Amy Newmark's Blog, page 4

Learning to Navigate the Pandemic Through Our Dreams

I don’t know if you’ve been having more intense dreams during this pandemic, but I know I have. Every night is an adventure. I may be trying to stay home during my waking life, but in my dreams I’m all over the place.

We were lucky enough to have time to include some stories about pandemic dreams in our new collection, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams. And you know how we always say that your dreams can reveal your truths to you? Those truths you are too busy to pay attention to during the day when you’re distracted and you can’t listen to your subconscious? Well, take that situation and compound it by the intensity of pandemic dreams and you get some pretty powerful dream guidance.

Here are previews of two of my favorite pandemic dream stories about how you can use your dreams for personal transformation:

Dreams can reunite you with your past.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in Germany, Sergio del Bianco found that he was dreaming of people he hadn’t seen in years. In his story "Just in Time" Sergio had repeated dreams about a woman named Gwen who had been kind to him at a part-time job he held in college many decades ago. He became fixated on finding her, figuring she must be in her nineties by now.

After a prolonged Google and Facebook search, he found Gwen’s daughter, who arranged a phone call for him. Sergio found himself crying tears of joy as he talked to Gwen and told her how much she had meant to him. A few days after that phone call, Gwen’s daughter called to say that her mother had quietly passed away in her sleep, and that it seemed like she had hung on just long enough to hear from Sergio.

Dreams can change your behavior.
In the story "What They'll Remember" Holly Rutchik found herself dreaming a lot during the COVID-19 lockdown. In fact, her stress dreams about the coronavirus came so early that she and her husband voluntarily self-quarantined with their five children days before their schools shut down. Holly kept dreaming that she was looking in the bathroom mirror, but the woman looking back at her was an “other me,” a slightly different version of Holly. This mirror person kept telling Holly one word: “Remember.” Holly kept noting the dreams in her journal, writing, “Remember WHAT?” She was frustrated by the dream, and by the new reality in her household as well, one in which she was trying to manage her five children’s education and her full-time job, all remotely. Her husband was frustrated, too, and they were both snapping at the children.

That’s when her husband, who didn’t know about her recurrent dream, said, “In these moments, I need to remember how trivial the things that upset me really are.” And with that, Holly knew what to do. She was making memories for her children, and she would remember that every day going forward, and also try to make this unusual time in their childhoods a good memory, with dessert every night and parents who were open to having a little fun along the way.



Amy Newmark

It's a Good Time to Listen to Your Dreams!

We are so excited about our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Listen to Your Dreams. This is the third book we have done on dreams and their power to help you improve your life. Because here is what happens. During the day you're busy and distracted and you can't focus on your innermost thoughts and knowledge. But at night, while you are sleeping, your subconscious can get your attention, and say, "hey, here's what you need to think about or process or decide."

Here are previews of two of my favorite stories from the book that show ways you can use your dreams for personal transformation. Enjoy!

Dreams can give you courage.
In Rebecca Radicchi's story "Turned Messenger" she had a recurrent dream in which a tidal wave was roaring straight at her and she stood there frozen, watching it approach. Finally, after years of this nightmare, Rebecca decided to analyze it. She realized something very important: “Those colossal waves had never actually overtaken me. Not once.” Rebecca understood that no matter what kind of awfulness came at her, she would prevail.

She says, “From then on, I viewed those walls of water as a gift. They reminded me to balance out my feelings with facts. They encouraged me to deal with challenges by facing them. And they reassured me that no matter what comes, I’ll never be overcome.”

Dreams can save your life.
Have you ever had a premonition that something bad was about to happen? Perhaps you changed your day to avoid that bad event, or you warned someone else. In Marya Morin's story "Hush" she had so many dreams and premonitions that came true that her parents warned her not to tell anyone. Her story concerns her discovery of her gift as a young child, and her later reluctance to tell the man she was dating about it, until they were about to have a tire blow out on a mountain road. She screamed at her date to stop moments before their front tire exploded.

As they sat in the car on the shoulder of that treacherous road, trembling, she confessed that she had dreamed the night before about the tire and the ravine they would plunge into. Marya says that unlike her parents, “He expressed no fear or distaste—only relief for saving our lives and sympathy for the many omens I’d never disclosed to anyone.” They’ve been married for decades now.


Amy Newmark

Let's Celebrate Cats!

Hey all you cat lovers out there... did you know that Saturday, August 8 is International Cat Day?

