Gain Disguised as Loss

Thunderstorm over Corfu

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The above title comes from Julia Cameron. It’s something she wrote in her book The Artist’s Way. And the huge tech glitch that happened yesterday, as I write this, might be considered one of those kinds of situations. It’s just one of lots of things happening right now that could be thought of as loss, but might in fact be a time of gain. What if all the chaos going on in the world right now is forcing us to take a look at the way we’ve been living and the things we value. 

I know some people shy away from self-reflection, but we really can’t avoid it. Everyone experiences times when their lives crash and feel like they are falling apart. Those are blessed times if we choose to take advantage of them. I know they don’t feel blessed while they’re happening, but when they are over and you look back you can see how much better your life has become.

But the question still remains, how do we make it through hard times? It’s always good to look for something that makes you feel better, even if it’s only for a short while. If you make the decision to seek things that make you feel better every day, eventually the amount of time you feel good will exceed the time you feel bad.

I probably don’t need to write this, but doing things that are harmful and addictive are not what I’m encouraging you to do. Things like walking outside and enjoying nature is sometimes prescribed by therapists to help alleviate depression. But a night out with friends, engaging in a hobby, reading a good book or watching something uplifting on TV, or taking a little trip are all possibilities. Sometimes I take a nap or write in my journal to make myself feel better.

Another thing I do is to disengage from anything that I call “noise”, like YouTube, or social media. Not long ago I read an article about the benefits of day dreaming. Maybe sitting out on your deck, or on a park bench and just watching the wildlife, clouds, or people walk by could be just what you need.

I keep harping on this because I’m sure some of you might be like me, a highly sensitive person, who wakes up every day wondering what new thing is going to invade our calm. I hope some of the possible tools I’ve mentioned above will help you navigate these stressful times.

Have a wonderful week ahead. Thanks for reading and take good care of yourselves.

Blessings,

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2024

The Space Between Time

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.

Have you ever experienced life shattering events? Yeah, after the last few years, most of us have. In The Space Between Time, Jenna Holden gets slammed by her fiancé walking out, her mother’s untimely death, and losing her job all in one week. But she receives unexpected help when she finds her three-times great-grandmother’s journals and begins the adventure of a lifetime.

The Space Between Time is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, or you can find the ebook at iBooks or Barnes and Noble. If you prefer a physical copy, you can find a print-on-demand version at Amazon. Stay tuned for news when the audiobook version and sequel are published.

Lucinda is also the host of Story-Power a podcast where she and her guests discuss their creative endeavors, and/or the stories that have changed their lives. It’s available here on Sage Woman Chronicles and on Apple, Google, and Spotify podcast apps. Please rate and leave a review. It helps people find me.

Rita Gau’s review: Recently, I finished reading a book titled, The Space Between Time, by my friend, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden. It was the best book I’ve read in a long time. It kept me captivated, which I have not experienced from any other book for the past couple of years. I loved all the little gems of meaningful and what I call spiritual statements throughout the book. You know, those words that make you pause and think, and sometimes have an “aha” from or a deeper awareness about something. And it was entertaining and informational about some of the history in the 1800’s and yet, contemporary. It also reminded me of the importance of “living in community” and how important it is to help one another and be engaged in your community. Thank you Lucinda for a wonderful, entertaining and captivating book!

Story-Power on Patreon and Apple Subscriptions

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast, Patreon Community, and Apple subscription so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. The Apple subscription is $3 a month, again with content not found on the Story-Power podcast. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Or, you can add the subscription on Apple podcast where Story-Power is published. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

PodMatch

If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Writing Historical Fiction That Is NOT Set in WW II

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“Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories. ~ Roger C. Shank, Cognitive Scientist

Bio: Cheryl King is a dyslexia therapist and author of teen historical fiction Sitting on Top of the World, a 2022 Eric Hoffer YA winner, First Horizon winner, and Grand Prize finalist. The sequel is Under the Paw Paw Trees. She also is enjoying various flash fiction contests. Readers can learn more at https://CherylKingWritesThings.com. Be sure to sign up for Cheryl’s monthly newsletter.

