Blog Archives
Same Me, But Different. Welcoming A New Chapter in My Life – a 7 Module Workbook for Individuals and Therapists
Same Me, But Different: Welcoming the New Chapter in My Life by Micaela Becattini is a workbook designed for individuals and therapists to guide self-reflection, emotional healing, and personal growth. It is structured in 7 modules, each addressing different aspects of self-discovery, emotional expression, and transformation. The book takes the reader through exercises meant to uncover emotional “danger areas,” transform self-criticism into self-empowerment, and use archetypal characters to better understand personal strengths and weaknesses. Focusing on creative activities like mandalas and guided visualizations aims to create a holistic space for self-expression and transformation.
What I appreciated most about this workbook is how accessible and interactive it feels. The step-by-step structure of the modules ensures that even if you are new to personal development work, you will still feel supported. Micaela encourages the use of creative tools like drawing mandalas and using color to express emotions. I found this refreshing and unique. In a world filled with abstract self-help concepts this workbook brings everything down to earth with concrete exercises. The idea of translating feelings into visual art, for example, resonated with me, especially in Module 3, where you express your new self using a mandala. It is a beautiful blend of emotional depth and artistic exploration.
Another part that stood out to me is how the author addresses the “inner critic” in Module 2. Micaela’s advice on how to transform this voice from an enemy to an ally is empowering. Rather than fighting or suppressing negative self-talk, she offers practical advice on how to reframe it. One memorable tip was about using humor to lighten the impact of critical thoughts. This approach of embracing flaws and gently coaxing your self-doubt into something more constructive was compassionate and realistic.
Same Me, But Different is an engaging and thought-provoking workbook for those ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing. I think it’s particularly suited for creatives, therapists, and individuals comfortable with self-reflection and emotional vulnerability. If you’re looking for a practical guide filled with creative exercises to rediscover yourself, embrace your strengths, and move forward after a life change, this workbook is a valuable tool. While it can be intense at times, it offers a well-rounded approach to personal transformation.
Pages: 112 | ASIN : B0D9DYDZ4B
Wisdom and Knowledge
Love’s Guest: Reflections of Inspiration and Wonder: An Annotated Selection from The Spiritual Dialogues by Saint Catherine of Genoa shares with modern readers this influential work about the depth of divine love. Why was this an important book for you to write?
While I was researching material for a new novel at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, I was reading the journals of Thomas Merton. In one entry I read a section where Merton mentions he had been asked to write a biography about the life of an ‘absolutely transformative’ Saint Catherine of Genoa. I had never heard of her, but had a deep and clear urge to read more. Long story short, when I read a certain section of her ‘Spiritual Dialogues,’ I had the overwhelming feeling I was showering in Divine Love, as if every cell in my body was filled with light. I felt transformed. Within days of that reading, still “dripping in the experience,” I knew I would bring this little book to fruition. This is not a ‘religious’ book, nor am I a ‘religious’ man. But, I am aware that the power, pathos, and transformative power of this mystical Saint is alive in her song of Divine Love.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
The book “came” to me in March, 2023. I had written the Preface fairly quickly and edited the text with Annotations. The Meditations on Love also came fairly quickly, all within 3 months.
With the Preface written and text edited, my hope was to find a “scholar” or educated writer for a more in depth and proper Introduction on the life of Saint Catherine’s life and meaning of the text, in particular the role of Divine Love in the world today.. After a few months, while I found a publisher and was receiving strong praise from distinguished Spiritual Leaders, I found no one to write the Introduction. The publisher suggested I write and at this point I delved into deep research and completed the Introduction. This was perhaps the “hardest” part for me, which took another 3 months, and the book was completed in late July, 2023. The publisher then took about 3 months to edit the work, at which time I took another month to incorporate the suggestions.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I had no goals other than to give the book the deepest respect I could muster and do justice to Saint Catherine’s message of Divine Love. I sought to honor the call of Spirit “asking” me to write this book.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Love’s Guest?
I hope readers find in the book a certain wisdom and knowledge of what Divine Love feels like– And a knowledge– and a feeling for and sense of how Divine Love is present in the world today. I will soon begin to offer a contemplative workshop, “The Everyday Mystic” which will explore our individual capacity to receive Spirit in our life on a daily basis.
Author Links: Website
This beautifully illustrated Annotated Selection from Saint Catherine’s Spiritual Dialogues, a classic of Christian literature describing the Italian mystic’s spiritual transformation, includes a reflection workbook to encourage a deepening of love and understanding in our own lives. Freshly edited and revised for the modern reader, Saint Catherine speaks of Love as Spirit, God, and Human existence in a voice simultaneously profound and simple.
Updated with Modern English and a Reflection Workbook
Love’s Guest: Reflections of Inspiration and Wonder
In the elegantly crafted Love’s Guest, readers journey into the depths of St. Catherine of Genoa’s inner universe. Drawing deeply from her influential work, Spiritual Dialogues, this revered 15th-century Italian mystic delves into the intricate nature of divine love. The book opens with a compelling introduction that gracefully ushers readers into the life and profound devotion of Saint Catherine. Recognized for her undying service to the ailing and impoverished, her legacy has been cherished throughout the ages.