What better way to celebrate than reading stories from our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats.

Here is a preview of one of my favorite stories about a cat that gave its owner the courage to have an adventure - dare I say it's purr-fect!

In her story "Westward Ho" Lori Shepard realized she was not living her best life in retirement. Lori had always dreamed of taking a road trip across the United States, but when she set out on her 8,000-mile adventure, accompanied only by her cat Libby, she had second thoughts. What motivated her to keep going was Libby’s own flexibility and delight in each new hotel room and experience. Lori says that Libby’s calm presence made it work. “She was a trooper. If she could persevere through the insecurities of what came next, then I could, too.”


Amy Newmark

The Magic of Dogs — Now More Than Ever!

There's something truly magical about dogs — their natural joy, resilience, and protectiveness are so often combined with affection, intuition, courage, and just plain smarts. They keep us company, provide unconditional love, and act as our therapists. They make us better people!

You'll laugh, tear up, and nod your head in recognition as your read the stories in our new collection, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Dogs.

Here are previews of two of my favorite stories from the book that show the ways that dogs have added magic to the lives of our writers:

Dogs show you that rules are made to be broken.
In Holly Green's story "Hershey's Visit" the medical practice where she worked was dog friendly, as long as the doctor’s chocolate Labrador stayed in the back of the office. Patients never saw Hershey—until the day that Mrs. Bea was there for a checkup. At the end of the appointment, Holly wrote up her prescriptions and asked how she was doing. Mrs. Bea burst into tears. She revealed that her dog had died the week before in a tragic household accident. As Mrs. Bea sobbed, and Holly tried to comfort her, Hershey walked into the room. Holly was horrified that the dog had invaded the patient area. But Hershey headed straight for the grieving woman and put his head in her lap. He wasn’t wagging his tail and looking for attention the way he normally would. He was quiet and respectful and there for one purpose: to comfort the crying stranger. When she had calmed down, Hershey quietly returned to his normal location in the doctor’s office in the back. Holly says, “To my knowledge—and I worked in that office for many years—Hershey never entered a patient room again. But he was there that day when he was needed, and he did just the right thing.”

You can learn to reject stereotypes.
In his story "How I Fell in Love with a Pit Bull" Scott Elliff and his wife were in mourning for their dog when they decided to try fostering for a local animal shelter. Their first foster was a success and the little dog they hosted was adopted by a family. When it came time to foster again, they were asked to take a large, friendly Pit Bull who didn’t get along with the other dogs at the shelter. Scott had always heard bad things about Pits and he was not in favor of having this dog in their home. But this outwardly scary dog turned out to be a sweetheart—gentle, affectionate, and eager to please. Using simple techniques like a longer leash calmed her anxieties, too, and she started behaving better around other dogs. Still, the prejudice against Pit Bulls kept her from being adopted, so Scott and his wife kept fostering her. When an adoption was finally arranged, Scott was heartbroken, and when it fell through, you know what happened. Scott and his wife officially adopted that formerly forlorn Pit Bull and Scott says, “Strangely, I no longer see the beast in her, only her magnificence and beauty. I can’t imagine life without her


Amy Newmark

How Do Cats Do It?

There's something so magical about cats — their elegance, confidence, resilience, and independence are so often combined with affection, intuition, courage, and just plain smarts. They make every day an adventure!

Here are previews of two of my favorite stories from our new book Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Cats that show how cats added magic to the lives of our writers:

Cats remind you that rules are made to be broken.
In veterinarian Jan Rottenberg's story "Ben the Benevolent" she was about to close one night when a man brought in an abandoned, sickly kitten. He could only contribute $50 to the kitten’s care, but Jan took the poor little thing and nursed him back to good health, albeit with only one eye, over the next few months. She took him home every night but resolutely put him up for adoption when he was fully recovered. When someone offered to adopt him, Jan realized what her heart had known all along. She was going to break her very strict rule—you can’t keep a cat you’re fostering. Not only did that new cat blend in well with her other cats, but he also brought her paraplegic senior cat back to life, becoming her new friend. Since then, he has also welcomed two new rescue kittens. Jan says, “Ben not only earned his keep, but is also proof that every homeless kitten deserves a chance.”

