Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 51

Wish You Were Here …

 … and I’m very thankful I’m here. With my husband. Visiting our good friends, Cathy and Stephen. 

And I’ll be back blogging after a little vacation time in Bermuda.

Until then, I hope you’re having a great summer!

 

 

In Others’ Words: When Winning isn’t Everything

 

 

Patton’s statement is such a fundamental truth, there’s almost nothing to add to it: Don’t fight a battle if you gain nothing by winning.

Another way to say that: Winning isn’t everything … and sometimes winning is nothing, except the ability to boast that you won. 

A hollow victory that echoes back at you with no lasting effect whatsoever.

I won, I won, I won … 

But it doesn’t make any difference because nothing changed in your life. You didn’t change. You didn’t gain experience.You didn’t gain an ally because an enemy became a friend. You didn’t gain wisdom because you realized you were wrong and asked for forgiveness.

You just … won.

 

In Your Words: When have you fought a battle, only to realize it was a waste of time? Or walked away from the fight because it wasn’t going to gain you anything worthwhile? When is a fight worth fighting?

In Others’ Words: When Winning isn’t Everything #inotherswords #lifequotes #GeorgeSPatton
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The “Don’ts” of Fighting #winner #loser #quotes
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In Others’ Words: Being Here for Each Other

I didn’t play team sports much growing up. 

Oh sure, I played kickball during recess. I always envied the kids who could kick a “creeker” — kicking the ball hard enough so that it soared over the ravine at the end of the playground and into the woods beyond.

And I participated in the mandatory team sports in gym — and hated them one and all. Why? Because I was always afraid I’d let my team down. That I’d be, if not the weakest link, one of the weaker ones.

When I did finally get involved in a sport, I chose karate. One of the things I liked about Tang Soo Do is that I competed against myself. It was all about improving my skills, my abilities. If I entered a tournament, I went up against other opponents — but it was still one on one. If I let anyone down, it was me — but never a team.

My youngest daughter just finished her second season of club volleyball. Watching her, I’ve learned the value of being on a team. I’ve seen her get to know her teammates, learn to work together, to win together, lose together … to be there for one another. 

If we’re not here for one another in this life, then we’re missing the point. Oh, I know. There are lots of “points” when it comes to life, but being here for one another is a you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-one kind of point. Even in my solitary moments, when I am doing the work of writing on my own, I know I am not truly alone. I know my mentors are only a phone call or FaceTime or Skype away. I know my Dream Team is praying for me and supporting me. I know my family believes in me and supports me. They are here for me … and I am here for them.

We are here for one another. And it makes life good.

In Your Words: What teams have you participated in? What were some of the benefits of being on a team? When you hear the phrase “we are here for each other,” who do you think of?

In Others’ Words: Being Here for Each Other #lifequotes #inotherswords #relationships
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“I think we’re here for each other.” #lifequotes #carolburnett #relationships
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In Others’ Words: A Little More Peristence Pays Off

I admire persistent people. People who don’t quit. People who face failure with a “you don’t have the final say about me” attitude.

Did you know that Walt Disney — who created “the happiest place on earth” — was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas”?

How about Winston Churchill, who won a Nobel Prize and was twice elected Prime minister of the United Kingdom? He didn’t do well in school and failed sixth grade.

Oscar-winning actor Sindey Poitier was told this after his first audtion: “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and wash dishes or something?”

Twenty seven publishers rejected Theodor Seuss Geisel’s, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, first book.

Michael Jordan, often considered the best basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school basketball team.

Reading how these famously successful people failed at first encourages me when I’m faced with my own times of struggle, of things not going the way I’d hoped. Of failling to meet my goals.

I have two choices: Quit … of keep going.

I may take a breather for a while — there’s nothing wrong with catching your breath, reevaluating. But then it’s time for a little more persistence, a little more effort … and aiming for glorious succes.

In Your Words: Where are you today? Staring at a what seems like hopeless failure? Or about to embrace that long-awaited glorious success? What does persistence look like to you? Do you have a favorite failure to success story?

In Others’ Words: A Little #Persistence Pays Off #inotherswords #lifequotes
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Persistence+Effort = #Success #lifequotes #choices
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photo by spekulator/stockxchng.com

In Others’ Words: What a Laugh Can Do

It’s been a week where my emotions have teetered-tottered back and forth — up, down, up down. I never quite hit the ground hard … I always found a way to push myself back up into the air again — up, up, up. But then I’d get that sinking-back-down sensation again.

I never was a fan of teeter-totters.

This week has not been unbearable.There’s been no reason for tears. Even so, laughter has made it easier — helped lift my spirits up,up, up when they’ve wanted to droop down. 

