Kindness is a superpower because it affects everyone involved in a positive way. If you do or say something kind it elevates your mood as much as it does for the recipient which makes both of you want to pass the feeling on to someone else. A positive domino effect is created.

If you are struggling the quickest way to take your mind off your burden is to focus on lifting up someone else. The energy that passes between both of you will lift you both up. An example of this was when I saw an older couple struggling to pay for their breakfast. The husband was searching for enough coins, so I stepped over and slid my card into the machine. The man thanked me and seemed very surprised. After my daughter and I sat down to eat the man came over and said, “You don’t know how much that meant to us. My wife has been very ill; today was the first time she felt well enough to eat. He said he had blessing stones that he handed out to talk with people about Jesus. He handed us each two and told us he knew we had the love of Jesus. My daughter and I both still have those stones.

You never know when a kind word to someone will turn someone’s day or life around. It could be something simple you say at just the right moment that makes a difference. Shower compliments like confetti. We all like to hear we are doing something right.

Kindness is so easy to do. It doesn’t take much time or effort, but it has a powerful effect. Here are a few acts of kindness to try.

If you can afford it pay for someone’s meal or coffee.

Tell a parent he or she is doing a good job.

Bring a meal to someone who needs it. Food is love.

Spend time with someone. Listen to his story.

Help out wherever there is a need. United we are strong.

Praise hard work and say thank you.

Make a commitment to practice kindness every day.

I’m sure there are writers who can write anywhere, but I know I sit down to write more because my office is perfect for me. One of the secrets to being a successful writer is consistency. If you enjoy your space you will keep coming back to it to create more amazing work.

Is there a spot in your house that you can turn into a workspace? It would be ideal If you could find a space with a door otherwise you may find yourself dealing with distractions. My office opens to the sunroom and the living room, so my family comes in all the time while I am working. I can have my head down clearly creating the next great novel, and my youngest will come and sit on the sofa and give me that look that says, “I am available for you to entertain me now, and just when I think I am on a roll the dog will rest his head on my knee and make me feel guilty that I have not let him out in the last five minutes. I do my best to work when everyone is occupied doing something else.

Decide what will make your space special. I love flowers so I have several fake flower bouquets with vibrant colors, and I have plants everywhere. I also have photos of the people I love, and words of inspiration posted. There are days when my motivation is low and I’m sure I’m the worst writer in the world, so I need some words to lift me up. I have floor-to-ceiling windows in my office because I love light, and if I need a break I can stare out at the backyard.

Have the tools you need close by you. I have a file cabinet with important papers like contracts, and I keep any of the journals and books I need next to me. I often like to write down ideas, so I have a podium with a whiteboard for that, and I have another whiteboard to keep track of projects I need to do as well as the deadlines for those projects.

Sometimes, a quick nap will revive your creativity, so having a comfortable sofa or chair and a warm blanket can come in handy.

The wonderful thing about your writing corner is that it is completely up to you how you create it. Make it a space that you love so you will enjoy working there.

I have been running for over 40 years, and for 10 of those years, I was a running coach. I did my best to help my runners improve. I showed them the important aspects of running, but it wasn’t until recently I realized how important it is to practice what I preach. Here are a few pearls of advice of which I have learned the importance the hard way.

More is not always better

I know I’m not the only runner who only wants to run. I like to bike, hike, and swim, but I never felt like I had done a real workout unless my training included a run. I was obsessed with how many miles I was doing each week. I was also probably doing too much cross-training as well. At one point, I was running every day, lifting weights three times a week, going to karate class three times a week, and participating in a triathlon class twice a week. I also taught from 8 am-8 p.m. I started to have burning sensations in my calves and feet. When I went to the doctor and told him my schedule he started to laugh, and said, “Jen, this is very easy to figure out. Your body is tired.”

Eventually, my body started to send me other messages that it was time to back off from so much activity. When I strained my knee I had to put running on hold. I began to realize the benefits of performing activities that strengthen other muscles and give my body a break from running.

Don’t go out too fast

I told my runners this constantly, but I have always found it to be difficult advice to follow. I have been telling myself if I start out fast while I’m fresh I’ll have a time cushion when I am tired later in the race, but what happens is after the first mile I have entered the pain cave, and I am praying for the end of the race.

I coached a runner who would start out at the back of the race, and then she picked off runners one after another. Now, I know this would make most coaches too nervous, but this was a mental game that worked for her every time.

At my race this weekend, I decided to run it slow and steady because I was recovering from a bad cold. It was difficult at the start because so many people were flying past me, but I told myself I would see many of those people within the first mile because they had started out too fast. I ended up with a faster time than normal, and I enjoyed the race instead of being in the pain cave.

