Tracy Shawn's Blog, page 8

Why Should You Ever Buy a Book?

 

by

Tracy Shawn, M.A. Author of award-winning novel “The Grace of Crows”

 

Have you ever bought a movie ticket? Paid to see a concert or play? Handed over cash for entrance fee to a fair? Chances are you have. And, for the most part, it’s more than worth it. It takes an enormous amount of time, effort, funds, and innovation to produce all these venues. But what about books? Why should you ever buy a book when there are libraries, friends to borrow from, and free book giveaways?

The answers are the same exact reasons why you pay to see a movie, concert, or buy tickets for any other form of entertainment: Your “fee” to read a thought-provoking story and be taken away to another world is a small price to pay for all the work, creativity, sacrifice, and, yes, funds, that went into producing that work of fiction.

Writing a book is a herculean effort, which can take authors years to finish (in fact, I know one author who took over 30 years to produce his debut novel). Writers make a lot of sacrifices in order to produce a manuscript, often skipping vacations, weekend outings, even pounding away on the keyboard during holidays. This arduous process isn’t just about writing either. There’s an ungodly amount of research, editing, rewriting, and of course—lots of self-doubt—along the way.

Then, whether self or traditionally published, most authors have to fork over money for publicity, which runs into thousands of dollars. Indie authors have to pay for editing, formatting, narrators for audio books, and cover art (and don’t forget that both small and large publishers also have to pay for these services as well).

When you buy books, you are helping authors squeak out a living (yes, most authors—unless they’re on the top of the heap—are either losing money or probably making far less than minimum wage). And whether you purchase from a brick and mortar bookstore or online, you are also helping authors’ sales numbers, which can mean much more than individual dollar signs—authors usually only make about a dollar per book—because enough sales can increase the likelihood that sites such as Amazon will recommend the book to others, especially if you like it enough to give a positive review.

So be supportive of authors—and to the dedicated people who believe in the power of books—including editors, agents, designers, narrators, publicists, booksellers, and publishers. Please think twice about asking to buy a book directly from your local author friend or requesting a free copy (chances are, she had to pay for the few ones she has in stock for reviewers). Instead, be a patron of the arts and take some breaks from your library and friend borrowing, go to your local bookstore or log onto your favorite online book source, then plunk down a similar amount that would get you a café latte and muffin—which may cost you even less if you buy an EBook version—and purchase your own magical source of lifetime entertainment.

(This article was first published in ExpertClick under the title: “Why Should You Buy a Book?”)

Tracy Shawn, MA lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her award-winning novel, The Grace of Crows , is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has won the 2013 Jack Eadon Award for the Best Book in Contemporary Drama, Second Place for General Fiction for the 2013 Readers Choice Awards, and Runner-Up for 2014 General Fiction with the Great Northwest Book Festival.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Creative Ways to Combat the Blues

By TRACY SHAWN, MA

(This article was first published in Psychcentral.com)

Often, stress, disappointments, and mundane realities of everyday life plague our inner worlds so much that it’s difficult to experience positive emotions such as joy, peace, and spontaneity. Unfortunately, it becomes a vicious cycle.

The negative emotions build up even more, sapping our mental and physical energies to the point where it’s a challenge just to get through our daily routines. Our bodies become just as blunted as our spirits. Happily, though, there are three easy and inspiring activities that can help us beat the blues and increase our general well-being.

View art. Professor Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist at the University College London, conducted a series of experiments about what happens to the pleasure centers of the brain when people view works of art. After scanning volunteers’ brains while they gazed at a variety of masterpieces, Prof. Zeki noted that there was a definite increase of activity in the pleasure reward centers of the brain.According to science correspondent Richard Alleyne’s May 2011 article in Telegraph.co.uk, viewing art “…triggers a surge of the feel-good chemical, dopamine, into the orbito-frontal cortex of the brain, resulting in feelings of intense pleasure.” Alleyne, who had quoted Prof. Zeki on his studies, also stated that this current research suggests that viewing art can increase general mental health.

