Bethany Aleshire: Thriving In The Face Of Your Dreams

Everyone's Story is excited to host this week's awesome guest, Bethany Aleshire. When I was first introduced to Bethany online I blinked what seemed like a few hundred times. Was she really so young and had that much going for her? Yes! And I'm truly happy she does. Her secret? Bethany wraps God's gifts and talents He has blessed her within her heart and turns these treasures around to run with this fuel, helping others to shine and soar (which is also the name of her online magazine). This week Bethany helps us to put into perspective the many daily aspects of our busy lives, making us question whether we're just surviving or trying to thrive. Bethany and I look forward to hearing from you.

The Surviving Vs. Thriving Debate by Bethany Aleshire

Life can get hard and busy quickly and without warning. Something blows up, a lot of to-do’s pile up, or you blinked and it’s suddenly your busy season. What do we do? We go into survival mode and do the bare minimum to get through each day. We don’t write, blog or go the extra mile because our world will stay together if we ignore them – compared to finishing an assignment from your boss who is breathing down your neck about it…that obviously could make your world shatter if you ignored it.

As much as I recognize how pressing our urgent to-do’s are, how important is the “fluff” we choose to leave out?

Blogging.

Calling up your Mom.

Working out to get your fit body.

Reading.

Saying prayers over your kids.

Striking up a conversation with a stranger.

Writing your novel.

Hiking for a day.

Bringing an idea to life that you’ve had on your heart for a long time.

Taking a slower route home.

©Bethany Aleshire

Will we get to the end of our lives and realize that we only got the bare minimum done? That we got the kids out the door every morning at 7am sharp, but not with love? That we did what was required by our jobs to climb the ladder, but threw our true dreams in the trash? That we created and maintained a clean house, but never had the time to take a walk through our neighborhood?

I don’t write about this because I’m the most thriving person you’ll ever meet…definitely not! But because I slip into this mindset way more than I’d like to share. For example, in this past semester I only blogged twice. Twice! I want to say it slipped by me, but no, it did not. It slipped by me because I decided to go into survival mode. Yes, I got all my homework in on time and did fine on my finals, but now my online brand is going to take some serious work to get it back up and running. That could hinder me more than a lower grade in one of my classes. Overall, it’s all about putting important things first and not the urgent things.

The dream team behind Shine and Soar Magazine

Yet, don’t hold yourself to a perfect standard, give yourself some grace! I’ve done some thriving (though it rarely feels like it cause it’s disguised as hard work!) in my time, but there are days where I need to watch Downtown Abbey and eat a bowl of ice cream. You just need to. But if I do that for days upon days, and hours upon hours, my heart goes limp and I know I’m entering into a new slump – which leads to a period of me catching up on procrastinated to-do’s, which leads to a survival mindset. As always, moderation is key.

So, as you start your 2014, I hope you thrive in the hard work of pursuing your dreams and also in the times of intentional and fulfilling rest. Don’t let the survival mindset swallow you whole.

Bethany's Ah-hahs To Tweet:

Bethany Aleshire, young adult Editor & Chief of Shine and Soar Magazine, visits on Everyone’s Story. (Tweet This)

Meet Bethany Aleshire, a talented young woman who wants to encourage your daughters! (Tweet This)

Discouraged by today’s youth? Bethany Aleshire will change your mind. (Tweet This)

Author's Bio:
I am a photographer, believer, emboldener, lover, visionary, and entrepreneur. I've got my hands in a few creative projects; mainly running a magazine, Shine and Soar, for Christian women entrepreneurs, running my own photography business, and pursuing a degree in graphic design. But overall, I'm just a girl with many creative dreams and a deep heart.

Find Rachel on the Web:
Personal Website
Shine and Soar Magazine
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Rachel Simeone: A Book Marketing Coach Shares Encouragement

Everyone's Story would like to kick off the New Year of 2014 for writers and readers with guest Rachel Simeone. And due to a major snow storm here in the Northeast and the lurking possibility of power outages, Rachel's segment is being launched a day early. It's my hope that both writers and readers will gain both insight and encouragement in ways to move forward in this new year in whatever endeavors you pursue. Please drop Rachel's a comment--she's looking forward to hearing from you.

­Should I Race With The Energizer Bunny? 
By Rachel Simeone

Are you intimidated when you meet someone who is a bestselling author? Or, someone who has dozen of books in print? Or, someone who has 10,000 Twitter followers? I am.

In the face of that kind of achievement, it can sometimes seem pointless to pursue our own dreams of publishing success.  And yet, every one of these writers started out in the same place that we are today. Unknown. Unproven. Uninvited. How did they start out like us and end up like them?