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Other links

Cheryl’s books: Sitting on Top of the World, Under the Paw Paw Trees

October in the Earth, Olivia Hawker

Chasing Eleanor, Kerry Chaput

1000 Word Flash Fiction Contests

Bud Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis

Authors in Grocery Stores

The Paris Library, Janet Skeslien Charles

The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides

The Project, Courtney Summers

Priestess of Ishana, Sorcery in Alpara, Of Kings and Griffins, Flights of Treason, Judith Starkston

The Lost Apothecary, Sarah Penner

The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams

Eric Hoffer Book Award, First Horizon Award

HFC (Historical Fiction Company) Book Awards

Reese’s Book Club

Cheryl’s TikTok campaign, Dear Reese

PodMatch
This episode is brought to you by PodMatch, the dating service for podcasters. They introduced me to Cheryl King, and I’m so glad they did. I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversation and remember that if you have a podcast or something to share with the world, check out PodMatch at my affiliate link at PodMatch and tell them Lucinda sent you.

Story-Power on Patreon and Apple Subscriptions
I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast, Patreon Community, and Apple subscription so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. The Apple subscription is $3 a month, again with content not found on the Story-Power podcast. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Or, you can add the subscription on Apple podcast where Story-Power is published. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

Settle Down and Breathe Part 2

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This post contains affiliate links.

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” ~ Deepak Chopra

“In any given moment, public opinion is a chaos of superstition, misinformation and prejudice.” ~ Gore Vidal

Yesterday, as I write this, Barry and I had lunch with our friend Dave Dahl. Dave has been my friend and was my co-teacher at the college since 2017. When he was talking with students in our acting class about their scenes he would always say, “Where is the love in your scene?” He told me he got that quote from a fellow theatre professional friend of his. He loved it so much he started using it when he was directing and teaching. I too love that question so I started asking it of myself in all kinds of situations, not just in the stories I consume. And since chaos is still reigning at the moment, I’ve been asking myself where is the love in the news, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and the like? If there’s no love in the posts, I ignore them.

I almost posted a quote above that we can’t grow unless there is chaos. Some wise spiritual teachers say that humans need contrast to decide who they want to be, or what life path they are going to take. I agree. I don’t know about you, but I don’t learn as much or even very quickly when things are going great. Which means, I, and everyone else, has the opportunity right now to learn a lot.

The elections are coming up soon. When I look at the candidates to decide who I’m going to vote for, I ask myself, does their platform contain love for their constituents or not? If not, I’m not voting for them. Now is a particularly important time to choose love over hate.

Lot’s of people are afraid that our Democracy is going to be wiped out if the Ultra-conservatives take over the government. And caution is a good thing. The Project 2025 platform published by the Heritage Foundation is a 900-page plan that would eradicate most of the human rights gains that have been put in place over the last few decades. For a progressive like me, it’s a scary document because the only real winners are white men. Everyone else will suffer in some way. After just hearing some of the items listed in the document I knew it was full of hatred. The people who wrote it want to turn back the clock so white men are in complete charge taking revenge on those they believe have damaged their right to rule.

As a highly sensitive, empathetic person, I feel that humanity is at a crucial point. What would happen if Democracy died? What would it look and feel like? It might be like the society in the Kevin Costner movie, The Postman (1997). Barry and I watched it not too long ago and I was stunned that it depicted just what our country might be like if Democracy died. David Brin, author of the novel, and the film makers were somehow prescient to the events happening today, even though the story takes place in 2013. 

In the movie, the United States government has collapsed in a terrible undefined war. It depicts a Post-Apocalyptic America where people eek out a living in small communities that have no electricity or other amenities that we’re used to today. There is no communication with the world outside their little groups. The region is dominated by a narcissistic general who dreams of ruling the entire country. He conscripts white men to fight in his army. Anyone of color can be killed on sight if he so chooses. 

