Category Archives: Interviews
Abuse and Reuse: Affton Shouse Goes Bold & Shares Tips for Innovation
When I jumped into creating Project BE Bold last year, one of my key goals was to showcase people out there using their passions to make the world a better place. I think it is truly important to learn from innovators who find ways to use their talents in a way that is unique and bold.
Meet Affton Shouse, resident of Bend, Oregon and founder of Abuse and Reuse candle & body 
products. In an effort to be a steward of the earth; a dispenser of healthy, organic and local products; and the creator of kick-in-the-pants, one-of-a-kind wares — Affton has had a blast and inspired those around her. Her concept is to take used wine, beer, liquor and soda bottles and transform them into candle holders. She then fills them with organic soy wax, scented with one of her collection of 170 natural scents.
Beyond creating candle votives that inspire her, Affton also takes requests. Her clients often bring her bottles that have sentimental value – rather than have the bottle sit to collect dust, she transforms them into keepsakes that can be used forever.
It’s amazing when we dare to break the mold and dive into a trade with passion. Those around an innovator tend to become inspired, jump on the bandwagon and the next step comes naturally. For Affton, the process is taking her local project countrywide. Soon her Website Abuseandreuse.com will go live for the world to see…stay tuned!!
The following is an interview that I was fortunate enough to conduct with Affton. May her words and thoughts inspire you to dive into your very own unique passion:
Where did you grow up? Beautiful Hailey, Idaho. I went to Wood River High School.
What did you like to do as a child? I always enjoyed arts and crafts. Making friendship bracelets that I took to school and sold when I was like 10! ha! Loved interacting– always had a ton of friends. I also liked playing football after school with the neighborhood boys! I was always the only girl.
Tell us about your school experience – why did you like and/or dislike school? I loved art class…hated anything that involved doing homework. I love the social part of school and loved my teachers. I always did very well on tests, but barely passed classes because I refused to do homework! If I could go back knowing what I know now, I think I would have been a straight A student!
What are your passions/interests in life? I love getting dirty. Camping has always been a
huge part of my life along with fishing and hunting. I enjoy being outside no matter what the activity may be. My passion is self sufficiency…I love being able to do my own thing!
What inspired Abuse and Reuse? I had been saving bottles that appealed to me. After a pile of them in my window seal I realized I either needed to do something with them or throw them out. I had made candles before and loved the idea…WaLa!!!
Do you have competition, and how do your product offerings differ? Every business has competition. There are a lot of people that had this idea before I began – I strive to make my products better by using the finest materials. I am very into my local community and try to buy everything possible right here in Bend, Oregon. I also pride myself on my customer base. My customers thus far have shown extreme loyalty and great constructive criticism which has helped me grow and provide a better product.
How can you make yourself stand out above your competition? Listening. I love feedback on every single item that I sell, whether it is good or bad. Listening to what my customers want and expect from my products has put me above my competition. This idea is pretty new to the Northwest which gives it a huge advantage!
Tell me about the bottle/candle making process? Do you enjoy the process? What are the challenges? The candle making process is actually quite lengthy. First is the cutting of the bottle. Then comes the sanding which takes about 15 minutes per bottle for the smooth texture. The filling of the holder is the longest process, taking up to two days! I am always trying to better my techniques and speed up my process. I enjoy my product but do to the length of the hole filling process I have my moments of discouragement.
How will you reach out to customers so they know you’re there? Word of mouth. I am
constantly talking about what I do and where to find my products. Being made of recycled materials makes for great conversation and interest amongst many people.
What advice can you offer those looking to start their own? Don’t be scared. There are so many options and opportunities out there for small business owners, especially women. Utilize your resources and don’t give up! Owning a business is very discouraging at times, but hard work, dedication, and persistence goes a long way!
What would you do if money weren’t an object? How would you approach your business and life? Keep doing what I’m doing! Sure, I wouldn’t have to make due with old tools and slow equipment, but I love what I do. Not going to lie, an employee or two would help!
In you mind, what does it mean to live boldly? Stand out and stand behind what you believe in. Don’t judge and don’t be judged.
What are your favorite quotes? Live like you are dying!
As Affton continues to grow her business, Project BE Bold will provide updates. Stay tuned! To order her products prior to her site launching, visit the Abuse and Reuse Facebook page by clicking here.