Image Courtesy of Google Images

They showed up. They started with a goal and they consistently worked to achieve it.

We all know that if we write one sentence, one paragraph or one page we will be that much closer to a finished manuscript. Sometimes, however, something keeps us from taking those simple steps.

As a book marketing coach, I work with clients who are often disappointed when they don’t accomplish every item on their marketing to do list. They expected to tweet more, finish their monthly newsletter or update their bio on Amazon. Generally, they achieve most of their goals, but not all of them. 

The difference between what we hope to do and what we actually accomplish seems to be the cause of a lot of unhappiness. Many of us fret ourselves into giving up what we enjoy, simply because we never accomplish what we think we should. We get discouraged, lose focus and start consuming copious amounts of red wine and chocolate.

If you think about it, berating yourself for not doing everything that you hope to makes no sense. There is and will always be more to do. (If this isn’t one of Murphy’s Law it should be.) Getting upset about it won’t change it. And, when you are focusing on what you haven’t done, you are missing the opportunity to give yourself credit for what you have done.

Image Courtesy of Google Images

I suggest that you challenge yourself to begin celebrating your accomplishments. Take a moment and congratulate yourself on a job well done. If you set a goal and, instead of watching TV or reading about your high school crush on Facebook, you took a step towards your goal, feel good about it. Take a deep breath and acknowledge what you have achieved.

Will there be more to do? Sure. But that doesn’t change the fact that you are now one step closer to the finish line.

Are there people who seem to manage to get everything checked off their list? Of course there are. Your best bet is to ignore them. There will always be people like that. Some may cross the finish line sooner than you. But what they are doing does not impact what you are doing. You have your path; they have theirs. The key is to stay focused on the trail in front of you.

Give yourself a break. If today you don’t completely accomplish what you had hoped, don’t worry. If you keep at it, eventually you will.

Let me leave you will this story.

Last month, I came down with a cold. Normally when I get a cold, I get into bed and sleep until I feel better. This can take anywhere from 8 to 24 hours.  When I get up, I am cured. My downtime is minimal and I never end up with a full blow cold. It’s a good strategy.

This time, however, I didn’t have time for a cold. I needed to honor my commitments to my clients. Plus, I was planning to launch my first romance novella. So, I ignored the cold.

This was a poor decision. Feeling ill made me tired and I immediately lost the desire to anything creative, especially writing/editing my book.

I pushed myself to meet my clients’ needs, napping when I could squeeze it in. But I couldn’t manage to get anything else done. I started to fall behind. The cold expanded from one week to two. I worried that I wasn’t getting anything done. I wasn’t chipping away at my goals.

The worrying caused two nights of insomnia. By the time a friend convinced me to go to the doctor, I had a sinus infection.

My doctor prescribed antibiotics and insisted that I spend the next two days in bed. I began calling clients and rescheduling them. 

One client, when I was explaining my frustration with how behind I was, reminded me “Rachel, you can only do what you can do. Focusing on what you can’t do won’t change anything. Just do on what you can. If you keep at it, eventually, everything will get done.”

So true.

Rachel's Ah-hahs To Tweet:

Book marketing coach Rachel Simeone on what makes an author successful. (Tweet This)

Rachel Simeone on Everyone’s Story: When writers cross the finish line to published author. (Tweet This)

Rachel Simeone, book marketing coach, discusses how writers can make themselves unhappy. (Tweet This)

Author's Bio:

Rachel Simeone is a book marketing expert who leverages her 20+ years of marketing experience to help authors sell their books.

Working with each author individually, Rachel takes them step by step through proven marketing strategies to deliver book sales. Her goal to simplify the complex world of Internet marketing into easy steps that are accessible and manageable for all authors.

Rachel is a regular speaker at writer’s groups in and around Texas.

Prior to working in book marketing, Rachel held strategic marketing positions at Time, Inc., Williams-Sonoma, and Gump’s, where she developed marketing and implemented programs for America’s leading brands.

If you are interested in maximizing your book sales and taking your marketing to the next level, contact Rachel today.

Find Rachel on the Web:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Everyone's Story Says Thanks For A Wonderful Year

As the end of the year approaches I'm learning that I have a lot more to be thankful for than not. I am thankful to all of my Everyone Story's viewers, guests, and subscribers for faithfully taking a few minutes out of their busy daily lives to visit this little--but expanding--corner of cyber space. Heartfelt thanks. 

Before I launch each weekly guest appearance I pray to God that the segment will please Him and bless my guest as well as each viewer and it is my continued hope that it does.