Listen to music. There are countless references from centuries past about how music mends our souls. Now science has proven these sentiments to be true. Research conducted at the University of Missouri found that listening to music does lead to more positive feelings. Yuna Ferguson, the study’s lead author, states that participants markedly improved their moods after listening to upbeat music. In a June 2013 Psychology Today article, pharmacist Catherine Ulbricht states that all forms of music may have therapeutic effects. “There is strong scientific evidence supporting the use of music therapy for mood enhancement and anxiety/stress relief, according to Natural Standard research,” Ulbricht said.

Hit the dance floor. Exercise is an overall feel-good remedy. The benefits of physical activity include the reduction of stress, depression, and anxiety. Combine exercise with mood-enhancement music and the brain-stimulating steps of dances such as salsa, merengue, and swing, and you’ve got an uplifting activity. According to Jeannette Thornton, M.D., dancing “…releases pleasurable brain chemicals that fight against depression and help build self-confidence and improves self-esteem.” Also, dancing can be a lot more fun and socially engaging than other forms of exercise, which encourages the joy of spontaneity and decreases feelings of isolation and depression.

Yes, when you are feeling anxious, depressed, or stressed, it can be challenging to not only make the time, but also gather up enough energy to engage in art, music, and dance. Yet it can be done. And in so doing, you may be rewarded with a surprisingly wonderful boost to your emotional health. So next time you’re down, take a peaceful stroll through a museum or gaze at the pages of an art book to boost the feel-good chemicals in your brain.

For another healthy and positive mood-enhancement activity, go to a concert or simply crank up your favorite music while driving or cleaning house. And to help release even more of your pleasurable brain chemicals, boogie on down to the dance floor. In fact, why not reward yourself with a whole “mental-health” Saturday to take in some art, listen to your favorite music, and then swing dance your way out of the blues? By Sunday morning, you may be that much happier for it.

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her award-winning novel, The Grace of Crows , is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the reader.

 

 

In a Book Club or Just Love to Read?

The Grace of Crows by Tracy Shawn (Cherokee McGhee, October 2013) has won the 2013 Jack Eadon Award for the Best Book in Contemporary Drama, Second Place for General Fiction for the 2013 Readers Choice Awards, and Runner-Up for 2013 General Fiction with the Great Northwest Book Festival.

 

Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer Grady Harp.

 

The Grace of Crows has been hailed as a novel that “…offers empathy and respect to a cast of compelling characters through a fascinating story of family complexities, pain and love,” by award-winning author Janet Lucy.

 

Reviewer Kerry Methner, PhD with CASA magazine says: “It is written with a sophisticated understanding of psychological dynamics and personalities–and an understanding of a California lifestyle.”

 

“This is a simple, beautiful story, and if you suffer from anxiety, love someone who does, or just like to be inspired by the human spirit, I suggest you pick up a copy soon.” Sarah Widdup for Savannah Mae Book Review.

 

Author Tracy Shawn has been invited to a number of book clubs and enjoys connecting with readers. Please feel free to contact her through her website: www.tracyshawn.com if you’d like to invite her to discuss The Grace of Crows with your book club (or if you’re out of town, invite her to Skype about her novel during one of your book club meetings). 

Paperback, ebook, and audio book editions may be purchased through Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/author/tracyshawn ) and other online outlets. 

The Healing Journey of “The Grace of Crows”

by

Tracy Shawn, MA

After I had started writing my now-published novel, “The Grace of Crows,” my anxiety and depression began to lift. I believe, in large part, this real-life transformation occurred because I was so fully engaged in the positive challenge of writing that my brain didn’t have as much room to entertain the negative “what-if” thoughts.

As Lucy, the best friend to my protagonist, Saylor, advices Saylor early on in the book, “…the creative part of your brain goes over to the dark side when you don’t give it the outlet it needs…I remember your art. You were damned good. For your own sanity, you have to get back into it.”

