It's Time to Shift our Focus & Energy

With our country focused 24/7 on the coronavirus, let’s take pause to think about all of the good in our world. Even though it’s not covered by the media, peace, love, joy, and goodness is all around us.

Last night’s news showed an actual fight over a pack of toilet paper. Yet today in my grocery store, I watched a young couple offer the last pack of Charmin to an elderly woman. On my car radio, I heard an endless list of cancellations—schools, sporting events, concerts, committee meetings, community gatherings—even church. At home, I scanned through Facebook and found an equally long list of people offering support—daycare for those impacted by school closures, people swapping groceries and supplies, others extending an empathetic ear.

Even though we’re bombarded by constant doom and gloom, yesterday someone paid for my drink at Starbucks. My daughter sent a video of my 3-year-old grandson ‘calling’ me on his baby monitor, and a friend I haven’t talked with in months gave me a call.

People can use a lift now more than ever, so consider what you can do to spread a little kindness and cheer. Bake cookies for your neighbor. Offer to babysit or host a small gathering for friends who are itching to get out. Call your mom. Send your niece a care package.

While we should absolutely take preventative measures and use an abundance of caution to stay healthy, it’s time to shift some of our focus and energy away from the virus. Otherwise, as country superstar Luke Bryan states in his smash hit, “Most People Are Good,” “I believe if you just go by the nightly news, your faith in all mankind would be the first thing you lose.”

Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong, let’s shift our attention to the generosity and goodness that abounds in our communities and our world. And let’s show our appreciation by passing it on!

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality. 

***New Release!***Restart in Bristol, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—He’s a hot mess. She wants stability. Will these childhood sweethearts risk another pass at love? https://amzn.to/37cCw1b.

Cloud Whispers—2019 IPPY Bronze winner for Visionary Fiction. The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate: https://amzn.to/2IZ6DRc.

To sign up for Sedona’s Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/ (No spam—ever!)

Recommended Reading:

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield: https://amzn.to/39SgKSt

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: https://amzn.to/2GwSGJc

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

Kindness is a Choice (Nora's Promise FREE on Kindle thru 9/5)

**Special note: Nora’s Promise is available for FREE on Kindle, now through 9/5/19!**

In my contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, Steph tells Nora “Kindness is a Choice.”

Like Steph, I believe kindness is a choice that we make in each moment. Sometimes it’s easy to be kind; other times, not so much! When people around you aren’t kind and/or when you ingest a steady stream of negativity, it can be a real challenge.

If you focus on the news, the world is all doom and gloom. We’re a country divided and a people full of anger and hatred. But if you look beyond the television to your friends, neighbors, and community, you’ll find a growing trend of kindness and compassion.

Choosing kindness requires presence, intention, and a connection with your true self, but it’s worth the effort. Your act of kindness, however big or small, has wide-reaching impacts. It can make the difference in another person’s day, week....or even in their life. “Constant kindness can accomplish so much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”—Albert Schweitzer.

Today, I invite you to join me in choosing kindness—Offer a smile, a hug, a kind word, forgiveness, an unexpected visit, a small gift—the list of opportunities is endless. Your single act of compassion can make all the difference!

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to cause many ripples.”—Mother Teresa.

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality.

Nora’s Promise, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—She trusts animals more than men. He races through women like checkered flags. Can one orphaned boy bring them both to the finish line? https://amzn.to/2OktquX

The Perfect Lap, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

Cloud Whispers, A Women’s Fiction Novel of Family and Forgiveness—The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate…A mind-expanding, award-winning novel: https://goo.gl/N9aC38

To sign up for Sedona Hutton’s Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/

Recommended Reading:

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: https://amzn.to/2GwSGJc

The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

Everyone’s Doing The Best They Can

“Everyone’s doing their best at every moment based upon their current state of consciousness,” Dr. David Simon, The Ten Commitments

I was introduced to this concept while studying for my meditation certification at The Chopra Center. It resonated with me so deeply that I included the idea in one of my novels, The Perfect Lap.

In The Perfect Lap, AJ Ryan’s granddad teaches him that “everyone’s doing the best they can from where they are.” AJ listens, but he doesn’t understand what it means until he meets Clare, the mother of the children he’s co-fostering.

So what does this statement mean?

We’re all on our own unique paths in life. We got where we are through a series of experiences, beliefs, and choices. Because we’ve all had different life experiences, we’re all in different places along our path.

We evaluate situations through our lens of experiences, and it’s natural to judge others through this lens as well. The old adage, “Don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes” is fitting. We all too often make judgments based on what we perceive on the surface. Another piece of wisdom I learned from Dr. Simon is that “everyone has a story.” Without knowing a person’s background, experiences and choices…without “walking a mile in their shoes,” it’s impossible to truly understand their story.

“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.”—Jiddu Krishnamurti

In The Perfect Lap, Clare appears to be a bad mother. She smokes, drinks, and leaves her young children home alone for days on end. Like everyone, Clare has a story. After AJ and Ella get to know her and learn her story, they realize she’s made the best choices she could based on the options available to her.

I won’t give away a spoiler in The Perfect Lap, however, I will note that…compassion arises from understanding a person’s story.

 “Everyone may not be good, but there’s always something good in everyone. Never judge anyone shortly because every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” —Oscar Wilde

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of romance and women’s fiction novels with new age, spiritual twists.

