<![CDATA[MARIAN MILLER - Blog]]>Sun, 13 Apr 2025 12:20:28 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Rap Session...  Searching for hidden talents]]>Thu, 30 Jul 2015 04:07:31 GMThttps://www.marianmillerbooks.com/blog/rap-session-searching-for-hidden-talents
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       Did your talents start during childhood, or were you a late bloomer?
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 If you ask the average young child if they can sing, they will not only say yes, but will gleefully give you a tuneful demonstration.  Put on music and another young child will break out in very creative moves.   Put a blank sheet of paper in front of a child, containers of paint, a brush, and watch the colors come alive!               The drawing above showing the artist with other heroines catching the bank robbers. It was created by a 5 year old girl; see her comic strip directly below;

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Check out the video - 
         Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry 
                                         - for true inspiration!
When did you lose the joy in creating what delighted you?  
       Far too many people have told me that they used to enjoy expressing themselves in creative ways, but as they grew older, often felt ridiculed as though their creations were the object of disapproval and criticism. 
Creativity is a gift-- a gift that often requires courage.
        It's difficult to persist when faced with other's ridicule or negative thoughts and comments but refuse to let other's fearfulness stop you from pursuing what delights you and brings you joy, pleasure and relaxation.   

It's time to relax,..
                         unwind... 
                                      release stress... 
                                                          create 

“What God knows about me is more important than what others think about me.”
― Surgeo Bell
        

]]><![CDATA[ Enter Light on Water Give-a-way! ]]>Sun, 14 Jun 2015 02:34:54 GMThttps://www.marianmillerbooks.com/blog/enter-give-a-wayWhat was the best thing  you have ever gotten 
for free?
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A man bought a brand new TV and didn't need his two, so he put the good old one in his yard with a sign "free - still working". It stood there for a month and no one took it.  Then he changed the sign which wrote "$50". It was stolen the next day!  ???
Submitted by bucher, reddit jokes…
]]><![CDATA[Rap Session....Part 2 on Self-esteem, self-love...]]>Mon, 25 May 2015 17:13:16 GMThttps://www.marianmillerbooks.com/blog/rap-session-on-self-esteem-self-loveFirst I'd like to send out thanks and hugs to everyone who's supporting my blog and the novel, Light on Water, published this week.  Thanks too for your music video suggestions, I've included them-- keep 'em coming-- they're great!
      Be sure and enter the Give-a way starting on Sunday, June 14th! 
                                       (see store page for details)

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I’ve heard it said repeatedly that you cannot love another person, until you’ve learned to love yourself. Hint: if what you’re doing has an ulterior motive (to make others like you, love you, need you, or to impress others) then what you’re doing is not love. Love doesn’t have strings attached.

                  
         “How do I love myself, where do I start?”

  I’ve been asked this question far too many times.  Just start with the basics...  Treat yourself as though you were a dear friend, or a cherished child.   When you’re tired—sleep, rest. Take a nap. When you’re hungry, eat wholesome food that you like…  wear comfortable clothes that express your unique style—buy the best that you can afford.


Remember: It's necessary to love and accept yourself as you are....  
                       You're exactly the way you're supposed to be in this instant.

  And when you make mistakes, don’t put yourself down for being human. Try to think of mistakes as ‘learning devices’ and let it go. Again, treat yourself as you would a dear friend. When your friends make mistakes, you wouldn’t put them down. Don’t treat yourself badly either. Instead treat yourself now and then to something that a friend would love – good seats to a game or concert,  a whole day of watching your favorite movie marathons, dinner at a great restaurant, vacation days.

"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." 
                                                     Song of Solomon, chapter 4, verse 7

]]><![CDATA[Rap Session on... self-esteem, self-love]]>Sat, 25 Apr 2015 20:37:15 GMThttps://www.marianmillerbooks.com/blog/rap-session-onself-esteem
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“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection” 
― Gautama Buddha

This is probably one of my favorite quotes. In my work, as well as in other areas of my life, I’ve seen far too many miserable people, putting themselves last, which is often a result of low self-esteem.   Mistakenly there are individuals who believe that always putting others first is a good thing. After all, putting yourself first means that you’re conceited, self-centered, and ego driven, right? Wrong.  Putting yourself last will only make you a martyr. And martyrs end up feeling used, filled with bitterness and resentment.  

 Low self-esteem is a sign that you don't love or care for yourself enough. 

It’s like the seatbelt analogy…
When you take a plane trip, the flight attendant tells passengers that in case of emergency to put on their oxygen mask first, before helping their children, or others dependent on them.   If you think about it a moment, this strategy makes sense. If someone needs oxygen, can’t put their mask on, and you can’t breathe and they’re depending on you, it won’t take long before you’re both in deep trouble.

Please don’t misunderstand. There are times when you cannot put yourself first—when it’s necessary to make a sacrifice of some sort for someone else as an act of caring.  In fact, it takes immense insight to realize when helping another is essential and being able to differentiate when help could be harmful.   But if you are worn out, tired from helping others who have the ability to help themselves, you have to stop and ask yourself ‘why am I doing this?'

Remember --you deserve your love and affection...
   
]]><![CDATA[The Rap Session ... talents]]>Sun, 05 Apr 2015 20:10:59 GMThttps://www.marianmillerbooks.com/blog/yes-its-all-about-you
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Rap Session...
 I once heard someone say, ‘No one is a stranger. They’re only friends I haven’t met yet.’  Call me an idealist, call me an optimist. Just don’t call me late for dinner! (Ok—I just had to say that).  But seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who wasn’t loveable and talented. Unfortunately I have met far too many folks who didn’t know they were talented and loveable.     
     Everyone has a unique and valuable contribution to offer the world and it is our responsibility as citizens of the universe to gift the world with our talents. My debut novel, Light on Water, is about discovering your talents and presenting those particular talents to a world so eagerly awaiting them.
     It doesn't matter what your talent is—whether it’s playing guitar, growing prizewinning tomatoes, or becoming the best magician in your neighborhood.  No particular type of talent is better or worse or more valuable than another, it’s just individual creative expression.
     
This would be Evalyn's ( AKA: Ketchup Princess) favorite trick! 
  

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 I think talents sort of enter our lives unobtrusively… on tiptoe.  I realized I was a writer when I was nine or ten.  I would scribble my stories (with illustrations) in those black and white composition books.  It wasn’t work – it was fun and time flew by. 

So what is it that do you do that is creative and makes time fly by? So much the better if it makes you and others happy. How did you find your talent? Or did it find you?

Feel free to send photos! We all want to see your creative side!

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