By creating a story in which the protagonist gathers the strength to overcome her anxiety, I also believe that I unconsciously gathered my own hope for change.

Beyond helping me with my own personal transformation, “The Grace of Crows,” has been dubbed a “…healing opportunity to the reader” by a licensed therapist and is recommended by Lucy Horner, who wrote nonfiction book,”Tolstoy Therapy: A Fiction Prescription,” about the healing power of literature.

As a debut novelist, it’s wonderfully affirming when complete strangers exclaim how much they could relate to both the storyline and characters, and how it helped them deal with their own anxiety and not feel so alone.

Over a decade ago, I suffered from such debilitating anxiety myself that I never thought I had it in me to write a novel–let alone get it published. And yet here I am on the other side.

 

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her award-winning debut novel, “The Grace of Crows,” is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the readers.

 

Visit my website at: www.tracyshawn.com

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Explore my author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/tracyshawn

“The Mermaid’s Call” A short story by Tracy Shawn

(Please note: “The Mermaid’s Call” was first published in Psychology Tomorrow Magazine: www.psychologytomorrowmagazine.com)

Michele watches from the beach, questioning what she is seeing. Something swims by with a gray tail and dorsal fin similar to the surrounding dolphins, yet the creature’s upper-half appears to be a human’s torso with breasts as iridescent as the inside of an abalone shell. Michele swallows, making out the cool green face of a bald-headed woman.

This has to be my imagination.

But when the creature arches her muscular back to dive past seaweed beds, Michele wonders if she’s witnessing the impossible. Quickly scanning the placid beachgoers, she sees that no one else appears to notice.

Michele turns her attention back to the ocean, considering the story in which various Native American tribes had first perceived European sailing ships as floating islands with their white sails, angular clouds. It was theorized that having had zero experience with such colossal vessels, their vision adjusted the image to match their reality. Perhaps, then, with only myth as a reference – even if the mermaid is real – no one else can really see her. In everyone else’s eyes, this creature only looks like another sea mammal hunting for food. Michele knows that if she nudges Conrad awake, he’ll only tell her that grief is making her see things. Or worse yet, suggest that she has become hysterical.

Sitting on the edge of her towel, she digs her feet into the sand, reassured by the grainy warmth. Michele focuses on the ring of water where the mermaid had last submerged. In her peripheral vision, she sees Conrad leaning on his elbows. He yawns. “You know, maybe it’s a sign,” he says.

“What are you talking about?” Had he possibly seen the mermaid too? She knows, though, that even if he did, he’d never admit it—not even to himself.

“This last miscarriage. Maybe it’s a sign you shouldn’t have kids.”

“A sign I shouldn’t have kids?” Michele feels as if she has fallen flat on her back, too shocked and sore to be able to fully breathe.

“You’ve had three miscarriages now. Maybe your body isn’t meant to have a baby.”

“It couldn’t have anything to do with us – with our combined genes?” She continues to scan the churning water where the dolphins are still feeding, but cannot locate her mermaid.

“That’s right, Michele, everything is my fault.” He lies back down, and covers his eyes with a hairy forearm.

“I said us, not you!” Michele tries not to shout. “Why do you always make it sound as if I’m attacking you?”

“You’re just overwrought right now.” Conrad’s body remains prone and emotionless, yet he reaches over and weakly pats her leg with his free arm. “Everything I say or do right now is wrong – even if it’s the truth.”

Michele jerks her leg away, disgusted by the rotten-onion stink of his sweat. “I still don’t understand why you won’t consider adoption.”

Conrad turns from her, the sunlight reflecting off his angry-looking shoulder blades. She desperately wants to jump into the ocean and swim out to where she had seen the mermaid, but the doctor had told her that she is still vulnerable to infection – and she’s beginning to doubt that she had really seen such a creature anyway. It must have been her imagination. After all, she does know that in times of loss, she is inclined to seeing things.