When a cat chooses you, accept that the cat knows best.
In her story "Demands Attention" Morgan Rondinelli didn’t intent to adopt a pet but she found herself drawn to the local shelter every time she drove by. After several visits she was hooked by a dark gray cat with brilliant green eyes who walked over and plopped herself in Morgan’s lap. Jade chose Morgan and that was that. Even when Morgan thought she should keep looking, and tried to visit the cat room down the hall, Jade would have none of it, chirping at her argumentatively. Morgan hadn’t intended to adopt an eight-year-old cat either, but now she says, “I’ve heard it said that senior animals love deeper, and I think that’s true. I know from Jade’s cheek rubs and kneading my legs that she seems extra grateful to have been adopted.” Morgan also appreciates the lack of kitten energy, so they can spend “weekends lounging and napping together, with the right amount of occasional play.”


Amy Newmark

Give Yourself Permission to Laugh

With all that we are going through right now I think it's a good time to share some feel good stories from our first-ever humor collection, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter is the Best Medicine: 101 Feel Good Stories

Did you know studies show that laughter does actually make you feel better? A good laugh boosts immunity, lowers stress, relaxes muscles and eases anxiety!

So give yourself permission to laugh when you read these stories... it will make you feel better!

Here's a preview of one of my favorite stories we all can relate to:

If you embarrass yourself in front of strangers, it doesn’t count.
In her story "Number 7" Lacey Bakker was excited about attending her nephew’s important soccer game; they were competing for a spot in the semi-finals. She got there early for the evening game and was happy to find nachos at the concession stand. That would be her dinner. Lacey found a seat and then found her nephew too, waving at number 7 enthusiastically. He didn’t wave back so eventually she stood up so he would see she was there, getting some cheese on her clothes in the process. But he still didn’t acknowledge her, even when an errant soccer ball flew into the stands, hitting her nachos. Now, Lacey was covered in chips and cheese, a total mess. She was mortified and slunk out of the stadium and back to her car. When she called her nephew the next day to apologize for being such an embarrassing aunt, he said, “What are you talking about? My game is tonight.”


Amy Newmark

It's Time to Celebrate Moms!

Now, more than ever, it's time to celebrate all the mothers in our lives, whether they are moms, grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, or honorary moms.

My fellow editors and I are all mothers and daughters, so we get it, and with that understanding, we lovingly compiled this collection of stories from our Chicken Soup for the Soul library.

Here are previews of two of my favorite stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Magic of Moms: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Wisdom and Miracles that show how we will always see the magic of our moms:

Moms can make anything when they need to.
Alicia Rosen tells us in her story “Note to Self” that she learned about creativity and gratitude from her mother. Her enterprising mother stayed up all night making hand-drawn stationery for Alicia’s class pen-pal project. Alicia stopped complaining about the fact that they couldn’t afford to buy fancy stationery at the store, and proudly used her mother’s creations instead, sending them to pen pals around the world.

Moms are always right.
In the ultimate “I told you so” story, “The Matchmaker,” Lisa Leshaw’s mother sets her up with a guy she declares is “delicious.” It turns out that Lisa’s mother had forced him to go along and he was just as reluctant as Lisa was to go on a blind date. Of course, Mom was right. That first date lasted four hours, and Lisa and Stu have been married more than three decades now.


Amy Newmark

A Little Help from Your Friends at Chicken Soup for the Soul

With most bookstores closed and people staying home, our book business is under siege. But we’re plugging away making new books for the future. In the meantime, because we can all use a little Chicken Soup for the Soul, we decided to make our iconic book, the one that started it all, free as an e-book. You can download it wherever you like to get your ebooks. You’ll get all the classic stories from the original Chicken Soup for the Soul book, plus 20 bonus stories from 20 of today’s best-known motivational speakers and authors.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: All Your Favorite Original Stories Plus 20 Bonus Stories for the Next 20 Years contains not only new stories from Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and me, the editor-in-chief and publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul, but also other powerful and inspiring stories from MK Asante, Reverend Michael Beckwith, Gabrielle Bernstein, Kris Carr, Deepak Chopra, Lori Deschene, Eric Handler, Darren Hardy, Robert Holden, Tory Johnson, Mastin Kipp, Nick Ortner, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Anthony Robbins and don Miguel Ruiz.

One of my favorite classic stories in the book is the one about the man and the starfish. This story comes in various versions, but basically it’s about a man who was walking down the beach and saw a man in the distance, leaning down, picking something up, and throwing it out into the water. He did that over and over again. Picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.

