The power of Words Part 1

Words can be powerful. Not because they themselves hold power but because of the power we give them. When we use words no matter what they be in a derogatory manner towards individuals or groups of people based on race, intellectual ability, religion, or any other broadly stereotypical manner we can cause pain. We can also cause joy by using words to lift others up.

Occasionally we all say the wrong thing or have a slip of the tongue usually due to what we have heard growing up. Words should never be used to hurt others where possible and the we should always strive to be careful what we say, but we must also strive not to be hypocritical about what we believe.

Words also can be used for their shock value. Below is a PSA I recently viewed on television, though I do applaud them for trying to be kind to disabled individuals. This has brought up some other issues such as having many children who may not yet have heard such words to hear them and have to explain that they are not acceptable words. Please forgive my language but why not just say Fuck on national television? Again I like the message on face value but not in how it was delivered. I have looked through youtube and seen many different commercials for the same cause and I think that they did it much more eloquently.

More will follow in future posts regarding the power of words in many different ways.

Working, Writing, Podcasting OH my!

Well I have been spending the last couple of months since my vacation working, writing, and working on my podcast. I've started work on a couple of writing projects both non-fiction and fiction. I've been working my day job and for Oaklight Publishing on a daily basis and of course trying to get some wonderful guests on my podcast.

Most recently on my podcast I had a great guest Paranormal investigator and author Debi Chestnut. It was a great episode and I had a great time interviewing her. Today I had an interview for a podcast I will release next Sunday, early am eastern time with Philip Carr-Gomm. Philip to those who may not know him is an author, psychologist, educator and the Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (http://www.druidry.org). It was a wonderful interview and I am sure that any who listen to it will enjoy it. Feel free to check out all my other episodes too.

Starting from Debi's interview and until the end of the month the podcast is holding a contest. To enter all you need to do is e-mail awenspath@cox.net and tell me you wish to enter. Of course some feedback on the show might be nice but not necessary.

I am going to be trying to blog a bit more while I work on my writing and podcasting and working, not to mention chasing around an active three year old and meditating when possible. With luck some things will pick up and others slow down and balance be achieved as needed.

Continuing on Awen's Path

Well the podcast is now officially in its third week and seems to be gaining strength and hopefully listeners. Haven't had a ton of feedback yet but it is just starting after all. This week for my third episode I was honored to have Damh the Bard aka David Smith a brilliant pagan folk musician on the show. It was wonderful talking to him and went a little over my usual one hour time limit but what the hell it was fun. The show is exciting and upbeat I really loved doing it and it seems to get more fun with each podcast. I did on iTunes mark this podcast as explicit due to the single use of the word shit. I know it doesn't seem excessive but I did want to make sure it passed all their parental guidelines for sure. Well I am extremely excited because there are tons of wonderful guests coming up through the coming months. It should be a real hoot and a great learning experience.

And everyone go check out Damh the Bard's website at http://www.paganmusic.co.uk its a great site and showcases all of his work and where to get it.

Wake Up Celebrity Author Update

Greetings friends,

To those of you who have not voted yet in the Wake Up Celebrity Author competition and may we are now entering the last two weeks of the competition. It ends July 31. To those who have voted thanks. The link to my book in the contest is:

http://www.wakeupcelebrityauthor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=17:spirituality-and-religious&id=119:honoring-the-sacred-earth-a-path-to-spiritual-awakening

Currently I am 186 votes behind the person who is currently in the lead. She has 345 and I have 159, over these next two weeks every single vote counts and I would greatly appreciate it if you could please vote for the book. Also please feel free to invite your friends to this event and/or share the link with them and encourage them to vote, every vote counts and though I am currently in second place it is possible to catch up and even over take the leader in the next two weeks.

Also my book's trailer has been entered into the New Covey Trailer awards (entry #26) and you can also vote for that in their poll. The link to their site is:

http://thenewcoveytrailerawards.blogspot.com/

Again thank you all for your help and your time. I appreciate you all.

Yours Under the Trees,
Rev. David P. Smith (Duir) /|\

Wake Up Celebrity Author Info (Would ya Help please?)

As some of you may know, my second book “Honoring the Sacred Earth: A Path to Spiritual Awakening” has been placed on the Wake Up Celebrity Author Page. The Wake Up Celebrity Author page is a place where you can review the book based on criteria listed on the site such as Cover Art, Title and the Summary listed. This is helpful input that can help with future writing as well as the marketing of this book.
This is also a contest and all your votes would be greatly helpful. Your reviews are given in the form of votes rating the criteria and allowing for your personal comments. If you’d be willing to do this I would greatly appreciate it. The comments are helpful especially if specific.
Just click the link below and then click on click here to leave your vote. It asks for a name and e-mail address (to stop duplicate voting) and they also offer free e-books for the vote. Please feel to vote and encourage your friends to do so, it would be a great help.