- Post By Jen Engevik
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Tanna Frederick on Bold Living
For the past couple of years I have been fortunate enough to help represent the Body Glove brand
Tanna Frederick, Actress & Ocean Activist
at the annual Save Our Surf charity event and have observed first-hand the passion of Actor Tanna Frederick, the founder of the non-profit organization. Tanna is the epitome of a bold human being. Her love for people, the ocean and willingness to make difference has inspired me to new heights, and I know she will inspire you!!
The following is my recent Q & A session with amazing Tanna:
Tell me a bit about where you come from. Where did you grow up? What were your interests/passions when you were young? I grew up in Iowa in a big family whose life and sustenance depended on the land and taking care of it. We were all hyper-sensitive to the weather, the changing patterns of the soil, the climate, the animals. Not only that, but the past time of my family, friends, relatives was to take vacations in nature. It was our ‘time-off’. Picnics, camping, hikes…
We had a huge beautiful state laid out in front of us with tons of wildlife and wilderness and very little cement and city life. I have always derived happiness and peace from the natural state of things. I will always work to keep things undeveloped and closest to their natural state.
I wanted to be a garbage man as a kid, so I could ‘pick up all the garbage that people dropped on the ground.’ Instead I became an actor, but I still consider myself somewhat of a garbage man. I like to clean stuff up. Even more than that, I like to not have to clean stuff up, for it to be kept clean in the first place. I believe we can maintain that in this world, and in our oceans, and will fight to see it happen.
When did you realize that you have a passion for acting and the arts? How did you first tap into that passion? I don’t ever remember not having it. I was born with it, and started doing theatre at a very young age, as many shows as I could do every year. It was never a question of not acting, because I can’t live without it. I’ve always experienced the divine dissatisfaction of never having done enough, refined my work enough, learned more, played enough roles.
You seem to be a person who dares to follow your heart. What advice can you give others about following their own? Life is short. The worst enemy of each of us is that little voice inside our heads that tells us to be ‘reasonable’. There’s no time for being reasonable. We are a tiny blip, one sixteenth of a frame in this whole history of a 35 mm movie reel of existence of this universe. Make the most of what you got because it’s a lot.
What does the ocean mean to you? It means life, it means support, it means peace and sustenance…It means magic and possibility and mystery, and our ultimate family tree – where we came from – it’s our key to the past and our future. It means family, it means love. It means healing. And it means surfing. And surfing means total world domination. Just kidding. But it is what I love, so I like to keep my playground clean.
When did you learn to surf? How has learning to surf affected/changed your life? When life feels incredibly difficult or I get frustrated by rejection or the stress of being in a very challenging industry, I suit up and get into the water and everything becomes peaceful and serene. I catch a wave, get tossed about underwater, see a pod of dolphins swimming by, get bitten by a playful seal, and am reminded that I am minuscule in the scheme of things. I take myself less seriously and am reminded how lucky I am to be a tiny organism and get a little taste of this big amazing planet. It calms my mind, gives me perspective that I’ve never gotten through another sport. Tames the rabid actor’s ego.
Can you describe what it feels like to ride a wave on your surfboard? Like flying. Like losing your virginity (can you put this on the internet, if not it’s okay – note from Jen — yes you can!! It’s all about being bold here :-D ). Every single wave. Because it’s just that time, that moment, that wave, that will never be the same again. Only that moment and what you do on that wave is what you have, and no wave and move is the same – ever.
How did Project Save Our Surf come about? What drove you to dive in and dare to make a difference?
Frustration with getting sick and seeing the other surfers get sick from dirty water. Watching surfers, who I see as silent heroes, cleaning up the water one piece of trash at a time, and realizing that they should be at the forefront of ocean conservation movements. Their efforts should be seen and heard as leaders and examples of what to strive for. Because they know, they experience daily changes in the oceans on a mental, physical, and spiritual basis. They care.
Any ideas on how people can best care for the ocean? There are endless ways. What I believe in is first and foremost just plain ‘showing up’. Showing up at Project Save Our Surf and supporting each other and coming together to acknowledge a common interest is a HUGE step within itself. My fundamental approach to this organization is accessibility and education. Those two key elements create action and movement. To go from having 30 people three years ago on the beach to 6,000 this year shows the power of movement, the acknowledgment for change, and the 
beginning of change. To educate yourself, to read one article a day, even a week, on water conservation is a simple example of what I would recommend people start with. And then, in turn, to eventually get involved with people who are rallying together for the cause of our ocean preservation, even if it’s one day out of the year, to just ‘show up’, can build mountains in terms of protecting our fragile ecosystems.