She slides on her sunglasses so she can more clearly make out whatever is happening on the distant glare of water, remembering the vision she had when she was six years old and had been knocked off her raft by an incoming wave. While she held her breath, tumbling underwater, powerless as wingless bird, she saw things that later she figured out, must have been a hallucination. At the time, filtered sunlight at the entrance of underwater caves and the shadowy figures that had stood upright, as if guarding them, were as real as her big sister, Emily, running toward her in a lime-green bathing suit when the wave finally released her and she emerged, gasping for air. Michele told her sister what she had seen, and all Emily said was that she didn’t want Michele ever to go too far out again because, “…since Mom died, I can’t lose you too.”

Michele glances at the snoring Conrad. How could the man doze off again so quickly? Annoyed, Michele turns her head and notices a little girl with a crown of black curls standing pigeon-toed in the sand. The girl’s soft-bellied mother has set up a beach umbrella and is in the process of laying down flowered towels under its shade.

The mother sighs. “Sorry we’re putting up camp so close to you, but there’s not much room on the beach today.”

“I don’t mind; all my husband will be doing is sleeping – and trust me – when he wants to, he’ll sleep through anything.” As if on cue, Conrad lets out a loud snort of a snore.

The mother covers her mouth and giggles. The little girl laughs as well, but does so with wide-grinned unselfconsciousness. Michele smiles at them. “I told you so!”

A sudden chorus of excited voices surrounds them. Several people are pointing to where the dolphins are splashing as one of the animals leaps out of the water and twirls its body high in the air as if in a ballet.

“Mommy, she is so beautiful,” the girl exclaims.

“Yes, dolphins are very pretty, honey,” the mother says with the kind of distraction that Michele knew was meant to be kind, but guesses will only frustrate the girl.

“No, not the dolphins – the mermaid!” The girl’s voice breaks as if she is about to cry. “Look, Mommy, can’t you see her?”

Michele stands, hearing her own heartbeat. She can only see the pod of dolphins, fins ripping through water and the diving splash of a seabird. She turns to the little girl. “Where do you see her?”

The girl starts to answer, but her mother cuts her off. “Sweetie, remember you promised me that you wouldn’t let your imagination take over any more?” She shoots Michele a look of warning.

“This is not my imag-in-mation!” The girl points at the ocean and begins to cry. “Look, she’s right there!”

Michele still can’t see her.

With a downturned mouth, the mother pats her daughter on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, honey.” The girl is crying so hard now that Michele’s eyes start to water. The mother steps over to Michele and whispers in her ear, “She’s having a hard time with reality. It’s only been three months since…” The mother pauses briefly, taking in a sharp inhale. “Since her father died.”

“I understand.”

The mother goes back to her daughter and tenderly wraps the girl in a towel. As the mother settles them under their umbrella, she begins to rock her daughter in her arms while singing “When You Wish Upon a Star.” This calms the girl down, and Michele watches as she curls into her mother’s consolation.

After the girl rests her head on her mother’s shoulder and closes her tear-swollen eyes, Michele looks back at the water. The dolphins are moving on, a determined exodus of sleek silhouettes curving in and out of the ocean’s surface toward what Michele guesses is better hunting ground. The area where they had been once again sparkles with quiet ripples. She rubs the loss in her lower belly, trying to ease the slight aftershocks of pain still rolling in. With desperation, she wills her mermaid out.

When the cool green face finally emerges from the surface, Michele holds her breath. With head out of water, the mermaid swims closer to shore. Michele whips off her glasses and sees that the mermaid’s turquoise eyes are staring at her with a combined expression of sorrow and expectation. Walking toward her on legs that have become increasingly numb, Michele tries to breathe air that has become to her lungs something thick and alien. She keeps her gaze on her mermaid and remains calm. Finally, finally Michele reaches the water’s edge and as she steps into the ocean, her legs immediately regain their strength and her lungs readily take in air. With authority, the mermaid waves to her. Before Michele is able to wave back, the mermaid vanishes below the surface. The water, translucent and cool, swirls around Michele and she finds herself smiling, knowing the truth.