Losing makes you stronger

Think about how you feel when you perform well at a race and when you don’t. I can only speak for myself, but the race where I did not perform well is also the race where I started to commit to training harder and making positive changes.

Respect your body

Your body is a magnificent machine, but if you don’t care for it correctly, it will start to break down. I have learned so much about my body through my failures at ultras. Each time something goes wrong it helps me to know what to do differently.

Rest is part of your training

This has always been hard for me, but when I realized that I ran better after a day off I realized the benefits of resting.

Time on your feet is the key

I used to think walking didn’t count, but time on your feet is the key. That’s why I love doing ultras because you are free to walk or run as long as you keep moving forward.

I have so much left to learn about running, but I am enjoying the journey.

The question I am asked the most about writing involves the steps that are necessary to publish a writer’s work. There are definitely steps to take to be published as well as decisions to be made, but the first thing a writer needs to do is determine her identity.

Start with a series of questions to find out who you are as a writer. Here are a few that might help.

Why do you want to write?

One day, I was complaining about not making enough money with my writing and my husband gave me the puzzled look I see so often. He said, “Why do you write?” I replied, “Because I enjoy it, and I want to share my experiences with others in the hopes of helping them.” “Then stop worrying about the money.” I don’t know about you, but I will always hope that my writing will be profitable, but the truth is I have to write because ideas insert themselves in my brain and won’t leave me alone until I put them into writing. Is that why you write? What are your reasons for wanting to be a writer?

How much time can you devote to writing?

Being successful as a writer is not always the cushy job that some people envision. There are deadlines, query letters to write, and research to do. How much time you can spend doing it can determine what kind of writer you can be.

What type of writing do you want to do?

I have never agreed with the writing advice that says you should find your niche and then stick to it. I agree that if you are an expert in an area it would be great to share that knowledge, but if you have eclectic taste like I do you might want to delve into a variety of topics.

I’m sure you have heard the advice that says to write about what you know, but writers often need to write about what they feel which might require some research.

Do you want to do technical writing? Fiction? Non-fiction? Maybe you want to do a little bit of everything.

Who do you want your audience to be?

What age group do you want to write for? Do you want to write novels, magazines, picture books, or something else?

All of your answers will help form your writing identity. It will help you in your publishing journey if you know who you are as a writer.

Many of us suffer from insecurities, and we would rather avoid trying something new and failing at it, but if we don’t step out of our comfort zone we cannot grow, and we will end up being stagnant with what is comfortable.

Stepping out of our comfort zone can be terrifying. You have to realize that fear of failure is a dream crusher, and it defeats us before we even attempt something. I truly believe if you are convinced you will fail then you will, but If we believe there is a possibility we can do it, that first step is a little easier, and as we start to see success and the possibilities, the sky is the limit. I have a sign on my desk that says that something is only impossible until you do it. Here are a few things that will help you believe that you can do those things that seem out of reach.

Adopt a positive mindset. Positive thinking can send out strong energy and when you use positive words of affirmation, it is amazing to see the results. After you prove once or twice that you are capable of difficult tasks, you will gain confidence and continue to be stronger. Possible mantras are as simple as, “I am strong enough to do this.” “I am capable.” Also adopt a growth mindset. This means that if something is difficult for you to accomplish, acknowledge that you might need some additional knowledge or experience and although you haven’t accomplished it yet, you will.

Write down what you want to accomplish but write it as if it is definitely going to happen. I will run a great race next Saturday. I will be so happy with my performance.

Ignore the haters. No matter how well you do something, there will be people who find something to criticize. Worrying about what other people say is wasted energy unless it is a good critique that you can use to grow. If you are passionate about something, you need to do it, and sometimes that means you do it even without support from those around you.

Be patient. Make goals and plans for what you want to accomplish, and if something doesn’t work, then reflect on what needs to change. Let’s say your dream is to complete a marathon. You can’t be ready for that in a week. Give yourself time.

Be persistent. It is so easy to give up when we don’t find success right away. You have to keep trying, and if you fail at something, so what? Get back up and try again.

Remember you are special. This sounds like you have an ego, but it is a good practice to remind yourself of your good qualities on those days when you are feeling down.

Visualize your success. Imagine yourself completing whatever it is you want to do. Take some time every day to focus on that success.

O.k., it’s time for you to go prove that you can. The first step is to believe you can.

After 40 years as a French teacher, and leading 20 student groups to France, I can tell you with certainty that many people see the Eiffel Tower as the symbol of Paris. I have seen students cry when they see it in person, and my granddaughter took 150 pictures of it on a recent visit.

At the risk of alienating all the Eiffel Tower lovers, I have to admit it is my least favorite place in France and possibly the world. Without going into my reasons and being negative about a well-loved landmark I would like to suggest a few other spots in Paris you might enjoy.

