Susanna, Aaron, Susan, Steven, [...]]]> Congratulations, Susanna on your “National Indie Excellence” award in the memoir category for your book “What Peace There May Be“! And thanks to you, Aaron and Susan for allowing us to celebrate with you!

Susanna, Aaron, Susan, Steven, Lisa

Susanna Barlow, “What Peace [...]]]> At the “Local Author Showcase”, held at the King’s English Bookstore on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010, Lisa and I had the opportunity to meet six local authors and hear them share a little bit about their book(s). Here are the authors that were there and the books they were discussing:

Susanna Barlow, “What Peace There May Be“; Ryan Shattuck, “Revolutions for Fun and Profit“; Charles Amonett, “Visible Darkness, Hidden Light“; Bonn Turkington, “Velwythe“; Steven Bates, “The Fortuitous Redemption of Mordekiah Liebovitch“; Lisa Mangum, “The Hourglass Door”

I was impressed with all six of the authors and their different approaches to life and writing.

I was also quite pleased with an answer that Bonn Turkington gave to the question, “how did you find the time to write while doing all the other things that living requires, like working?” His response, in a nutshell, was, “I made it a habit.” He elaborated a little bit by saying that everyone has activities during the day that are either non-essential or are being done in an inefficient way. By tightening those things up and making writing a habit, it is easy to write while doing the other things that life requires.

I read something the other day I want to share with you.

“People can only love you to the capacity that they are able to love themselves. They can only forgive and embrace you to the capacity that they are able to forgive and embrace themselves. They can only give [...]]]> Hello my dear friend,

I read something the other day I want to share with you.

“People can only love you to the capacity that they are able to love themselves. They can only forgive and embrace you to the capacity that they are able to forgive and embrace themselves. They can only give you what they have the capacity to give.”

“It’s not your responsibility to grow other people. Your responsibility is to love them right where they are.”

I couldn’t feel more strongly about those words if I’d written them myself.
They were written by my friend Lisa Nichols. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her over the past few years. Lisa is one of those wonderful people who lives what she teaches.

Much like me, Lisa grew up in very difficult circumstances. She was raised in a very poor and dangerous community, often in fear for her life. She could easily have become a bitter, angry and resentful person. It didn’t happen overnight, but she became just the opposite.

It was qigong that transformed my life in an instant. Lisa’s journey has been different than mine but we’ve come to the same understanding of the power of love.

Lisa discovered how to transform her life by opening her heart. The work she has done with teenagers growing up in similar circumstances to hers is truly a blessing.

In her new book, No Matter What, Lisa tells her story of transformation and gives us the steps she discovered that led her to opening her heart.

“Understanding is an inner shift that brings about huge returns in the external world. It frees you from anger and pain and allows you to move through life with more energy, purpose and joy–no matter what!”

Learn more about Lisa and her new book.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this email. I hope it will bring blessings to your life.

With love,

Chunyi