Tracy Shawn, MA

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Her debut novel, The Grace of Crows, is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the reader by Anne Diamond, MS, LMFT.

A Novel About A Heroine’s Journey From Anxiety by Tracy Shawn

First Published in www.ExpertClick.com

My intent in writing The Grace of Crows was to present readers with a heroine’s journey that would help them feel less alone with their anxieties and irrational fears, as well as let them know that there’s hope. Purposely crafting it with the goal that it would become the kind of novel I would have wanted to read when I had been stuck in the darkest years of my own anxiety, I’m pleased to say that reviewers and bloggers have shared how they’ve related to the protagonist’s struggles.

The main character, Saylor Crawmore, is just like any other person battling with anxiety in that she also has to deal with the outside forces of work, family, and friends. Although Saylor’s family doesn’t actively suppress her goal in trying to banish her anxiety, the dynamics of dealing with a checked-out husband and problematic teenagers doesn’t make it any easier. Her narcissistic mother does throw up some unconscious roadblocks to Saylor’s mental health by constantly turning things around and blaming Saylor for their contentious relationship.

Exhausted with her family and desperate for an answer, Saylor wonders if she’ll ever be free of her unrelenting depression and anxiety.

Then Saylor discovers her childhood friend, Billy, living under a pier in Malibu. Homeless and ignored since his teens by a celebrity father and an eternally-absent mother, the odd, intuitive Billy sparks Saylor’s journey to gain insight into her strange fears. In turn, she is able to summon the courage to help both herself and her family.

A poignant novel that won the 2013 Jack Eadon Award for the Best Book in Contemporary Drama, Second Place for General Fiction for the 2013 Readers Choice Awards, and Runner-Up for 2013 General Fiction with the Great Northwest Book Festival, The Grace of Crows was also listed in the prestigious Santa Barbara Magazine’s Hot List Arts Scene Winter Issue 2014.

Reviewer Sara Hartley with ForeWord Reviews says, “The Grace of Crows is a painful but valuable story about how a struggling woman learns the importance of forgiving and helping others and, more importantly, letting them do the same for her.”

Kerry Methner, PhD with CASA magazine writes: “Shawn’s narrative is intriguing, as turns and twists in the plot reveal generational secrets and events that were pushed out of sight and mind, but still impact the present. It is written with a sophisticated understanding of psychological dynamics and personalities.”

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Her debut novel, The Grace of Crows, is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the reader.

 

 

The Healing Power of Animals in Our Age of Technology

(First Published in: PsychCentral.com)

I think I could turn and live with animals, they’re so placid and self-contained,

I stand and look at them long and long.

~ Walt Whitman (1819-1892), Song of Myself, 32

Our bodies and brains are drowning in technology. Hunching behind computer screens and peering at our cells, we are lured by an electronic siren that is steering us into emails, texts, and social media sites on a constant, seven-day a week basis.

In order to keep up with our professional and social obligations, we feel as if we must plug ourselves into a continuous stream of digital contact. And yet through all these online interactions, we are feeling more and more alienated.

Sherry Turkle, author of “Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other” and founder of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, explains in an interview with NPR that people who are too immersed in digital conversations are not making “the important emotional connections they otherwise would” and that “it is possible to be in constant digital communication and yet still feel very much alone.”

The most obvious cure to combat this technological loneliness is to make sure to engage with family, friends and neighbors in more real-time, face-face interactions. Yet, there is another remedy that works both alongside human contact, and can also be a nurturing alternative when those very people we are trying to connect with are busy in their own electronic worlds.