In General Bethlehem’s army there are what he calls “The Laws of 8” that the soldiers must follow. If any of the first 7 rules are broken, even accidentally, it means immediate death. Fortunately, Law 8 is “Any member of the clan can challenge for leadership of the clan.” Kevin Costner’s nameless character is someone who tries to fly under the radar, but is discovered and conscripted. But he’s smart and escapes to find his destiny when, to stay warm, he comes across a postal truck and dons the uniform and mail bag from the postal carrier’s skeleton. His plan is to deliver the mail in exchange for food and shelter. However, he soon discovers that communication is a vital key to overthrowing the tyrant, General Bethlehem. I can tell you, I would not like to live in the situation the movie depicts. Fortunately it has a hopeful ending.

Unfortunately, most critics panned the movie when it came out in 1997. I wonder what they would write about it now if they watched it again. I found it to have a profound message for today.

So, which of the local and national candidates have a platform of love? I don’t want to tell you who to vote for, but go look up their records, and platforms. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Biden as President and as senator before that, has done so much to improve the country by helping the economy recover, boosting access to heath care, advancing women’s rights and gender equality. He’s taken huge steps to address climate change, promoted peace and security, not just of the United States, but of the world. He is dedicated to protecting children, while at the same time reforming policing and the justice system. He’s stopped the erosion of our rights by stopping far right judges who wanted to curtail the civil rights we now enjoy. If those aren’t acts of someone who loves this country and the people in it, I don’t know what are. To quote Cat Bohannon, author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, who said on a podcast recently, “Old people know stuff.” President Biden not only knows stuff, he is wise about people and what they need.

That’s my rant for today. I encourage you to do as Deepak Chopra says, take a breath, go inside and find stillness if even for a few moments every day. As you practice being still, you will be able to do it for longer periods of time. Believe me, it makes a huge difference not only for you, but it ripples out to those around you and beyond. And that, in my opinion, is how we create a loving world.

Thanks so much for reading, liking and commenting. Let’s spread as much love as we can.

Blessings,

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2024

The Space Between Time

Lucinda is the author of The Space Between Time, an award finalist in the “Fiction: Fantasy” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.

Have you ever experienced life shattering events? Yeah, after the last few years, most of us have. In The Space Between Time, Jenna Holden gets slammed by her fiancé walking out, her mother’s untimely death, and losing her job all in one week. But she receives unexpected help when she finds her three-times great-grandmother’s journals and begins the adventure of a lifetime.

The Space Between Time is available in all ebook formats at Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, or you can find the ebook at iBooks or Barnes and Noble. If you prefer a physical copy, you can find a print-on-demand version at Amazon. Stay tuned for news when the audiobook version and sequel are published.

Lucinda is also the host of Story-Power a podcast where she and her guests discuss their creative endeavors, and/or the stories that have changed their lives. It’s available here on Sage Woman Chronicles and on Apple, Google, and Spotify podcast apps. Please rate and leave a review. It helps people find me.

Rita Gau’s review: Recently, I finished reading a book titled, The Space Between Time, by my friend, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden. It was the best book I’ve read in a long time. It kept me captivated, which I have not experienced from any other book for the past couple of years. I loved all the little gems of meaningful and what I call spiritual statements throughout the book. You know, those words that make you pause and think, and sometimes have an “aha” from or a deeper awareness about something. And it was entertaining and informational about some of the history in the 1800’s and yet, contemporary. It also reminded me of the importance of “living in community” and how important it is to help one another and be engaged in your community. Thank you Lucinda for a wonderful, entertaining and captivating book!

Story-Power on Patreon and Apple Subscriptions

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast, Patreon Community, and Apple subscription so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. The Apple subscription is $3 a month, again with content not found on the Story-Power podcast. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Or, you can add the subscription on Apple podcast where Story-Power is published. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

PodMatch for Podcasters

If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.

Settle Down and Breathe

James Calvin Sage

“Will it make a difference in a hundred years?” ~ James Calvin Sage, about any problem that arises

“Gain disguised as loss.” Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

“Fear is the mind killer.” Frank Herbert, Dune

Something I’ve learned in my 71 years of life is that sometimes things that look like disasters end up being the gateway to something fabulous. In fact, it’s happened to me more than once. I think it’s happening now.