If you are one of the people who has looked at this and voted already due to my facebook and twitter announcements etc I just want to say thank you very much.

http://www.wakeupcelebrityauthor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=17:spirituality-and-religious&id=119:honoring-the-sacred-earth-a-path-to-spiritual-awakening

Thanks.

Yours Under the Trees,
Dave/Duir /|\

Sorry for the long pause

Well its been a while since I've written here been a hectic month with work and preparing for vacation. Well I'm on vacation now and in fact starting the journey home slowly. Currently I'm visiting friends in TN and going to go see some sites. Then its off to Maryland Pennsylvania and Home. I'm still working hard to promote my books and my website and hoping that sales will pick up a bit. I'm also thinking about future writing and of course still planing to start work on a fiction that will be co-authored by upcoming author Rosa Sophia who's first book Taking 1960 will release on August 13th.

I'm enjoying this little break from my day job and feel my stress levels lowering significantly. I am hoping that once this vacation is wrapped up I'll be able to post on a regular basis again.

Wake up Celebrity Author Contest

I've entered the Wake Up Celebrity author contest... My direct link is http://www.wakeupcelebrityauthor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=17:spirituality-and-religious&id=119:honoring-the-sacred-earth-a-path-to-spiritual-awakening.

Please feel free to go there and cast your vote and tell all your friends about it and that they should vote too. Its a nice contest for newer authors like myself as it helps with exposure and should I win it would be some great promotional help for the book. Please cast your vote and of course vote on others if you wish as well and please do encourage your friends and family to do the same. I know I'd really appreciate it and if you vote for anyone else as well I am sure they would appreciate it. (though more votes for me please lol).

Thanks a ton.

Guided Meditations Instructions

Hello all I do plan to add some Guided Meditations to this site so I wanted to add a few basic instructions here for those new to using them when written by another and not spoken.

In order to get the most out of a guided meditation it should really be guided by a voice so either a friend who will read to you or recording it to listen to while practicing it is always great. You may also wish to add music to the background but it should be rather laid back, relaxing and have no lyrics its really there for ambiance and to help you relax and reach that meditative state.

You should remember that your speaker, or yourself if your recording should speak slowly. Don't rush things and if it calls for a pause or a time to think leave some blank space in the recording or just pause if your speaker is live. These are really just some tips you'll find over time what works best for you. Also remember that guided meditations do take a little while some can last over an hour so be sure you have the time before beginning, its never fun to have to end one early.

Of course you could always memorize the meditation and go through it in your head if you are good at memorizing things. Just remember to go with what works for you. If the particular meditation doesn't interest you don't do it, if you find one you really like and want to repeat go ahead and do that.

Some of the meditations will be written specifically for this blog and others may come from one of the books I have written as they both have some different meditations in them. I may adapt them for the wider audience of the blog if they are more specifically aimed. I hope you enjoy them and that in some way any that resonate with you help you along your personal journey.m

Sunday

Well its a nice lazy Sunday here and I plan to spend most of the day doing some research and thinking about new topics to write about. Don't forget to see the last post regarding my first blog only contest. I'm having fun coming up with new and interesting stuff for the blog. I am also looking for a couple new automated features in order to make things around here more interesting.

You may have noticed if your not new to the blog that my URL has changed to www.duirsforest.com as a friend of mine convinced me that it looked better if it had a custom URL and I had to agree. I really do enjoy writing these blogs and sharing my feelings and the status of my writing with you all.

The cover art of my second book is well under way and once its all done I will be announcing the title of the book and showing it off. Edits are still under way in the first step of a 2 step process. Some may know and others not that my first book is now coming out in its second edition already sometime next week due to some grammar gremlins that squeezed by the proofreader and we've don our best to fix it quick. This time I am looking to use an editor with an sterling reputation and keep the errors to an absolute minimum. We all know things can slip through from time to time but far too much slipped through the cracks the last time.

Well I truly hope I can keep this blog nice, light and interesting for all of you who read it. I enjoy writing it with all my being and I hope to continue on for many years to come.