Interacting with our animal friends soothes the emotional isolation of this digital age and — in some cases — helps to increase social skills at the same time. The animals in our daily lives, whether they be pets or the everyday birds, squirrels and other wildlife in our parks and backyards can make us feel more connected and less alienated.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, animal-assisted activities can enhance socialization, reduce stress, help alleviate anxiety and loneliness, improve mood and general well-being, as well as encourage people to engage more often in leisure and recreational activities. Evidence also supports that pet presence at home helps develop and encourage children’s social skills.

A blog published on Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Lifestyle section by Edward T. Creagan, M.D. on July 15, 2010, illustrates the above points with a poignant yet common example of the healing that can occur when a person emotionally bonds with his or her pet. Dr. Creagan writes about “a miraculous transformation” in a client, where “Hope replaced despair, and joy had replaced anger.”

When he asked this client what had happened, the patient exclaimed how she owed it all to her new rescue dog, Toto. It turns out that Toto gave the owner the simple gift of responsibility. Taking care of another living being often can help people climb out of both chronic and acute depression and feelings of isolation.

Creagan also notes that, “As scientists have discovered, animals have healing powers.” When people pet a cat or dog, they experience a surge of healing hormones and chemicals, which reduce heart rate and bring on feelings of peace and calm.

On the Depression Health Center section of WebMD, writer Kathleen Doheny lists a number of positive ways animals can help elevate people’s moods in her article, “Pets for Depression and Health.” Doheny notes how animals reward us with unconditional love and companionship, which can help us overcome feelings of alienation and depression.

Pets also can increase our physical activity and social interaction with other people. Walking our dogs in the park, socializing with other cat lovers, or even commiserating with other pet owners at the vet all help us feel more connected with our pets, as well as each other. Pets also are natural icebreakers, in which both owners and passersby can easily chat about.

When we are petting our cat, walking a neighbor’s dog, or even watching crows play in the wind, we remind ourselves that there is life outside of our narrow screens. We are better able to ground ourselves in the here and now simply because that’s how animals live their lives. We are reminded that we are living, breathing animals ourselves, who thrive from the power of touch, the peaceful solitude of nature, and unconditional love.

So, make sure to unplug your body and mind every day and allow yourself to enjoy the soothing connection with animals. Play with a cat, do your neighbor a favor and take her dog for a lunchtime walk in the neighborhood, or even just take a breather in your own garden and watch a squirrel scurry up a tree. These simple connections with our animal friends may very well put all the detached interplay of the digital world into perspective.

 

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her award-winning novel, “The Grace of Crows,” is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the reader. Please visit www.tracyshawn.com for more information.

How Book Giveaways Benefit Both Author and Reader

by

Tracy Shawn, MA

(First Published in: http://www.expertclick.com)

Book giveaways are perfect opportunities for readers to expand their book-reading horizons and for writers to further their book-outreach connections.

Readers not only get the opportunity to win an autographed book, they also get a chance to hear about works of both fiction and nonfiction that they’d enjoy reading—and might have otherwise never found out about. Plus, most book giveaway contests are free so there’s nothing to lose.

For writers, book giveaways are cost-effective opportunities to advertise their books and connect with potential readers. Various sites, such as Goodreads and Celebrity Café, plus a good number of bloggers will often post a short synopsis of whatever book is listed in their book contests, along with an image of the cover, allowing new readers a chance to know more details about what a book is about. Then, once the contest is listed, writers can reach out to even more readers by posting the contest links on their social media and blog sites.

As an author, I have participated in two contests, and am happy to share that it’s quite an easy and fun way to promote my book, as I don’t feel like I’m “pushing” anyone to buy it. Also, I enjoy signing copies of “The Grace of Crows” and sending it off with hand-written notes to the interested readers who won because it reminds me how writing isn’t just a solitary endeavor!