This is not only true for events in my personal life, but events in the greater world as well. For example, the Supreme Court decision that a president has limited immunity from prosecution when acting in an official capacity is one such situation. Over and over again the pundits, journalists, leaders of social justice organizations, and even regular every day people are panicking and denounce such decisions as the most terrible thing that has happened in the history of our country. 

In cases like these, fear runs rampant. People throw up their hands and say things like, “What is this world coming to?” Or, “Our Democracy is doomed.” Or, “My life is ruined.” But here’s something I’ve learned. As I stated in my opening paragraph, sometimes the thing that I see as a disaster, is actually trying to get me to rethink, redirect, and make a new choice so my life can be better.

My dad used to ask us when we would get upset over some “tragedy” that happened to us, “Will it make a difference in 100 years? Or even in a year, month, or next week?” Once we calmed down, took a breath and thought about it, what had occurred was most definitely not that earth shattering. In fact we probably wouldn’t even remember the incident some time down the road. What my dad was teaching us was to take a breath and detach our emotions long enough to see a bigger picture. It was one of his lessons in how to cultivate emotional intelligence. 

About the Supreme Court decisions, we can ask, are these decisions irreversible? No. There have been other Supreme Court decisions that have been reversed, like, Roe V Wade. So, these last decisions can be reversed as well. And even though at this point Supreme Court Justices are able to serve for a lifetime, that too could change. I can’t think of anything that’s permanent on this planet. 

Thinking of the latest Supreme Court decisions, and even laws that have been passed to curtail so many things we took for granted, we can ask another question, “What am I supposed to be learning from these events?” Getting the answers to that question means you have to be open to guidance from someplace bigger than yourself. Your ego is not going to tell you the truth because its there to control you. Our egos can’t see past the end of our noses. But whatever you call It, The Universe, Higher Power, God, or as I call It, Divine Oneness, It has your back and will give you the answers you need! 

How do I know that Divine Oneness has only my welfare in mind, you might ask? If you think back on your life, how many blessings can you count? I bet it’s a lot. I’ll give you a personal example, there have been times in my life when I was in crisis and I asked what I was supposed to learning and I got answers. You may want to know “How do I know when I get guidance?” The answers can come from a song, something you’re reading or watching, or from something someone says to you. That’s the first part. The second is when you hear that thing that makes you perk up, how does it make you feel? Does it make your heart sing, or your stomach sink. There are lots of variations to what I’m describing. We’ve all had those physical sensations of warning, or excitement. Pay attention to those, they are giving you vital information.

Practicing gratitude is another extremely important tool to use to turn fear into some better feeling. There was a time in our marriage when Barry and I had financial difficulties. When I’d wake up in the middle of the night worried about how we were going to make it through, I’d say to myself, “I’m grateful that in this moment, I have everything I need and I’ve got Divine Oneness on my side.” I’d repeat that over and over until the worry dissipated. And little by little, our financial situation improved. We didn’t win the lottery, or get a huge windfall of money, but we learned to make better choices, and little miracles happened. We got raises, or small gifts of money that got us through the crisis.

Another lesson that I cherish from my father, was to look for the possible consequences of my own decisions, or the decisions of government that were going to affect me. He taught me to project what might happen in the future. A lot of times, I could project outcomes for each choice. Combining my projections with the physical clues I was getting, that helped me overcome fear.

I know what your thinking, the decisions that the Supreme Court has been making lately have dire consequences. “Any decision that tries to undercut our Democracy is bad. We won’t recover from what they’ve done for many years.” But that’s not the only way to look at the situation. Are people sitting back and saying, “Oh well, there’s nothing I can do now. The Supreme Court and our state and national governments have control.” Or, is there a lot of backlash? Are people mobilizing? Are there debates about the ethics of our elected or appointed officials and calls to investigate the ones who may have violated the law? Are there calls to vote for the candidates who share your values? If you can say yes to any of those questions, then the situation may be bad for a while, but things are happening to right the direction in which we’re currently headed.