Been a while

Well the holidays are fast approaching. I keep plugging forward. The second book is going forward and the first stage of editing has started and with luck it'll be wrapped up in a couple months. Lots of work to do there. I've been so busy with the holidays and the last minute shopping and wrapping as well as yesterday and today's snowstorm. Its going to be a really fun cleanup. Well as they say if you don't like the weather in New England wait 5 minutes. They're calling for sleet on Christmas and rain the day after so we should have white just until Christmas... then probably flooding, it'll be a hoot! But Yes it should be a White Christmas so time to play some Bing Crosby.

Lots of cleaning left to do. We have friends and family coming over both Christmas Eve and Day so we gotta get the place sparkly. Then I get to work the day after Christmas setting up sales so it should be "wonderful" (please not the sarcastic tone in wonderful). Oh well Until next time!

The Second Book

Well the first book "Under an Expanse of Oaks, A Druid's Journey" is fresh out of the box and moving forward. We'll see how it goes over the next few weeks. I have two people reviewing it soon so I'm a bit nervous about that.

The second book is now much longer than the first and if it keeps progressing at the rate it has been its first draft should be done by the end of the month. Then it will be time to start the editing etc. My guess is if everything goes right it will be ready by the spring. It should be really great as it has a broader audience than the first book.

Well back to life. More writing to do then bed to get out to the day job tomorrow. Its great though and everything is moving really fast and I'm liking it.

Today

The pre-holiday cleaning keeps going on around me. I'm still working on book two and watching my 2 year old but now we've moved downstairs so my wife can clean the upstairs before hosting our Yule dinner with family. It should be a hoot and I am looking forward to the house being all spotless and shiny again... with a 2 year old and working most of the time I barely get to see it in such a state. And we get to keep it that way for a week or so before the day comes... Yay! Should be an interesting venture and I always wonder if Freddy will comply with our wishes.

Though writing has been very fruitful lately with lots of work getting done. If my pace keeps up like this I should be done with my first draft by or before January first. We shall see.

Setbacks

Well it looks like the book has had another setback or two with the formatting. Apparently they've changed the guidelines again. I am hopeful that they will get it fixed expeditiously, and will keep everyone posted as I can. Its getting a bit frustrating but hopefully it will be worth the wait for everyone. I am anxiously awaiting the official launch of "Under an Expanse of Oaks: A Druid's Journey" and I will keep working on non-fiction book number two which is rather relaxing to write and very fulfilling.

With any luck my "official" writing career will start off soon and with any luck people will like what I have written. The book seems to be getting shorter though as they wanted a smaller font size this time. Well we shall see. At least I know I like it as does the one reviewer that has read it.

Writing

Finding inspiration for writing I have found comes easier the more you do it. I find that the writing actually inspires me from time to time to write more and brings my ideas off into uncharted territory where it finds interesting bits of info to include. All in all its pretty fun and with the quotes I've chosen for my second non-fiction my sources of inspiration are vast. So far I've quoted the bible, Einstein, Anne Frank, and Mother Teresa. Each quote building upon the last as well as inspiring me to write what fits in that section.

Yay SMS works

Though I can only do short posts with it, I am happy SMS posting is set up. This will be great for short messages when traveling or when my computer is not available to me... like at work. It should be a great way to add content to the blog etc. I am glad that now I can keep in touch at all times. Well with any luck sometime today or tomorrow I'll hear that the book is live and available and I will be able to fully launch it. Until then I will just keep working on book two and getting the contest ready to be all settled by the 30th.

Nature

It is my firm belief that we need to listen to the natural world around us. Not only does the Earth itself speak to us when we are quiet and open ourselves to her communications but also the divine whispers to us on the breeze. The divine does interact with us and help to guide us especially when we need it most but only if we listen. Deity likes to whisper the guiding words... Not that Deity can't scream at us... oh it can and does when necessary but usually it whispers.

By connecting with nature we can find ourselves, we can help rebuild what we have destroyed as a race. We need to look towards nature for the answers we seek. I firmly believe that nature has all the answers we need written in it, not in words but in its very existence. We need to look at how things were and how things will be.

We are learning we all know the chant... Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... it is but a part of what we can do and we can all take many small steps to help our world to heal. We must do this, we must act. What will happen if we don't... who knows but I know one thing for sure... we will not be part of it. The Earth will go on and will heal itself, the question is if we will be allowed to stay to see it if we don't help to fix what we've damaged or destroyed.

Book Status

Well the book is still coming soon. We're waiting on a few snafus from the printing company but it should soon be available for purchase I will be sure to let everyone know once it is and where it is. Thank you all for your interest in it and your patience. I am also excited because a couple of stores have contacted me and want to carry it. Its really exciting indeed.