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her award-winning novel, The Grace of Crows, is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows is currently being featured on a book contest giveaway on Celebrity Café: http://thecelebritycafe.com/contests/book-giveaway-grace-crows-tracy-shawn    

 

 

 

Strategies for the Chronically Overworked

By TRACY SHAWN, MA

(First Published in Psych Central Magazine: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives...)

 

The following is an interview with Dr. Greg Marcus, founder of the Idolbuster Coaching Institute.

Q: Dr. Marcus, I recently read your book, Busting Your Corporate Idol: How to Reconnect with Values & Regain Control of Your Life. I was impressed with how well you described the dysfunction behind the “company-first” identity, which so many corporations adhere to. Please share more about this, what you mean by corporate idolatry, and what people who work in these environments should be aware of.

A: In many companies, you are expected to be on call 24/7. This includes checking email and taking phone calls on vacation. In effect, people are asked to make the company a higher priority than whatever else is going on in their lives.

People who conform to the always-on-call culture begin to internalize these company-first values, which results in a personal identity that becomes too tied up with the company. I call this end state, when people have made the company the most important thing in their lives, corporate idolatry.

Once someone has gone down the corporate idolatry road, more and more of their time and energy will go to the company. This is very dangerous for the individual because rationalizations will start to reinforce behaviors that work against one’s own health and can damage relationships with the people we care most about.

Q: What happened in your own work experience to prompt you to write Busting Your Corporate Idol?

A: There was a time when I was working 90 hours a week. I chased the illusion that work could validate me, which led me to work longer and longer hours. I loved what I did, and was a true believer in the company mission to revolutionize health care. After my product flopped in the market and enraged customers, I felt like I had let the company down, and I started to feel worthless.

That changed on Yom Kippur almost seven years ago. Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement, when we reflect on the previous year, try to figure out where we’ve “sinned” and how to do better next year. For some reason I started to think about the sin of idolatry.

As I started to dismiss idolatry as that ancient “statue worshipping thing” — something not relevant in the modern world — this phrase popped into my head: “You need to do what is best for the company.”

At work, we used that phrase all the time to justify an unpopular decision, like a layoff or pushing a product out the door that wasn’t ready, knowing customers would be mad. Doing what is best for the company is not the same as doing what is best. I realized that I had made my company an idol, and I decided to start putting people first.

One year later, I was working one-third fewer hours without changing jobs, and my career was flourishing.

Q: In Part 2 of the book, you have a section about what kind of personality types to watch out for and the best way to work with them. You list them as: Scorpion, Fox, and Wolf. Please describe what motivates these types, their strengths and weaknesses, and suggestions for how to deal with them.

A: As I interviewed people for the book, I kept hearing stories that had the same three characters: The flatterer, the zealot, and the person who gets screwed over after doing the right thing. If I knew how to identify these people when I was in the corporate world, I would have avoided a lot of difficulty.

Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram classifications don’t correlate with these character types. I created a new system, inspired by fables and parables.

The Scorpion, named from the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog, is a zealot who steamrollers people in pursuit of his or her vision, even when it is self-defeating to do so. Your happiness and needs are not on a Scorpion’s radar. Sooner or later you will be stung.

The Fox, named for the fable of the Fox and the Crow, puts him- or herself first and manipulates others to get ahead. A Fox will take credit for your success, and blame you for their failure. The Fox doesn’t actually know anything, and if put in a position where they need to do and not just talk, their ineptitude quickly becomes apparent.

The Wolf, named from the parable of the Fox and the Wolf, is a pack animal that considers the welfare of others when making a decision. Wolves are powerful and effective. But they are too trusting, easy prey for a Fox looking to get ahead or a Scorpion looking for cannon fodder.

If you know the animal character of your boss and coworkers, you will know who to trust in what circumstances.

Q: Tell us what you mean by “people-first” values and why this value system is so critically important for overall mental health.