When the man got closer he realized the man was picking up starfish that had washed up on the beach. He said to him, “There must be thousands of these starfish. You can’t possibly save them all.”

And the man leaned down, picked up another starfish, threw it in the ocean, and said, “I made a difference to that one.”

This is our little way of helping out. We so appreciate all our readers during normal times, and while we sit here eagerly waiting for things to get back to normal in the book business, we figured we might as well share some inspiration with all of you. We love that this original Chicken Soup for the Soul book embodies the hope, comfort, and inspiration that we all need right now. Even if you are super busy right now, working on the frontlines or educating your children at home, please download your free copy of the book. You can read it later if you can’t get to it today.

Stay home if you can, and stay safe. We hope this free ebook will make things better for you, one story at a time.


Amy Newmark

Laughter Lightens the Soul

Little did we know when we sent this book to the printer earlier this year that the world would soon be turned upside down. Our new normal is anything but normal.

Yet here we are trying to make the best out of a very tough situation. We hope this new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Laughter Is the Best Medicine: 101 Feel Good Stories, our first-ever collection of laugh out loud stories, will lighten the burden and inspire hope.

Here are previews of two of my favorite really funny stories from the book that are sure to put a smile on your face:

Technology can be truly scary.
In her story "Home Alone" Jennifer Clark Vihel was in her bathroom, with her very noisy fan going. But even so, she heard the intruder pounding on her bathroom door and could even see its shadow through the crack at the bottom of the door. Her dogs were outside and she was home alone. Jennifer armed herself with the only “weapon” she could find in the bathroom, a hair clip with a sharp metal point. She was afraid to turn off the fan because that would alert the intruder to her presence, but when she hadn’t heard the intruder pounding on the bathroom door for five minutes, Jennifer mustered her courage. She opened the bathroom door, armed with her hair-clip “dagger.” She was going to make a dash for her cell phone and call for help. And that’s when she found the intruder—her robot vacuum, silent now and stuck under the low crossbar of a chair.

Laughing at yourself is just as good as chocolate.
In Elynne Chaplik-Aleskow's story "Round Trip" she was on one of her many diets and for once she was doing great, having gone a whole month without chocolate. She even made her sister her accountability partner so she’d have to admit it if she cheated. But then one day Elynne was running an errand from work and as she walked down a main street in Chicago she stopped at a light right next to a Fannie May candy store. Elynne cracked; she pushed that revolving door, already tasting the delicious chocolate in her mind. But, as she tried to enter the store, the revolving door wouldn’t stop and she found herself right back on the sidewalk where she had started. Why? Because her sister had coincidentally been passing by at the exact moment that Elynne lost her resolve and had rushed into the door behind her and kept it turning. Elynne says, “We laughed so hard that my need for a chocolate fix passed… for the moment.”


Amy Newmark

Everyone Can Use a Little Chicken Soup for the Soul These Days — for Free

In 2007 my life changed. Our last child was going off to college and we were looking for our next business venture. Chicken Soup for the Soul was for sale and we were interested. As we evaluated the business, one of my jobs was to read 100 of the old Chicken Soup for the Soul books to understand “the product.”

I remember laughing and crying so much that I had to change my two-week contact lenses every week because I was ruining them with my tears. Those 100 books, containing 10,000 real-life stories from real people, became my crash course in Chicken Soup for the Soul advice and wisdom. That was the beginning of a new life for me. Now, 12 years later, I’ve read and edited tens of thousands more stories in the 165 new books I’ve published.

Everyone tells me I’ve changed. I feel different: more relaxed; more compassionate and less judgmental; more grounded and grateful for everything that I have; and way more knowledgeable about what makes people tick. I truly believe that reading Chicken Soup for the Soul stories has helped me through a lot of challenges—my mother dying, my father getting dementia, my cancer treatment, and now, COVID-19 and the way it’s affecting my family, friends, and colleagues — plus the damage it’s doing to our business because most bookstores are closed.

Here in the epicenter—the NY metro area—we’re plugging away making new books for the future. In the meantime, because we can all use a little Chicken Soup for the Soul, we decided to make our iconic book, the one that started it all, free as an e-book. You can download it wherever you like to get your ebooks. You’ll get all the classic stories from the original Chicken Soup for the Soul book, plus 20 bonus stories from 20 of today’s best-known motivational speakers and authors.

Stay home if you can, and stay safe. We hope the stories in this book will make everything just a little bit better for you.


Amy Newmark