I know, it’s difficult to deal with so much upheaval. I’ve been through this kind of unrest before. I grew up during the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War Protests, the Women’s Rights Movement demonstrations, and huge government scandals like Watergate. There were also a lot of changes going on in society in terms of the types of music, books, and movies that were popular. There were acrimonious debates about what was acceptable morally, how we should educate our children, what were the rights of workers, and on and on. What’s happening now is so much like then. Most of the same issues are coming up again for reexamination. 

And here’s something else to think about. We don’t learn our lessons all at once. We do a little work to heal, then those same issues come up again so we can do more work. But we can’t heal or affect any kind of change if we’re too fearful to examine how we think and feel about what’s going on. If we want a better world, we have to examine what’s happening so we can make educated decisions about what to do to remedy the situation. And we need to remember that Divine Oneness has our back. We can tune into Its wisdom, turn our worries over to It and gain guidance on how to affect changes for the better. Or we can continue to be miserable and live in fear. We get to choose.

If we want positive change, we have to let love grow in our hearts. If we learn to love those who are not like us, that’s a huge step in moving humanity toward a better world. Remember, though, loving others starts with loving ourselves, so working on that is a huge step toward healing our collective wounds.

My last thoughts are these: 

We can bury our heads in the sand, but remember not making decisions is making decisions that aren’t helpful. 

I suggest not listening to news 24/7. It’s okay to be informed, but inundating ourselves with negative energy leads to more fear. 

It’s good to take breaks from the craziness to deal with our fear, regroup and recharge. Keeping a journal can help with that.

Look for good news and hopeful stories where people take care of each other.

Choose just one or two causes to spend your energy on. Helping others is a great way to find joy.

Give money to good causes. The donations don’t have to be large. Every little bit helps and makes you feel good.

Talk to friends, family, or a therapist about how you feel about what’s happening. Look for solutions rather than griping.

Look for and be grateful for all the blessings you’ve been given. Gratitude banishes fear.

These are things I’ve learned from trying to love myself and find ways to grow. There are lots of resources of books, videos, and people that can help. Remember, you are never alone.

If you’ve read to the end, I hope what I’ve written helps in some way. I’m willing to talk or communicate via email with you if you need me.

Here’s to a wonderful summer for all of you. 

Blessings,

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden © 2024

Empowering Change Using Story Telling

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Eve is a coach, catalyst & connector, she offers group support for anyone who believes it’s #Never2Late for a mid or late-life do-over! She facilitates her courses online from her home in Ireland, or the U.S. when she goes home for a visit. See the websites below. Or connect with her on one of her social media outlets.

Website (Mighty Network), Main Website, X, Facebook, LinkedIn

Amy Vasterling, Story-Power Ep. 31 9/15/21

The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron Also: It’s Never Too Late to Start Again, Walking in This World: The Practical Art of Creativity, The Prosperous Heart: Creating a Life of Enough, Write for Life

C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia

Flannery O’Connor quote: “I don’t know what I think until I write it.”

blog.Earley.com

Erma Bombeck, Humorist writer

Story-Power on Patreon and Apple Podcasts

I’m so passionate about stories that I created the Story-Power podcast, Patreon Community, and Apple subscription so I’d have an excuse to talk story with other story lovers. Patreon is $5 a month for content not found on the Story-Power podcast, or on my Sage Woman Blog. The Apple subscription is $3 a month, again with content not found on the Story-Power podcast. If you’re passionate about stories, and want to talk about what you’ve learned from your favorites, come join me at patreon.com/StoryPower. Or, you can add the subscription on Apple podcast where Story-Power is published. Let’s share what we’ve learned from the stories we love.

PodMatch

If you are a podcaster, or have a message or fantastic product you want to share with the world, I encourage you to check out PodMatch. I call them a dating service for podcasters. Use the affiliate link and tell them, Lucinda sent you. Then contact me so we can set up a Story-Power chat.