Simply Happy

I really do enjoy the simple things. I feel very blessed that I am aware enough of my own being to notice them. It takes more effort than most people realize to just stop and take a moment to be really excited and grateful for the world around you. People spend alot of money on life coaches and self help books to train them to think this way. If I could afford a life coach I would have one too. Lol. The truth of it all is, if you spent five minutes a day being grateful, your life would change. Any motivational speaker, life coach, teacher of "The Secret", even Joel Olsteen would tell you the same thing. Be still for a moment. Use that stillness to reflect on all of the good in your life. Those little thoughts of gratitude mulitply and your half empty glass eventually will overflow with joy. It is an easy concept to embrace. Having a positive attitude will bring positive changes to your life and to the people around you. Joy is contagious. Good deeds and simple acts of kindness are catching. Your life will be as you perceive it. My favorite time of the day is when I taste that first sip of coffee. My favorite time of night is when I am laying by my daughter playing with her hair while she goes to sleep. I spend all of the time in between giving my best effort to smiling. I do my best to be simply happy. Alot of positve things have happened to me these last couple of years. I very much believe it has to do with the way I see myself and my life. I'm grateful for the changes and hopeful for the future. If you just don't feel right make a change. Search for a new perspective and live life to its greatest potential. I recommend Joel Olsteen's Become A Better You (on mp3 becasue his voice makes it even better) for religious and non-religious people. Also, check into The Secret. Don't dimiss it too quickly. It has alot to say.

My Dad the Book Critic

My dad is an amazing man. My favorite color is yellow because I remember him always choosing the yellow game pieces when I was younger. He is the reason I love Shakespeare and gets full credit for my eccletic music tastes. He adopted me when I was four years old and has since remained a quiet, thoughtful hero in my life. One thing I have noticed recently is that he writes excellent book reviews. Seriously. He posts them on goodreads. I enjoy them so much, possibly in a comforting manner, that I am going to be reposting them here. I hope you enjoy them as well...


08/26 Clint gave 3 stars to: The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood by Ta-Nehisi Coates
status: Read in August, 2009

The first chapter of this book gave me the impression that this was a story of growing up in the inner city of Baltimore which piqued my curiosity. It is less that and more a memoir about the author and his family. His parents emphasis on knowledge and education are inspiring. Coates prose and use of language are masterful.

The father is a fascinating character: A former prominent Black Panther expelled from the party and declared an enemy of the people who starts a publishing company reprinting works of African History.


08/26 Clint gave 3 stars to: The Other Side of the Mountain: The End of the Journey by Thomas Merton
status: Read in September, 2008

For a monk devoted to contemplation and solitude Merton had a busy social life, but his contradictions make him all the more interesting. I thought there was a lot of material here that should have been edited, but that is to be expected in a posthumous publication. There is, however, plenty of first rate material here.

There is this strange and disturbing foreshadowing throughout the book and he contemplates whether or not to go to the conference in Bangkok, wonders if he can obtain permission to go and ponders the logistics of the trip.

This is the first of his journals that I have read and after reading this I would like to read more of them.

Riddle: What do Thomas Merton and John Lennon have in common?


They were both killed by fans.




08/26 Clint gave 2 stars to: Masters of Atlantis by Charles Portis
status: Read in August, 2009

This is probably a better book than I give it credit for. I thought the of the humor and satire were too easy and obvious of targets. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for comedy and satire.

Portis's prose is fairly good and he has a nice style. I may try another of his books.

Def Jam Poetry Sarah Kay-Hands

Check out Sarah Kay- Spoken Word Poet-a friend of mine turned me on to this and I find myself always going back to it...

Sarah Kay Hands

Let the Blogging Begin

I have never stuck to keeping up with any of my other blogs, but I believe I will stick this one out. I have recently published my first children's book and I feel it could benefit me greatly to get further involved with online communities. My book, Skeeter Sneeter Doodlebop, was published by Nimblebooks, LLC just this year. If you have kids, know some or just like kid's books (like me) give it a read. If you would like to preview it you can go to www.BookBuzzr.com and there you can actually flip through the pages. For writers out there who want to get word out about your book, they offer a really cool free service that just creates a widget that allows readers to look through it. I also just received approval that my book about manners, also based on Skeeter is going to be published. I'm really enjoing this experience. When I was little I always wanted to be a writer (after giving up on being a rocket scientist). Now here I am 30, just now going to college with my first child and BAM!, fulfilling a childhood dream. It is almost surreal. My best friend, Amy is an extremely talented artist who illustrates the stories. I have dubbed her, "the killastrator". Let's see, what else about me. I like to dabble in paint. I absolutely love black and white photos. I am in college for process technology and am in Phi Theta Kappa. I guess that is it for now. From now on will be just stories, thoughts,websites, etc.