A: People-first values is the opposite of a company-first value system. In all circumstances, we do what is best for people, including ourselves. Values drive our priorities, which in turn lead to the decisions and actions we make in everyday life. By changing our values from company-first to people-first, we set off a cascade of small changes that add up to a much more fulfilling life. Putting people first means shifting time from work to people.

One of the best ways to be happy is to spend time with the people we care about. Chronic overwork brings a high risk for depressionand stress-related illness.

Q: You talk about the reality of office politics and how people can actually engage in them in a positive way. Please give some pointers on why and how people can benefit from participating in them.

A: Politics are a reality in the workplace. If you choose not to participate, you are ceding your power to others. Playing politics can be as simple as getting to know more people and looking for ways to help them. Playing politics will give you a power base to defend yourself from the unscrupulous. An easy way to get started is to have lunch with people from other departments.

Q: Lastly, please add anything else that you would like readers to take away after reading the book, and where they may purchase it.

A: Putting people first is a virtuous cycle. As you start to work fewer hours, you will get more sleep and begin to feel better, which will encourage you to work even fewer hours. At work, more rest and less stress means better decisions, and fewer mistakes.

Busting Your Corporate Idol is available on Amazon and can be ordered by any bookstore.

 

How Fiction Writing Helped Me Conquer Real-Life Anxiety

By Tracy Shawn, MA

First Published in Psych Central Magazine

 

Anxiety, or mental unease, can be seen as the crying out of the internal artist: Let me out! Let me speak!

~ Frances Krsinich

My path toward healing from anxiety has not been easy or straightforward. I tried many different avenues, from traditional therapy and medication to acupuncture and herbs. But it wasn’t until I turned to the written word that I was finally able to conquer the everyday angst of ongoing anxiety.

The healing first started by simply reading about it. I devoured many self-help books on the subject, including Lucinda Bassett’s From Panic to Power, finally understanding that I wasn’t the only person leading a normal life while fighting the undertow of fear. This fact alone helped me become more hopeful and empowered. I realized that if people with thoughts just as scary — if not more so —than mine could climb out of their anxiety, then I could too.

Still, my mind remained uneasy, quite ready to spin another tale of worry into a sleepless night of fear.

Then one day I was lamenting to my friend, Eve, about my latest obsession, and she suggested I write a novel. I had been content publishing how-to and travel articles and had never thought I had a novel in me. Yet, the second she said it, I nodded in complete agreement. With so many helpful nonfiction books about how to battle worry and anxiety, why not write a novel about a protagonist struggling with this disorder? Why not write a novel that could help others?

I already knew from my own experience how I relate to and empathize with fictional characters and their journeys, and since so many people talk about how cathartic reading a good novel can be, I knew a story could provide more than just entertainment. Alongside traditional and alternative therapies, fiction can serve as a very functional kind of tool. It can take us out of our heads in such a way that it can enhance healing with the comforting ease we’ve been longing for.

I had started writing “The Grace of Crows” with that goal in mind. Then, after several months of working on it, I had developed a passion and determination I never possessed before. I found myself turning down lunch dates and weekend hikes because I actually started to enjoy the challenge of crafting, revising and even editing this long, challenging thing called a novel more than my leisure time.

And one day it dawned on me. The anxiety had decreased so much that it no longer felt like a major disease in which I had to battle, but rather like an annoying allergy I merely had to tend to from time to time. Interestingly, the more I worked on this fictional story about a woman learning to overcome her irrational fears, the more my own worries and dread diminished.

As one of my characters says to the protagonist, Saylor, early on in the novel: “—the creative part of your brain goes over to the dark side when you don’t give it the outlet it needs.” So unlock your positive passions, fellow anxiety warriors, whether they are writing, reading, or art, web designing, interior decorating, or math. Use them alongside whatever traditional and alternative therapies that are helping you, and then really engage in them. With time, you may find that your brain will have less room to go “to the dark side,” allowing the space for your creativity, talents, and yes — even happiness — to blossom.

Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Her award-winning novel, The Grace of Crows , is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the reader.