Savoring the giggles of my GRANDgirl.
Sharing a laugh with my teenager and husband while we watched comedian Brian Regan unravel real life.
Relishing the humor in my son’s debut novel, Enter the Janitor –and urban fantasy about cleaners who eradicate impurities from the universe. (Yes, you read that right.)

If I had to say why I’ve teetered-tottered this past week, I’d say my resiliency meter was low. And yes, there are reasons for that. But laughter is powerful. As Bob Hope says, laughter can transform situations … laughter can transform us.

In Your Words: How’s your week gone? What’s caused you to laugh this week? What transforms your tough or unbearable situations? 

In Others’ Words: What a #Laugh Can Do #inotherswords #lifequotes
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“I have seen what a laugh can do …” have you? #lifequotes #BobHope #laughter
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In Others’ Words: 3 Steps to Success for Graduates

It’s that time of year: from kindergarten to college, kids are graduating. 

And, as every graduating class must, students are sitting through speeches where chosen classmates or invited speakers share wisdom with them. Some of these speeches are culled for sound bites — words of wisdom that end up on quote boards for years to come. Like today’s quote by author Nora Ephron, found on a “Top 20 Quotes to Inspire Graduates” list:

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” 

Put succinctly, to succeed, graduates should:

 go after what they want
ask
and step forward.

 

I already know what I would tell graduates, given the chance. It’s what I wish someone had told me when I was in high school. What I wish I’d thought about while I was in college:

The choices you make now affect you a year from now. Five years from now. And some choices affect you for the rest of your life.

If you realize that one thing — choices change you — well then … everything else falls into place. Not perfectly, no. Because life is never, ever perfect. But some decisions are a whole lot easier.

In Your Words: What would you tell the graduating class of 2015? Pick kindergartners, if you want to. Or middle schoolers. Or high schoolers. Or college graduates. What wisdom has life taught you that you’d share with us — with them — today?

In Others’ Words: 3 Steps to #Success for #Graduates #inotherswords
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What would you tell the graduating class of #2015? #graduates #lifequotes
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I’m celebrating the release of my 99 cents e-novella, Can’t Buy Me Love, with a Pinterest Hunt! Where do you think Reid proposed to Bellamy at the end of the book? All you have to do is select one of the photos of the possible locations and comment on it and then pin it! Enter here! (OR CLICK ON IMAGE)

Join author @bethvogt’s #Pinterest Wedding Proposal Contest! Win an #Amazon giftcard +…
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In Others’ Words: Memorial Day 2015

Taking time today to remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service for our country. I’m praying for all the families who are remembering their loved ones. I have friends who’ve lost spouses … who’ve lost parents … who’ve lost children … For them, today is not a day to celebrate the beginning of summer with a barbecue. Rather, it is a day of honored remembrance.   

My friend, Scoti Domeij, wrote an article “Dreading Memorial Day.” from the perspective of a Gold Star Mom. Her son Sgt. First Class Kristofer Domeij was killied in action during his 14th deployment to Afghanistan. Kris has the “distinction” of being the most deployed solider in U.S. history.

In Others’ Words: Declaring the Truth on Purpose

This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

It has become habit to start my day off saying this verse out loud. Not just to myself — no. Just before my daughter heads out the door to school, my husband and I hug her and all three of us declare, “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

By saying this Scripture verse out loud, by saying it together, we are setting our hearts and minds on several different things. We’re focusing on:

today — Now. And just today because, yes, today has enough worries of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
the Lord — God created not only today, but also created each one of us. And we can trust Him with the circumstances we will face today
joy and gladness — We might as well choose a positive attitude early on, right? We know our attitudes are going to take some hits as the day goes on, but we will start the day choosing to rejoice and be glad.

 

The fun thing is, this habit of declaring Psalm 118:24 has spilled over into other areas of my life. When my walking partner, Mary, and I finish our walks, one of us will say, “This is the day the Lord has made” and the other one of us will reply, “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Sometimes we mean it with all our hearts … and sometimes we are reminding each other that we will choose to rejoice and be glad, despite the heaviness in our hearts.

 

In Your Words: What truth(s) do your declare to yourself on a daily basis? Are they intentional or accidental? 

In Others’ Words: Declaring the Truth on Purpose #inotherswords #psalm118:24 #rejoice
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What truths do you declare to yourself on a daily basis? #inotherswords #choices
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And … if you’re looking for a chance to win some books, here’s some information about not one, but two contests!

From May 18-25, eleven award-winning, bestselling authors are giving away a dozen of their recent releaseas. All you have to do is subscribe to our newsletters via a Beach Book Bonanza Rafflecopter entry form. (OR CLICK ON THE IMAGE) We promise not to deluge your inbox, but we will keep you up to date with new releases and contests. Just click on each authors’ entry and, if a double-opt in is required, make sure you click on the confirmation so that your entry counts.