How can people get involved with Project Save Our Surf? Easy! Check out the website, click on participate, sign up to surf or volunteer in next year’s event…Join us in our trips to the Gulf, or put a team together. Also come on board and express ideas we may not have thought of, raise issues you want to see addressed, come to us with a project you’d like to see happen. We’re just a baby in terms of organizations, and we have a ton of freedom and excitement and fresh perspectives thanks to everyone who is stepping up to the plate…And we need more people!
You are an amazing example of someone who has dared to become an activist — you have jumped in and created a powerful movement!! What advice can you give to men, women and children who want to make a difference in the world, no matter what their area of activism? How do they create a movement of their own? Inspire yourself. Let others inspire you. Create a family of people who surround you and support your same efforts, and never lose sight of your goal and your ultimate purpose. Do not let petty fights or ego or personalities get in the way of that. Remain true to those dedicated to your mission, fight to keep them around you. Realize how tiny we are, how great the fight is, and stay the course. Start with baby steps, because those are the biggest steps even though you don’t realize it, and never diminish the enormity of your work.
What are your secret ingredients to living a bold life? Do something that scares you. All the time. Challenge your body and your brain, because it expands your soul. The second I’m scared, I know I’m alive. Thrive on that. Take risks. Take what you don’t think you can do, make the goal forty times bigger, and go after that. You’ll be shocked at how amazing you are.
What is your favorite quote?
“You can just take this job and shove it.” Haha. It’s weird. Why can’t I come up with a better one that that? I don’t know. It’s just the first one that comes to my mind. Because I think I’ve never wanted to be in that position. I’ve seen a lot of people in jobs they hate. And even working the worst jobs out here, packing pasta, answering phones, cleaning toilets in Pizza Hut, hauling pans of ribs at catering events, I was on a mission. And I was determined not to have a 9 to 5 job because it didn’t work for me. I never wanted to say, ‘I don’t want to go to work today’. I didn’t want to need a vacation, because I wanted to love what I was doing too much that it felt like one great, exciting vacation. I’m pretty darn close to that.
- Post by Jen Engevik of Project BE Bold
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Artist Wolfgang Bloch on Creativity & Bold Living
Meet world-renowned artist Wolfgang Bloch who understands the importance of a solid support system, true inspiration, hard work, education and humility as he lives out his dreams.
A resident of Laguna Beach, California, Bloch is proof that with hard work and the ability to share what lies within the heart – possible is anything:
Tell us about your childhood. What things did you enjoy taking part in? Did you have any idea that you would one day become an artist?
To me it was a pretty normal upbringing; it was all I knew at the time. I was born and raised in Ecuador. My father was German and my mother from Chilean descent. We grew up in a small house in the suburbs of Guayaquil, speaking German and Spanish and intertwining both cultures.
My father didn’t believe in television, so I was forced to entertain myself. Fortunately we had a large yard and our house was surrounded by open space where I learned to appreciate nature.
Being the tropics there was so much life everywhere with lots of interesting creatures. Like most kids, I enjoyed art, specially drawing. I began collecting insects,and spent hours drawing them in great detail.
My father became my role model; I spent a lot of time with him, traveling by car throughout Ecuador on work related trips and on weekends playing tennis with him and his friends.
He always introduced me as the artist in the family, but I never imagined it as a career.
When did you decide to become an artist? Did anyone guide you in the direction of becoming one? Did you have any resistance to the idea?
I left Ecuador and moved to Florida after graduating from high school, in hopes to become a marine biologist.
I did OK with my science courses, but struggled with math for a year. I took a drawing class to fulfill my electives credits and found out that I was actually good at it.
I took more art classes and with the help of my professors, I decided to change my major into art.
Fortunately my parents were always supportive with my decision.
My father told that no matter what I decided to become, I should always love it.
What did you learn from your days in art school? Do you feel that it is essential for artists to have formal training?
I’m a big believer in college education; I feel schooling helps enlighten and expose us to the world.
I think it makes you well rounded, which gives you a broader base and deeper understanding. You can then use that information and make it your own.
I see that you have a love for the ocean. What does the ocean mean to you? What do you love most about it?
The ocean is the inspiration and essence to my work. Its size, its constant physical and visual movement, fascinates me.
