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

6 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude

GRATITUDE: NOUN

“The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” —

Lexico–Oxford Dictionary

No matter where we are on our life’s path, we always have something to be grateful for. Luke Bryan states this well in his smash country hit, “Most People Are Good”: “…every breath’s a gift, the first one to the last.”

Even on a bad day, there are so many things to be grateful for—our breath, shelter, food, family, friends, pets, our planet, and even for life itself. The list is endless if we take time to contemplate.

When we feel gratitude for the blessings in our lives, we cultivate a deep sense of positivity. According to Psychology Today, feeling grateful boosts happiness and delivers physical and psychological health benefits. Our gratitude also benefits others. When we’re feeling grateful, we’re kinder, more generous, and more giving toward our family, friends, and really, everyone around us.

So how does one cultivate a practice of gratitude? There isn’t just one way, but many paths to gratitude.

In my contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, Nora uses an easy technique—she runs through a mental list of gratitudes in her mind. Below is a brief excerpt:        

Nora needed to pull herself together and focus on the now. Using a technique Steph had taught her, she silently listed her gratitudes. Ben, Davey, Steph, Cruz. Cosmo, Concordia, Chance. Ella and Hud. The mountains and open land around them. Her mood lifted and she felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. Her list had barely scratched the surface. With so much to be thankful for, how could she be in a bad mood?

6 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude

1. Like Nora, make a mental list of the things you’re grateful for (this works no matter where you are—in a car, on an airplane, in line at the grocery store…the possibilities are endless!)
2. Write your gratitudes in a journal every morning.
3. Give gratitude at the beginning of your meditation or yoga practice.
4. Take a mindful walk and give thanks for the experiences along your journey.
5. Take turns sharing gratitudes with a group of family members or friends.
6. Perform a random act of kindness (this can be as simple as a smile or a hug, a cup of coffee, or a gift to someone in need.) When you show compassion to others, it’s hard not to feel a corresponding sense of gratitude.

Gratitude is a powerful process that fosters optimism by shifting energy from negative to positive. Given the significant benefits, why not make gratitude a part of your daily routine?

“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.” – Amy Collette

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

Nora's Promise, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—Reader's Favorite 2019 Bronze winner in Contemporary Romance and 2019 NIEA Bronze winner: 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

***FREE PROMO AUDIOBOOK CODES ARE AVAILABLE FOR NORA’S PROMISE, while supplies last. To request a free Audible audiobook code, please send an email to: SedonaYHutton@gmail.com.***

The Perfect Lap, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—2019 Reader's Favorite Contemporary Romance Finalist: 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—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 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.

Photo by Debby Hudson 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.