If you want to see the Eiffel Tower but you don’t need to go up in it, take one of the boat tours on the Seine. There are a variety to choose from including dinner cruises. We went on the Bateaux Mouches tour and had fun. I would recommend buying tickets in advance no matter what you do. We had the best results at the official tourist office in Paris at https://parisjetaime.com/eng/tickets?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpompBhDZARIsAFD_Fp-JZEFhLIFnGfwNLkUallT9q5kIxrcCFb06TEuz_tPG1S02Z4VYHTkaAk43EALw_wcB

We have also used Viator at https://www.viator.com/Paris-tourism but we had a few issues with them.

Try a cooking class. We went to Galleries Lafayette for a one-hour class on making Macarons. It was amazing, and although many of the cooking classes are expensive this one was $60.

The parks in Paris are so much more than green spaces. Luxembourg Gardens is a peaceful oasis in the city, but it also has a spot to picnic, two cafés, pony rides, a playground, a carrousel, a lake to sail toy boats, a beehive, a vineyard, pétanque and tennis courts, and plenty of history and art. We visited one on this trip called Le Jardin des Plantes. You enter through a tiny door thinking this must be a small park, but it is massive. There was a zoo and many exhibitions.

There are canal rides over near the Bastille.

Go to Forum Les Halles if you want a French mall experience.

If you are standing in front of Notre Dame go to the street behind you and turn the corner to your left. There is a series of plant and gift stores that are fun to walk through.

Although you can take a taxi, a bus, or the metro to get around, consider walking and you will find gems along the way.

It’s the Halloween season and the possibilities to enjoy it are endless. First decide if you want to celebrate it at home, in your neighborhood, or in the greater community, or all of them, then choose from the many activities available from each spot.

Celebrating at home can be fun especially if you are creative and enjoy decorating. My mom knew how to do Halloween right. It also helped that we had a super scary basement. She would put a table down there and cover it with bowls of things that we would have to put our fingers in and guess what it was. There was a huge bucket filled with water and apples and we would dunk for apples. We also carved pumpkins together and baked the seeds on the baking sheets. The best part was trick or treating and then dumping out our baskets to see what we had collected.

One year, we celebrated as a neighborhood, and at each house, someone appeared in a scary costume and read part of a scary story. The children in the neighborhood had so much fun. We also discovered one year ago that using power tools to carve pumpkins is the way to go.

Local organizations host fun parties. Check your local YMCA or local recreation center for activities. You can find pumpkin carving and most towns have trunk and treat options.

Decorations and costumes are everywhere, and you can buy them without breaking the bank. Dollar Tree, Target, and Walmart are great options but don’t forget your local thrift stores too.

Help local churches by buying pumpkins at their pumpkin patches.

Most of all, have a fun, safe, and spooky Halloween.

When you think of Paris you might think of fashion shows, high couture, and prices that match designer brands, but Paris has something for everyone when it comes to shopping. I went exploring some fun stores for shopping on a recent trip to the city of lights. Here are some recommendations.

Head to the Latin Quarter on Boulevard St. Michel. The stores are reasonably priced here because so many students frequent the area. If you are looking for clothing you have Étam and Pimkie. There is also a second-hand store that sells clothing by weight. We went in and were pleasantly surprised by the trendy clothes we found. They also claim to have the best vintage clothing around. There are also several stores for bags and shoes on this street. If you are looking for books/journals, or paper goods Gilbert Le Jeune has a massive store as well as several other stores according to subject along the whole street. They have books in multiple languages.

Monoprix is on this street and it has clothing, makeup, and groceries.

If you like sporting equipment, turn to Rue des écoles and visit Le Vieux Campeur. There are also second-hand book and music stores down the whole street.

Hop on the metro and go to station Forum les Halles. Forum Les Halles is a huge mall. It has H and M, Zara, and many other stores including a two-story pharmacy where you can receive recommendations on skin care. If you walk from the Latin Quarter to Forum Les Halles (go past Notre Dame) you will pass one of the big department stores, Samaritaine. There are two stores side by side. The first store has designer clothes and prices to match, and Louis Vuitton is across the street. The second store has prices that fit my budget more.

Galerie Lafayette and Le Printemps are two other large department stores. The prices were high, but I have a feeling there was probably a section of the store that was better priced.

If money is not a problem, go to The Champs-Elysées and enjoy some time in Louis Vuitton and Chanel!

We were wandering around one day and found a fantastic store called Le Coton Doux. They had unusual and vibrant shirts for men. Check them out at www.cotondoux.com.

You will find treasures by taking your time and wandering through this beautiful city. Happy shopping!