As you delve deeper, you’ll encounter a collection of meditations meticulously edited by Marc Aronoff. His masterful editing ensures that the essence of St. Catherine’s insights are accessible and resonant for contemporary readers. At the heart of these meditations lies the exploration of love: a force described as both tender and powerful, akin to a “divine flame” that fills the heart with pure ecstasy. Through these reflections, readers will grapple with the concept of the immortal soul’s capacity to experience a love that transcends the confines of our earthly existence, shedding light on the fragility of our human form. Love is portrayed as the catalyst for transformation, a force that liberates, strengthens, and aligns our aspirations with the divine.
St. Catherine vividly prompts readers to envision God as a sacred thread woven into the very fabric of our being, eternally linking us to the divine. Such imagery is potent, inviting readers to continuously acknowledge and celebrate this eternal bond. Accompanied by thought-provoking queries, this book becomes a meditation guide, urging introspection. The closing remarks by Brother Paul Quenon are particularly poignant, while Jan Richardson’s artistry—marked by its discerning palette and refined simplicity—augments the book’s resonance, encapsulating the essence of the meditations beautifully.
Engaging with Love’s Guest is a transformative experience. While its narrative may be concise, its message about the universality of love resonates timelessly. Even though St. Catherine voiced these sentiments centuries ago, their relevance in today’s context remains undiminished. Love’s Guest stands as a testament to her enduring wisdom and boundless compassion.
Pages: 88 | ASIN : B0CGGV5CLC
WTF Am I Doing?!
WTF Am I Doing?! Mindfulness Workbook was such a joy to read and work through. Maria Jones constructed this workbook with many resources to help practice mindfulness. Not only are there resources to learn about mindfulness, but there are also activities and prompts to put what you learn to practice.
This insightful book went through several topics, such as discovering what mindfulness is, tips, and intentionality. Included are puzzles to add in a bit of fun. Maria Jones really thought of everything when compiling this book. This workbook changed my perspective on Mindfulness in the best way possible. It put things into perspective and gave me helpful exercises to work through, challenging me to keep mindfulness at the forefront of my mind. In doing so, I was able to think more clearly about my goals in life and work towards those goals with intentional thoughts and purpose.
I enjoyed how this book had prompts and exercises, allowing me to put mindfulness into practice as I learned about the process. By getting into a habit of repetition and practicing mindfulness, I found that one is able to be present throughout the day and truly enjoy all that life has to offer.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to better themselves in the process of being mindful. By working through this workbook slowly, with intention, one can better their mindset about life, personality, and goals. This book provided a healthy challenge and was something I would look forward to working on each day. It is a great resource for anyone and everyone simply for the fact that it will keep you accountable to yourself and your personal goals and achievements.
WTF Am I Doing?! Mindfulness Workbook is a self-help book that can benefit anyone who reads and works through it. Mindfulness is so much more than just taking time to reflect; it is about being intentional and present with the life you have been given.
Pages: 142 | ASIN : B0B7GHYT1N
Think Unique
Think Unique, written by Ortal Green, co-founder of the Glittering Minds, is a workbook-style book designed to help teachers and parents learn the process and benefits of project-based learning (PBL). The author not only explains the rationale behind PBL, but she also leads readers through a series of reflections and questions that build the skills needed to effectively implement the strategy. Green suggests that using the methods outlined in her book, teachers will empower students to think more creatively and critically. The book is designed for the elementary classroom, but the concepts apply to students of all levels.
Think Unique is divided into four parts: “Understanding Creativity,” “Why You Need to Develop Your Creativity,” “All About PBL,” and “Practical Tools and Exercises to Develop Creative Thinking.” Each section builds upon the last, creating a step-by-step guide to the world of PBL. By the end of the book, you have a toolbox of authentic PBL activities you can use in your classroom.
The first two sections focus primarily on understanding your creative potential, even if you feel you have none. The last two sections focus on the strategies of PBL, focusing on the RIDER (Research, Incubate, Dream, Evaluate, Realize) method, and providing examples of how the RIDER method can be used in the classroom to facilitate higher thinking. By understanding that process, you will learn how to design each unit so that students are compelled to think beyond what’s right in front of them.
As an innovator in the field of education, Green challenges teachers to turn the traditional teacher-centered classroom into a more modern student-centered classroom that will foster innovative thinking through project-based learning. With the tools and tips in this workbook, you can learn to tap into your students’ full potential by teaching them how to think creatively.
Pages: 262 | ASIN : 0645224103
MANSA’S Little REMINDERS The Money Workbook for Kids Part 1
MANSA’S Little REMINDERS The Money Workbook for Kids is part of the Mansa’s Little Reminders series. This is a workbook designed for teachers, educators, parents, and caregivers to be able to teach six to twelve-year-olds about budgeting, saving money, and age-appropriate entrepreneur skills. This workbook outlines activities for adults and gives them worksheets, example pages, quiz questions, and links to print off additional resources.