Here are a listing of the ten most viewed segments in 2013, though for me, each and everyone is dear to my heart. Here's hoping 2014 is another great year ❤

Kathleen Rouser: An Author Bridging The Past To The Present

Winsome Campbell-Green: Heal The Pain Of Unworthiness

Candace Calvert: Holding Onto The Rein Of Faith

Stephanie Landsem: Illuminating History Through Fiction

Murray Pura: Creating Characters That Readers Want To Emulate In Life

Ed Chevrette. Jr.: Trusting On Solid Wings

Sandra Orchard: Chatting With A Rising Romantic Suspense Author

Fay Lamb: Seeing God's Grace In Action

Paula Vince: What Is The Function Of Our Fiction?

Patricia Bradley: God's Take On Quitting

Elaine Stock: Shouting News From The Rooftops of Cyber Space

Whoa. Is this me on my own blog? What a novel concept. Unexpected trouble tripped my slated guest for this week, so I decided to take advantage and share some exciting news. Well, at least for myself. While it's not the amazing news of a book contract--yet--my heart is telling me that it's actually better. I'm basically a quiet person, living a very humble lifestyle, and tend to keep news hushed. A while back I'd made an important decision in my life, but it wasn't until talking with my pastor did I ever think that I should be sharing this news with anyone. Obviously, I've reconsidered and taking advantage of my own social media venue of blogging, have decided to shout the news from my virtual rooftop. I hope for anyone taking the time to read this that you may help me celebrate my upcoming rejoicing by sharing your joys in a comment. I'd really like to hear from you and your good news!

Why I Count, After All, And You Do Too by Elaine Stock

Like any other child without the knowledge of details, I too had whacky and grandiose ideas of what I wanted to become in life. For instance, at the age of 6 I thought it would be neat (we didn’t use the word “cool” back when I was a kid!) to be a trash collector and ride around on a big truck ridding New York City of its garbage. Fortunately, that dream faded. In late childhood I wanted to become a brain surgeon . . . until high school biology labs taught me that I couldn’t handle dissection very well, despite loving the topic of how bodies function.

In my junior high school years I wanted to become the next Neil Simon. Lack of encouragement dribbled in and my desire oozed out. In college I wanted to become a family therapist/marriage counselor, but was questioned by others that if my own family was falling apart, let alone I’d never dated, what could I possibly contribute to others?

Courtesy Google Images

Okay. Believe it or not, this is not a post on regrets in life or a slam against others who may have ebbed and flowed in and out of my life through the years. I haven't surrendered my dream of writing, but the desire to become a playwright has morphed into becoming an author of novels. What I do want to share is that on January 5^th I will be baptized by immersion. I thought this Christmas season would be a wonderful time to announce this.

Is this my first baptismal? No. Growing up in a household without Christ I felt stilted and empty-hearted and didn’t quite understand why. As a young adult and a newly married wife to a Christian man I was baptized by sprinkling into the Christian faith. Allow me to backtrack a sec. One of my earliest memories is sensing a presence of God. I believe He led me to make the next step of my faith proclamation in my young 20s. Ah. I believed I’d done the “right” thing and could finally settle down for a happily ever after. Am I hearing you snicker? That’s okay. I understand. Life isn’t that proverbial bowl of cherries. It wasn’t meant to be.

So, I’m a Christian. Why this whole immersion thingy? And why in this stage of my life? Because, I fully believe this is where, once again, Christ has led me.

Courtesy Google Images

Baptismal by immersion isn’t a guarantee that I will be “saved.” Nor is it the ultimate earthly ritual that cleanses me of my sins. Christ’s blood was shed on the Cross for these reasons. What it is then is my decision to immerse, submerse, and emerge. To die, be buried, and to be resurrected. This is my hope. My belief. It is my own, unique, decision. I make no judgment of others. I want to stand before God one day and have Him say that He is indeed proud of me, His daughter.

And God loves each and every one of us. And that is why you count too.

Where is God leading you next on your faith journey? I’d love if you’d share.

You haven't forgotten me, God

The child whose first memory

Was of my daddy leaving for the day, that was hard

But You, My Father, were there for me.

I didn't know you by name

Yet, sensed You were always by my side

Others discouraged, hurt, played a game

While you encouraged, loved, never opting to hide.

In my youthful rebellious years

When I dared to wonder and roam

You continued to smile and wipe away my fears

Guiding me to my one and only home.

No earthly luxuries spoil me

Daily I'm learning that what must be

Is your love for imperfect me is your decree

And I give my heart to thee.