It’s beautiful, powerful, quiet, mesmerizing and grand. Rather than recreating something I’ve witnessed, in my paintings emotion dictates the pace.
Explain your use of wood within your works of art. Where do you search for it? How does it affect your paintings?
I love wood, it’s a material I’ve always been familiar with. It provides great texture an color.
Since I use reclaimed wood, each piece has a story to tell; it was once a tree and then perhaps part of a fence, a cabinet or a house.
It’s imperfect, organic and interesting. I always leave a section of the wood as I found it, to show it’s original condition.
I think all of this adds interest and dimension to my work. I think it’s a way for me to reconnect with nature.
Project BE Bold is an attempt to dare men and women to take chances. What advice can you give readers in respects to going for it?
It’s a cliche, but I think we should always trust our own instinct. Deep inside we know what we want.
The hardest part is trusting yourself enough to take that first step and then, not looking back. If you’re not happy where you are in life, at some point you have to make a change.
Life’s too short to waste it doing something that doesn’t matter to you.
In my mind artists are as bold as one can get because you have to share your inner world on a daily basis. Do you agree? Can you tell readers a bit about an artists inner world and how it feels to share it with the world?
At the beginning of my career it was very difficult to be as you call it “bold”; to share my work with people I didn’t know, or walk into a gallery looking for representation.
Now I know It was because of lack of self confidence. Once you understand and believe that this is what you are supposed to do; it’s what I studied to become, it’s what I know best, then you don’t see it as being bold.
I believe in my work and I understand that some people connect with it and others don’t, and that’s OK with me.
Any advice for artists trying to break into the art world?
My advice would be to always do it because you love it. Be original and stay true to what y
ou are. If you’re lucky enough to make a living at it, that’s a bonus, but don’t go into it for any other reason.
Do you have any current or upcoming exhibits that you would like to share with our readers? Any books or Websites?
My studio in Laguna Beach is open to anyone interested in looking at my work.
I’m also having a solo show in December at SCAPE Gallery in Corona Del Mar, Calif.: http://www.scapesite.com/index.html
In 2008 Chronicle Books published a book about my story and work titled Wolfgang Bloch: The Colors of Coincidence. It was written by Mike Stice and designed by David Carson. The book is available throughout bookstores, or directly through Chronicle Books at http://www.chroniclebooks.com
Visit my website to see samples of my work, and hopefully you’ll connect with it: http://www.wolfgangbloch.com
What is your favorite quote of all time?
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act. It’s a habit.” Aristotle
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Leading iPhone Application Developer Rob Terrell Shares Insights on Creating Apps
Rob Terrell, Founder of TouchCentric LLC, has been around computers since he could remember. The Terrell family’s 
Byte Shop in Mountain View, California became the first distributor of Apple computers after being approached by Steve Jobs in the mid-70s.
Rob’s uncle Paul Terrell was amazed at the tenacity of the then young Steve Jobs and thought that he may indeed have something. Terrell put in a purchase order for 500 Apple computers (his only request that the computers would be fully assembled). Jobs then scrambled to finance and build 500 computers, delivered them to Terrell and Apple was officially in business.
It is safe to say that without the Terrell family’s vision and willingness to give new technologies a shot, Apple may not be where it is today. Rob continues his family legacy of innovation with his passion for new technologies, with Apple at the center. Since 2007 (the beginning of the iPhone revolution) Rob has been developing top-selling iPhone apps and is now extending his knowledge into iPad apps.
In the following interview, Rob shares ideas on how to successfully build and market iPhone applications:
What type of work were you engaged in prior to creating iPhone apps?
Before making iPhone apps, I worked for a webcasting company called Avacast.
What was your technological background prior to creating iPhone apps?
My family has been involved with computers and software since the 1970s. As long as I can remember, there have always been computers around the house. The first computer we had was one that my Dad built from a kit, which he got from my uncle, who owned the first computer store ever: the Byte Shop. That computer only lit up LEDs on a panel — not very exciting. My dad eventually opened his own Byte Shop and I got to play with a series of early computers: the Processor Technology SOL, the Exidy Sorcerer, the Commodore Pet, and finally the Apple ][+. I loved the Apple ][+ because it had color and the BASIC programming language.
Do you have to be very technically savvy to create an app?
You don’t — but it helps! There are tools that you can use to build apps even if all you know is HTML.