When looking through this fantastic workbook I was impressed with the amount of information that is presented. Authors A.D. Williams and Kendal Fordham have laid out the materials in a clear step-by-step manner with vocabulary sheets, activities, questions, and everything someone could need to create a lesson plan either for a classroom or homeschooling.
The exceptional workbook is filled with bold and colorful illustrations done by Taylor Bou. The images jump off the page and present the concepts clearly. With clean lines and entertaining expressions, children will be drawn into the pages and better able to understand the information being presented.
What educators will like is that the information is realistic, the authors bring up failure and how it is a natural part of the process. Discussing how to manage failure and how to learn from it is often overlooked especially for children. This process sets aside time each week just for evaluating what works and doesn’t work. This is an important step towards learning and I am happy to see it highlighted.
MANSA’S Little REMINDERS The Money Workbook for Kids is a great workbook to continue the lessons that are started in MANSA’s Little REMINDERS: Scratching the surface of financial literacy. This workbook will help put into practice the information from the first book and give children a hands-on application for the lessons covered. This is a great resource for any adult that is trying to give kids an early start on understanding budgeting and saving money.
Pages: 49 | ASIN : B09QMGY4LM
How To Plot A Novel Like A Well-Timed Mechanical Ambush (Part Two)
by Don Templeton
Welcome to Step Two in the Blue Falcon Press plot planning process.
What I’m about to reveal here is something professional screenwriter’s already know backwards and forwards. This diagram was originally brought to the world by the late, great Syd Field. Now here is something novelists need to internalize: this schematic works Jim Dandy as a template for your novel as well as a screenplay. I’ve written EVERY novel of mine using the Paradigm above to map out the major movements and turning points in my plots. EVERY. ONE. This diagram keeps you on target, keeps you focused, and keeps you from writing crap that has no business being in your story.
The first thing to do in figuring out your paradigm is write a sentence which describes how the story is going to END. Then do the same thing for the BEGINNING. In my novels, the beginning is always the INCITING INCIDENT. It is the event that starts all the other story dominoes falling. In Pretty Hate Machine, this is the Sadie Hawkins attack on her school. Next, decide what PP1, PP2, and MP are. Let me explain what a Plot Point is. A plot point is defined as any incident, episode or event that “hooks” into the action and spins it around into another direction. Syd Field’s SCREENWRITER’S WORKBOOK. Now notice where your plot points fall: at the end of Act One and at the end of Act Two.
The Mid Point is some kind of incident, episode, or event that occurs in the middle of ACT 2 and breaks ACT 2 into two halves of dramatic action. Act 2 becomes two halves joined together by the Mid-Point. The first half of Act Two now has a target you know – the Mid-Point.. The second half of Act 2 has another target to write towards, everything that happens after the Mid-Point and concludes with Plot Point 2.
Let’s illustrate how this works by examining the Peter Jackson remake of King Kong I’m not using Pretty Hate Machine to illustrate this because it will ruin the wonderful surprise for readers of the book. I’m not going to spoil that surprise for you. In King Kong, Act 1 ends with Plot Point 1 which in this case is when the expedition reaches Skull Island. The Mid-Point of the story is when King Kong shows up for the first time, taking the girl into the jungle with him. So, the first half of Act 2 shows all the incidents that take place exploring the Island. The second half of Act 2 details the girl’s relationship with Kong and her shipmates attempts to find her and rescue her. Plot Point 2 is when Kong is captured and the ship leaves for New York. See how that works? It makes Act 2 absolutely manageable now. No reason to fear Act 2 anymore.
Let’s discuss briefly the purpose each act serves. Act 1 is known as the Set-Up. It shows your character’s in their normal world before the real meat of the tale kicks in. Plot Point 1 is really where the steam of the story picks up and spins us into The Confrontation which occupies the entire length of Act 2. Act 2 is where you put your heroes in a tree and throw rocks at them. Act 2 ends with Plot Point 2 which spins the story around into another direction, which is the straight down nose dive into the Resolution or Act 3. This is where your heroes regain the initiative and turn the tables on the opposition, smacking them down smartly. Or if you’re into tragedies and such, this is where the heroes are defeated by the opposition. I don’t like those kind of endings so I don’t use them. I believe the good guys will always best the bad guys. That’s how I roll.
Next, impose the length restrictions of the screenplay on your novel. In a screenplay, Act 1 is one-forth the length of your script. For a 90 minute show, that’s roughly 22 and a half pages. Act 2 is half the length of the script or 45 pages. Act 3 is the same length as Act 1. In a novel, you do this by dividing your word count by 4. GREEN MAJIK novels are 100,000 words in length. So Act 1 and 3 are roughly 25,000 words in length; Act 2 is 50,000 words, which is divided into two chunks of 25K by the Mid-Point. Simple Simon.
Here’s your homework assignment. 1st, get Syd Field’s book The Screenwriter’s Workbook. It’ll be the best $16 you’ll ever spend. Next, read Pretty Hate Machine and tell me what Plot Point 1 and 2 are and what the Mid-Point is. Email your answers to don@bluefalconpress.com. Once you know what you are looking at, these events are easy to spot.
Next, we will talk about planning the most important part of your novel: your characters. See you there.
LITERARY TITAN 