The Perfect Lap—If you like bad boys with a heart of gold, strong women, and love stories with a spiritual twist, then you’ll adore this racing romance novel. Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv

Cloud Whispers—The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate… To purchase this mind-expanding, award-winning novel, click here: https://amzn.to/2Lp3b5p

To sign up for Sedona Hutton’s Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/

Recommended Reading:

The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

8 Ways to Choose Kindness

Kindness Matters!

In my contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, Steph indicates Kindness is a Choice.

What do you think? Is kindness something you’re born with…is it learned…or is it a choice?

Like Steph, I believe kindness is a choice. Sometimes it’s easy to be kind; at other times it can challenging. Choosing kindness requires presence, intention, and a connection with your true self.

There are health benefits associated with kindness. Scientific studies have shown that practicing—or even witnessing—acts of kindness promote feelings of peace and joy, reduce stress, and increase immunity.

Albert Schweitzer said, “Constant kindness can accomplish so much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”

There are countless ways to choose kindness. Below is a short list of ideas to help you get started.

8 Ways to Choose Kindness:

1.     Smile! A simple smile creates ripples of positivity.

2.     Give someone in need a hug.

3.     Offer a kind word. Mother Teresa said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

4.     Give a compliment.

5.     Forgive. Holding a grudge is harmful to your health…let it go, and offer compassion instead.

6.     Pay it forward. Buy a stranger a cup of coffee or surprise a neighbor with a batch of cookies.

7.     Practice non-judgment. Transcending the need to judge allows you and others the freedom to be who they are.

8.     Be kind to yourself! Spend time every day doing things that bring you joy.

“Remember there is no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Scott Adams

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of romance/women’s fiction novels with spiritual and new age twists.

To receive future Peace, Love, & Joy blogs via email, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/

Nora’s Promise: She trusts animals more than men. He runs through women like tires. Can one orphaned boy force them to change gears? Click link to purchase: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

The Perfect Lap: Coming May 1—His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? For more information, please visit: https://sedonahutton.com/books

Recommended Reading:

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: https://amzn.to/2GwSGJc

The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k

Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.

Holiday Unity

There is great religious and thought diversity in our country with nearly thirty different holidays celebrated between November 1 and January 15. Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanza, Diwali, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, and many others.

While the nightly news highlights the issues caused by this diversity, there is also much compassion and kindness shared between those with different beliefs. Food served to the homeless, an Angel Christmas tree, an encouraging word, a smile, a hug…people helping people across religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation and a multitude of other differences.

At our core, we’re all the same. We have the same basic desires—peace, love, joy, and compassion. Maybe even more important, we’re all connected. Genetic studies have shown that everyone on Earth is related to everyone else if we go back a few thousand years.

Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit greeting that means, “the Spirit in me connects with the Spirit in you.” What a beautiful way to greet others and to acknowledge and honor our connectedness!

What if we focused on this connection instead of our divisions? What if we looked for the good in others instead of fixating on our differences? Focusing on the positive creates peace within and in the collective consciousness. Imagine what our world would look like without judgment, without an ‘us’ versus ‘them’, without hate.

During this holiday season, let’s celebrate our unity. Let’s spread holiday cheer by practicing non-judgment, compassion, kindness, and acceptance. One by one, we can create peace within and be the change we want to see in the world.

Wishing each of you a Happy Holiday in whatever way you celebrate it and a New Year filled with peace, love, and connectedness.

Namaste!

This blog is written by Sedona Hutton, author of women’s fiction/romance novels with spiritual and new age twists.

NORA’S PROMISE, a contemporary romance: She trusts animals more than men. He runs through women like tires. Can one orphaned boy force them to change gears? Purchase link: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

CLOUD WHISPERS, a contemporary novel: The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate. Purchase link: https://goo.gl/N9aC38

New Age Themes in Nora’s Promise

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

As an author, it’s my aspiration to write stories that not only entertain, but also inspire. Given this, my novels include romance, conflict, and family drama as well as a sprinkling of new age, thought-provoking concepts.

One of the key themes in my work-in-progress novel, The Perfect Lap, is the notion that everyone’s doing the best they can from their current state of awareness. In my new contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, new age topics included are animal compassion, kindness, and the power of now.

Below I’ve provided a selection of the Nora’s Promise Book Club questions for your thought-provoking pleasure!

1. Steph indicates that “Kindness is a choice.” Do you believe that practicing kindness is a choice? How can you implement this in your life? 
2. Steph turned to the Law of Attraction for help after she was diagnosed with cancer. Are you familiar with the Law of Attraction? What are your thoughts on this law? 
3. Nora’s grandfather tells her, “When you dwell in the past, you’re giving away your personal power to create what you want in this moment.” What do you think this means? Do you agree? 
4. Steph, and later Nora, practiced gratitude to ground themselves. They used a simple technique of closing their eyes and silently listing their gratitude’s. Have you ever practiced gratitude—meditatively, journaling, or through another method? How did it make you feel? 
5. In order for Nora and Davey to make the changes necessary for their happily ever after they both had to grow spiritually. Nora had to learn to focus in the present moment and Davey needed to learn to trust the universe and align with his own values. Do you think spiritual growth is an important component in most relationships? Can you think of examples to support your position? 

A full list of Reading Group Guide questions can be found at the end of Nora’s Promise and on my website at: https://www.sedonahutton.com.

Tap this link to buy Nora’s Promise today: https://amzn.to/2OktquX

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” ― Dr. Seuss