Almost all iPhone apps are created in Objective-C, which is very technical indeed. If you’re starting from scratch, there’s a lot to learn.
You can use a tool called PhoneGap to take HTML pages and bundle them into an app that can be sold on the App Store. Apps built in this way can’t do as much, but for a beginner it can be a great way to get started. There are other tools, like Corona and Unity, that use simpler programming languages, like Lua or JavaScript, to build iPhone apps. This can also be a great way to get started.
What was it that drove you to get into creating iPhone apps?
Curiosity. I’ve always wanted to customize whatever cell phone I use. Once I started writing iPhone apps, I got hooked and didn’t want to do anything else.
Tell me about your first iPhone application. Was it a success?
My first iPhone app was a game called “Sumo!” It was available on the first day the App Store was open. It was an early top 25 game, and was selected by Apple as a Staff Pick. Apple even installed it on iPhone and iPod touches in every Apple store as a demo game.
In the first month of the App Store, a Top 25 game could mean $25,000 or so in revenue. Thanks to the incredible growth of the platform, nowadays a Top 25 game could be earning millions.
If someone is interested in learning to create iPhone applications, in which direction should they turn?
http://developer.apple.com actually has some very good documentation and samples. Also, there are several decent books to choose from: look for the books from Bill Dudney and Dave Mark.
Do you have to have any special licenses or apply for approval from Apple to create an app?
You need to join Apple’s iPhone Developer program, which will set you back $99 per year. You can then create any app you like! Although if you want to put the app in the App Store, your app must be approved by Apple. There’s many stories of app rejections floating around the web, but generally Apple only rejects apps for bugs or objectionable content. The App Store is like a virtual Apple Store — Apple is careful about the third-party products sold in their physical retail locations, and they’re just as careful about the virtual goods they sell in the App Store.
How long does it usually take for you to develop an app…from conception to launch?
Between one to three months, depending on how big an app it is. The best apps are very focused on a single task; big, sprawling apps that aim to do many things tend to do poorly. So quicker is often better!
Once you launch an app., how do you usually market it?
Developing is easy! Marketing is the hard part. At least, this is how it ends up for me.
I often leave marketing up to my clients, but I always recommend using a good marketing agency. With 150,000 apps it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. Marketing is the only chance your app has to be seen.
I recently launched an iPad app, and have hired a PR firm to handle the marketing. I’ll have to let you know how that goes!
How many applications have you published thus far?
I have created over 50 applications in the App Store for television stations. I have also created applications for radio stations, like WUNC.
What types of clients do you work with? And how do you keep them happy?
To keep them happy — do whatever they ask!
I try to work with clients who have a good idea of what they want to do — an actual mobile strategy or focus, as opposed to someone trying to play catch-up on the platform. People playing catch-up are typically more worried about their competition than their customers, and thus make bad decisions about their apps.
And finally….what is your favorite quote (just something we ask everyone)
Several years of kid-induced sleep-deprivation have erased my internal Bartlett’s storage area, so all the good quotes are missing. How about a simple one: “Don’t panic.”
For more information on Rob’s Corporation TouchCentric LLC, visit www.TouchCentric.com.
- Interview by Jen Engevik of Project BE Bold
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Ten Questions for the Dalai Lama – Time Magazine Interview
Enjoy this powerful interview with the Dalai Lama! Within the interview he discusses religion, success, life, dreams and his story with honesty and humor:
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The Four C’s by Walt Disney
“Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a 
man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C’s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.”
- Walt Disney
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Inspiration for Aspiring Writers & Adventurers: An Interview with Author Alexandra Fuller
I am happy and proud to share a “fresh off the press” interview with one of my favorite authors. Alexandra Fuller was born in England in 1969. She then moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) with her family when she was two-years-old. After Rhodesia’s war of independence in 1980, her family moved first to Malawi and then Zambia where she met her husband. In 1994, she moved to the United States and now lives in Wyoming with her husband, two daughters, son, horses, cats and dogs.
Alexandra in Wyoming
Alexandra’s books include:
The Legend of Colton H. Bryant (Non-Fiction), Scribbling the Cat: Travels with an African Soldier(Memoir), and Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood (Memoir).
I was thrilled when I found out that Alexandra was so very willing to participate in a Q&A session with me for several reasons: Firstly, because aspiring writers need sound advice from accomplished writers on how to be bold enough to write and attempt to be published — secondly, because in my early 20s her book “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” helped me find the will to stare hurts from my childhood down and attempt to process them. And finally, my father Wilmer John Engevik had taken a trip to Zimbabwe a couple of years before he died in 1986…Alexandra’s words gave me an insiders view of the land in which my father adventured into and of which he shared such fascinating tales.
In my mind Alexandra embodies boldness — the willingness to place it all on the line so that others may find hope, beauty and truth…
Alexandra Fuller - Author
When did you know you are a writer?
When I was five. My mother was home-schooling me for a couple of years before I went to boarding school. She loves words and books and writing and Art and she used to have me write “stories” from the adventures of our day out on the horses, or about what happened to the dogs and then illustrate my stories. I loved seeing the words make my stories both permanent and safe – once they were on the page they became exciting, as opposed to terrifying. I also loved watching her read what I wrote, her pleasure if I used a tricky, descriptive passage. Every child wants to please their mother, I think , and writing was one way to get my mother’s approval.
How can one be certain that he or she has the skills that it takes to write and be published?
That’s a hard question because I don’t think I ever take that for granted, even after a few books have been published. I guess I would say that in the past I have had the skill that it takes to write and get published, but I never know, from one morning to the next if that gift is still MINE. The more you write, the more likely it is that you will get published, but I wasn’t a good writer at university, and there are plenty of people (myself included, often) who would say that I have a long way to go before I really write well. It’s a moving target, like any art. Only very, very few people are natural at this, I would say.
Writing is a solitary act…have you ever found this to be a challenge?
Not really. I love being alone. I spent a lot of my childhood and a huge amount of my adolescence alone or with dogs/horses. In any case, I am never alone for long. I have three children, dogs, horses, cats, friends – sometimes the challenge is to find enough time to be alone. I also usually have the radio on for company, and I can’t remember the last day when I truly didn’t see another human being.
How did you first enter into writing professionally?
I wrote “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” after writing ten novels which circled around the same subject (all the novels were veiled accounts of my childhood). All the novels were rejected. But “Don’t Let’s Go” got accepted and I was on my way.
Have you ever doubted your writing ability?
At some point every day.
Do you have any suggestions for those struggling with insecurities and fear surrounding a writing project?
Well, I would say that insecurities and fear are part of the process. The trick is working hard enough on your own self (I try to mediate, walk, dig deep and uncover why I am feeling so insecure) to rise above the fear/insecurity arise if I let my ego take over. So much of writing for me is about working on having less ego (zero ego would be best!!) which makes it easier to get out of the way of my work.
How do you select topics for your books? Do you actively search, or do they make themselves known?
Both. I look for stories all the time, but eventually, one will just insist on itself, keep me awake, wake 
me up, shake me to my core and then I know I have to write it.
In several of your interviews, you have mentioned speaking your truth…in doing so what has it done for you?
I think learning how to be truly “truthful” (which is quite different from brutal honesty which I am sometimes accused of, but I am not sure that’s what I am aiming for) makes us awake, aware, alive. It’s a less safe place to be socially – most of us tell tiny little lies from the moment we wake up both to ourselves and others – but it’s a great place from which to write. I think/hope it makes the work more universal. All humans recognized “truth” when they see/hear it.
Your love for Africa is so very beautiful…I read that you want to return to live one day. What does Africa represent to you?
Home.
On the front flap of your book “The Legend of Colton H. Bryant” it reads: “Colton knew there were a hundred ways to die in Wyoming. That’s why he figured there was only one way to live – with all his heart.” What does living with all of your heart mean to you?
It means being very alive to every moment. Living in the gorgeous, difficult fatness of every experience. I think most addictions – to Facebook, alcohol, relationships, texting…whatever it is we do to stop from being where we are – are ways to avoid being completely present in every moment. I have found that working on trying to be here, now, has given me a richer tapestry to live in. It doesn’t mean there isn’t huge amounts of pain sometimes – being awake is an extremely painful process (I really felt this when I was writing ‘Colton’) but I would rather fully feel the pain so that it comes out in some neurosis or on my deathbed.
Finally, I would like to close with something that Alexandra wrote to me regarding our childhoods — I think everyone can benefit from her wisdom:
“I think our childhoods swell to take up too much room in the rest of our lives unless we face them – for all their complicated, difficult, double-edged gifts!”
- Post by Jen of Project Be Bold
Don’t forget to go out and make bold decisions!