Elaine Stock 12/25/13

My own Ah-hahs To Tweet:

Wanting to share great news by hearing from you with your own joys. (Tweet This)

Elaine Stock on Everyone’s Story. Say what?! (Tweet This)

Joi Copeland: When God Changes Your Path

Everyone's Story welcomes author Joi Copeland. The literary scene via social media connected the two of us and I'm pleased that Joi accepted my invitation to be with us this holiday week. As you will see, Joi has chosen a very interesting topic--timing wise--concerning putting aside one's writing, even if just for a little while. Check out her Book Giveaway and the related blurb. Both Joi and I are looking forward to seeing your comments.

Book Giveaway:
Joi is offering one copy of her novella CHRISTMAS RAYNE to one randomly chosen commenter. The winner will be announced here on Friday, December 27th, between 5-6 PM EST. For convenience, please leave your contact information within your comment. Thanks!



Blurb for CHRISTMAS RAYNE:

Rayne Adams loves Christmas time. While shopping for a Christmas tree, she runs into a love from the past. With a possible new love forming on the horizon, will the past continue to haunt her or will she be able to let it go and move on? Or is there room in her heart for her former love?

Justin Thomas made the biggest mistake of his life three years ago. Now, finding himself face to face with the one he hurt the most, can he regain her trust and her love? Or will he lose her to another? Find out in Christmas Rayne!

On Hold but Moving Forward by Joi Copeland

Much to my sadness, my two works in progress, Sunshine in Spring and When Mercy Found Me, are on hold. I truly do not like this new stage where I don't have time to write. I have several book ideas floating around in this head of mine, yet I am unable to even finish what I've started for now. It hurts my heart to put these characters on the back burner of my life, but I know the day is coming when I will be able to catch up with them again, have a cup of coffee, and dive into their lives once more.

I know many people say, “You have to make the time for writing. If it's important to you, you'll do it.” For me, that isn't so. Writing is very important. I want to be used for God's glory through my writing. I love sitting down, turning on my laptop, and creating story lines that, I pray, will affect the hearts and lives of others.

However, God has shaken my family up with a new direction for our lives. Never in a million years would I see God doing this. But isn't that just like our Lord? To push, pull, and stretch us? To turn our heads in a whole different direction?

That's what He did for me and my family. We are headed to the mission field! I still shake my head and say, “Really?” every so often.

When my husband, three boys, and I moved to Colorado, it was for the intention of living here for the rest of our lives. I love Colorado and its beauty. Yes, the temperatures have been colder than normal, but I love it! My heart found a place to call home here. It's not the house we live in, but truly seeing God's beauty on a daily basis that enthralls this heart of mine.

So, over the summer when God placed it on my husband and my hearts to look overseas, I was shaken. Excited, nervous, and saddened by how quickly our life went from 0 to 60 in 2.1 seconds. We literally hit the ground running. And haven't stopped since.

We aren't headed to unreached people groups or poverty stricken countries. No. Our hearts are directed to Europe, specifically Ireland. Weird, huh? Moving to a place that is predominantly Catholic? What we've found is that while that is true, it is only true in the sense of nationalism, not a “living faith”' as we've had some friends say.

And so, while my writing career is put on hold for a short season, I look forward to moving ahead and going overseas. I do believe I will pick up my writing after the New Year. I long for that day, and look for it with anticipation. It will be a blessing to say hello to dear friends I haven't seen in quite a while (my characters, of course).

When I do get to the mission field, I am thrilled to be able to write from a different country first hand. One where I can delve into the culture and incorporate that into my novels.

During this Christmas Season, I see Jesus moving in hearts and lives around me in ways that are unexpected. What about you, dear readers? How is God moving in your hearts and lives and causing the unexpected to become a reality?

Joi's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
Why is author Joi Copeland daring to put her writing on hold? (Tweet This)

Visit with author Joi Copeland on Everyone’s Story. (Tweet This)

Win Joi Copeland’s #BookGiveaway of Christmas Novella CHRISTMAS RAYNE. (Tweet This)

Author's Bio:

Joi Copeland is married to a wonderful man, Chris, and has three amazing boys, Garrison, Gage, and Gavin. She is living the dream in beautiful Denver, Colorado. Joi loves being a wife and mom! She enjoys spending time with her sister Steffanne, and loves to sit and have a cup of coffee or tea with friends! She's been a Christian for over twenty years. Following Jesus has been the best decision she has ever made. Joi's other books are Hope for Tomorrow, Hope for the Journey, Christmas Rayne, and Sheriff Bride Rob's Story.

Find Joi on the Web:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon