support!

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Thank you friends for supporting my first book My Life as a Mule in the TaleFlick Discovery contest.

We landed 8th out of 40 books with 131 votes. Not too shabby! ;-)

And . . . in the eleventh hour I received the most AMAZING review from an acquaintance.

I met this “true reader’s heart” (how she described herself : ) years ago when I was the waterfront director at a camp for diabetic children, * TCDC. She was a camper. I haven’t seen her since (many, MANY moons!), though I have a wispy memory of her wide, vibrant smile!

Here is what she wrote:

“There have been several great stories told from the perspective of animals that gently urge us to take a look at ourselves. (Charlotte’s Web, Animal Farm, and Watership Down come to mind.)

Now, we have “My Life as a Mule.”

This book, told from the perspective of Molly, leads us to confront our own thoughts regarding class conflict, race relations, anxiety, bullying, self-doubt, and fear. Are our perspectives our own? Or are they the ones forced upon us by those around us that became comfortable because we’ve stopped challenging our values?

Molly is a delight as she moves through the challenges of her life and matures as her understanding grows.

Thank you, Ms. LeHoven, for daring us to look at our belief systems in such a non-threatening manner. It is a book you will love reading over and over again, but also one that you will share with loved ones and strangers, alike.

Open your mind and your heart. Molly is waiting.”

Wow, thank you Ms. Marquis for taking the time to find me on facebook, buy my book, AND . . . read it!  May Molly be a lifelong companion as you continue on your way. <3

With MUCH love and GRATITUDE for you ALL,

xoxox Sj xoxox

* I’m in that black and white photo from 1981 shown on the TCDC Alumni page. ;-)

Molly Needs Your Help

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In getting the word out of her journey of LOVE

as told through her memoir:  My Life as a Mule.

Starting January 15th at 10 a.m. PT & ending Friday, January 17th at 4 p.m. PT YOU can VOTE that you would like to see her story adapted to the screen.

Hollywood producers will be following how many votes each story receives in the TaleFlick Discovery contest AS WELL AS the conversations revolving around each story.

How can you help?

By voting for My Life as a Mule (one vote per person). AND even more importantly, by participating in the conversation regarding Molly’s story.

Click on the icon on the right of the box for My Life as a Mule to vote and click on the conversation bubble to leave a comment or ask a question.

Last week’s winner garnered 4,448 votes. We’ll be jazzed to receive 100! But . . . if you can participate in the conversation and let people know how Molly’s story touched YOUR HEART, we would be most appreciative. <3

Molly's Epiphany Tea

Molly’s Epiphany Tea

With love and aloha from Molly and me,

xoxox Sj xoxox

P.S. And . . . if you want to share this with your friends, well, that would take the cake!!!

Mahalo nui loa!

Being in the Now

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Being in the Now.

What does that mean exactly?

How can we just BE in this moment when there’s so much to do!

Projects.

People to see.

Bills to pay.

Life to live.

Earlier today I saw this word online: Focus.

A popular online personality said that she is going to make it her main word for the year –FOCUS. As in focus and get things done.

Okay, I thought, Yes, I do seem to get a lot done when I focus. It is definitely how I’ve been conditioned to BE in this world in order to be a productive, contributing member of society.

And yet . . .

There’s soooo much beauty. Soooo much peace when I’m BEing in the now. Savoring each breath. Noticing what’s going on around me. Within me.

And then I thought of TRUST. What it means to trust.

Okay, if I’m telling myself I need to focus. Put myself on some kind of a schedule. THEN I’m telling myself that I HAVE TO be that way in order to be productive. In order to accomplish whatever. Be a good citizen. Contribute to society at large.

And if I don’t, well, I’ll be a failure. Tossed about at the whim of whatever pulls my attention this way or that.

*****

And that brought me to some day in time when an image of a boat being tossed about at sea was the topic du jour. The warning of what can happen when one lives a life unplanned. Unfocused.

*****

And yet . . . when I reflect on my life, I recognize how unconventionally I’ve been living. How I have been letting myself be pulled this way and that by whatever is grabbing my attention in the moment. And still . . . in the midst of it all, I have been productive. Have accomplished things that could be considered successful to the outside world.

All while letting go and allowing the current to take me where it will.

*****

Okay, Sj, what are you trying to say?

Well, I think I’m trying to say that it’s possible to do both. To BE in the now and also focus on whatever interests us in the moment.

Because I’m realizing that being focused is as much a part of my nature as is daydreaming.

When I read a good book, I get lost in it. That’s focusing.

When I’m writing whatever, I get lost in it. That’s also focusing.

And when I used to compete in sports, I’d get lost in the moment. Thinking of nothing else except what I was doing. Another form of focusing.

And ALL part of my nature. Who I am.

So . . . on this Saturday morning when I thought I’d be out the door by now, I’ve been pulled to sit and write. To think and reflect.

Was it wrong? Should I have been doing something else?

No.

Because I’ve come to trust this guidance so well.

To trust my soul’s promptings.

It’s gotten me to where I am now. And this now is really, really good. ;-)

xoxox Sj xoxox

P.S. I made an Sj from the Heart video a few weeks back called “Being in the Now.” I had it scheduled to post on YouTube sometime in March (another video was going to be posted today), but . . . in the way that life just keeps unfolding and continually showing me that I’m not in charge, I changed which video would post today to the one you see below (to match this blog post). And there you go. Life is always, always changing, and we’re always, always being guided. ;-)

P.P.S. The image above is of a shower curtain, lol, being tossed about at sea. It is available for purchase if you like it. No, I don’t make any profit off of that, lol. Just find it funny that the image I found that I like is for a shower curtain. Also saw that it comes as a mouse pad and rug. Again, lol.