Win 12 #romance novels by bestselling authors in the Beach Book Bonanza #giveaway!
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I’m celebrating the release of my 99 cents e-novella, Can’t Buy Me Love, with a Pinterest Hunt! Where do you think Reid proposed to Bellamy at the end of the book? All you have to do is select one of the photos of the possible locations and comment on it and then pin it! Enter here! (OR CLICK ON IMAGE)

Join author @bethvogt’s #Pinterest Wedding Proposal Contest! Win an #Amazon giftcard +…
Click To Tweet

In Others’ Words: Reading the same kind of book as me differently

 

I have two favorite questions I love to ask my author friends:

1. What are you writing?  It’s always fun to listen to their answers and to be amazed by their creativity. I usually walk away thinking, “I wish I’d thought of that story!”

2. What are you reading? Asking another writer “What are you reading” is a dangerous question. Inevitably, my To Be Read (TBR) pile grows taller because someone mentions a book that I have to read also and I go and order a copy. Of course, it’s always fun to discuss the books after we’ve read them: what did we like, what didn’t we like, what we would do differently, what we learned that challenged us a writers — yes, those, “Oh, I wish I’d written that scene/character/beginning/ending” conversations. 

It’s true: No two persons ever read the same book. I might love a book and my friend might not make it through chapter one. Or my friend might love the dialogue and I might be caught up in the description. You just never know why a book is a couldn’t-put-it-down great read for one person and a couldn’t-get-past-page-one snoozer for another person.

As an author I’ve learned that readers see things in my stories that I didn’t even know I put in them … and overlook things — symbols, significant lines of dialogue — that I wove oh so carefully into my novels. You know what I’ve learned? It is what it is … and I have to let it be just that because no two persons ever read the same book.

In Your Words: What book has someone recommended you read? What book would you recommend to us today?

In Others’ Words: #Reading the Same Kind of #Books as Me Differently #quotes
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“No two persons ever read the same book.” #quotes #books #inotherswords
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And … if you’re looking for a chance to win some books, here’s some information about not one, but two contests!

From May 18-25, eleven award-winning, bestselling authors are giving away a dozen of their recent releaseas. All you have to do is subscribe to our newsletters via a Beach Book Bonanza Rafflecopter entry form. (OR CLICK ON THE IMAGE) We promise not to deluge your inbox, but we will keep you up to date with new releases and contests. Just click on each authors’ entry and, if a double-opt in is required, make sure you click on the confirmation  so that your entry counts.

Win 12 #romance novels by bestselling authors in the Beach Book Bonanza #giveaway!
Click To Tweet

I’m celebrating the release of my 99 cents e-novella, Can’t Buy Me Love, with a Pinterest Hunt! Where do you think Reid proposed to Bellamy at the end of the book? All you have to do is select one of the photos of the possible locations and comment on it and then pin it!  Enter here! (OR CLICK ON IMAGE)

Join author @bethvogt’s #Pinterest Wedding Proposal Contest! Win an #Amazon giftcard +…
Click To Tweet

In Others’ Words: Superheroes and Identity Theft

We can learn a lot from an imaginary superhero like Elastigirl.

“Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it.”

Superheroes don’t want people to know their true identity. Superman can’t reveal that he’s Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter. The Flash can’t admit to being Barry Allen, a forensic scientist. And Elastigirl can’t declare she’s Helen Parr.

Their identities are vital … precious … and they need to be protected because their identities make them vulnerable.

You and I are a lot like superheroes. 

Our identites are valuable … precious. We need to protect who we are — but not by hiding who we are from others. No. We need to know who we are and we need to know how to stand firm in that truth. And then we protect our identities by not allowing anyone else to force us to become someone we are not.

Sounds good, right?

But it’s not always easy to do.

We want to be loved, to be accepted.

And sometimes we exchange who we are for the chance to be liked, to be validated … and in doing so, we invalidate our identity — we don’t protect our most valuable posession. We give up a little of ourselves — or sometimes we sacrifice a lot of ourselves — in the hopes that we will be accepted. But really — the people we want to like us aren’t seeing the real us, are they? We’ve put on a mask or acted a part or said the expected things … 

It’s a case of personal identity theft — and we’ve stolen our own identities by exchanging the truth of who we are for a lie.

If we don’t protect our identities — then who will?

 

In Your Words: How’s your identity holding up? What are you doing to protect yourself from personal identity theft?

 

In Others’ Words: Superheroes and Identity Theft #inotherswords #lifequotes #identity
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“Your identity is your most valuable possession.” #lifequotes #identitytheft
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