Author Archives: Jerry

Living to 100

So, your feet always hurt, and you have to take a minute to straighten your back every morning getting out of bed. You’re gettin’ old, pal, but not so fast. Quit crying and put down that beer.

If 50 is the new 30 and 70 the new 50, can we expect to live to 120? Ilchi Lee, a South Korean bestselling author and creator of mind-body training methods, believes we can.

“I’ve made a clear, unwavering decision that I will live to 120 years of age,” Lee writes in I’ve Decided to Live 120 Years: The Ancient Secret to Longevity, Vitality, and Life Transformation (Best Life Media).

The number of people 100 years old has quadrupled in the past 20 years, and Lee points out that number will continue to increase rapidly in the future. So why not jump on the bandwagon?

The keys to that achievement include staying physically active, continuing to find a purpose in life, connecting with nature, and unifying with the divine or universe to understand what’s going on inside of us. It’s a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

You might be saying, well, yeah, but I don’t really have time for extra activity or finding a purpose in life at my age. Been there, done that. I can’t remember how many times I started jogging each day, only to slack off and eventually give up.

What’s attractive about Lee’s solutions is that physical activity doesn’t have to be painful. No need for jogging or working out in the gym. Instead, you can do one-minute exercises every hour, such as simple hand exercises while sitting down, doing a few push-ups against a sink, or something a little more strenuous like taking the stairs or doing jumping jacks. The idea is to make these simple tasks a normal part of your life every day.

Walking, of course, can play a major role. Aside from the health benefits, it provides time for meditation, prayer, and spiritual activity for mental stimulation that also allows focus on your life purpose. It connects the mind, body, and spirit for calmness and peacefulness. Lee also provides messages of wisdom and guidance.

People who’ve tried these techniques say it’s given them a whole new life with new goals, even after age 60 or 70. Improved mental, spiritual, and physical health brings them closer to family, friends, and the community for better involvement.

You’ve heard it before: it’s never too late, never give up. Wave your hands in the air, do some finger push-ups, get your mind in order. Then have that beer.

Retirement Saving Isn’t the Only Goal

From News & Experts

Mary and Pete saved every penny for retirement. They never went on vacations, they rarely went out to eat, and they lived a frugal lifestyle secure in the knowledge that when they retired, they would be able to live comfortably. In short, they worried so much about retirement that they forgot to experience all that life has to offer. “Saving for retirement is a worthy goal but there must be a balance between that and living life to the fullest,” says John Hagensen, founder and managing director of Keystone Wealth Partners (www.keystonewealthpartners.com). Hagensen says he has clients who scrimped and saved all their lives so they would have plenty of money for retirement. But when they do retire, they still don’t want to spend any money to enjoy themselves because they have been so programmed during their working lives to save every penny until the day they die. “The trick is to find that balance between saving to have a good retirement and managing your money so you can be rich in experiences,” he says.  

 Hagensen says this concept was driven home to him when a 20-year-old friend died in a traffic accident while driving across the country to start a new church. “She lived a life of kindness and joy and had wonderful adventures in her life,” he says. “I saw the people she had impacted and it really hit home to me that life is short. Saving for retirement is a worthy goal, but it shouldn’t be the only goal. We need to know that if we died tomorrow, we would be happy because we lived richly, not that we died rich.” Hagensen offers these tips for people who want to live richly instead of dying wealthy: 

  • Have a comprehensive plan. Design a life plan around all your financial goals – both short term and long term – and how you plan to reach them. If you are unsure how to devise such a comprehensive plan, seek the advice of a qualified financial planner.
  • Stop procrastinating.  Stop making excuses about making comprehensive plans about your financial future.  The future will be here sooner than you think. “We think we have an infinite amount of time – we don’t,” Hagensen says.
  • Take risks. Those who experience life to the fullest sometimes have to take risks, both professionally and personally. “You will only regret the risks you never took. Everything else is just a learning experience,” Hagensen says.
  • Get out of the mindset of fear and scarcity. Hagensen says we should ask ourselves “what is the worst that can happen?” when taking a big gamble, such as moving to another city for a job. Once people ask themselves that question, he says, many are able to overcome their fears because they know they can handle that worst-case situation.

 “Yes, it is important to be able to have a comfortable retirement,” Hagensen says. “But we only go around once in life and it is also important to live richly while our health is good so we don’t have any regrets when we do retire. You don’t want to be short of money, but you also don’t want to be short on experiencing life.” 

John Hagensen is the founder and managing director of Keystone Wealth Partners, a federally registered investment adviser in Chandler, Arizona. This piece is for informational purposes only.

7 Questions With Editor Gerald Shaw

Interviewed by Esther Rabbit (reprinted from https://estherrabbit.com/interview-gerald-shaw/)

Gerald Shaw specializes in editing fiction and non-fiction books, covering many genres including adventure, thrillers, sci-fi/fantasy, memoirs, science, and history. He also edits ESL authors who are great writers but just need assistance with a new language. As an author, ghostwriter, copywriter, and website content manager, Gerald Shaw has all the aces up his sleeve to assist upcoming authors in their endeavors. 

In today’s interview, Gerald shares valuable insight on how an author should approach an editor, what dictates the price of an editor and speaks about setbacks of the craft.

Esther Rabbit: What’s your own definition of a good editor?

An editor should be a good listener, understanding the wants and needs of the author. Writing skills play a major part for certain areas where writers need help. Being curious/asking questions helps improve the author’s work. Pay attention to details to make sure there are no inaccuracies in the book.

Esther Rabbit: What mistakes do authors make when approaching you and what advice do you have for them in that sense?

Be willing to negotiate. Some authors are unaware they don’t have to accept an initial proposal for editing. Let the editor know what is within your budget.

Esther Rabbit: How does a day in your life look?

I love working mornings and at night, so I get started early, checking my to-do list, then work on my most important project for the time. I usually have free time for the rest of the day. The night can be relaxing to go over projects.

Esther Rabbit: What were some major setbacks of this profession and what do you do when you’re not editing?

You can feel isolated at times. You are often working alone, although you have contact with the author. It’s good to have hobbies you can turn to when you get claustrophobic.

Writing. I still write articles and books.

Esther Rabbit: How do you manage to juggle life and editing?

You have to set down a schedule. Sometimes it is hard when you are working on your own, so you have to treat it like any business.

Esther Rabbit: Could you give authors a few tips on writing?

The best tip is to keep writing and pay attention to what editors have done with your work. The more you write and take advice, the better the writing.

Esther Rabbit: What dictates the price of an editor and how many services can you offer authors?

Experience and a good record of editing books. However, some authors face financial challenges, so I am always willing to work within their means.

I do copy editing, proofreading, and developmental editing to help with structure. I also edit ESL (English as a second language) for non-native authors.

Turning Your Journey into Drama

Never underestimate your experience when it comes to writing a novel. I’m not talking about writing a fictional account of your life in semi-autobiographical fashion, rather using what you’ve learned to create a fascinating story. Some of the best novels have characters not so much copied completely from real life, but pieced together with certain traits that made the people interesting. Building on brief encounters along your journey can also bring interesting results. Continue reading

Editor Interview with Gerald William Shaw

Phantom Owl Press

Gerald William Shaw has worked as a writer and editor for books, newspapers, magazines and online sites. His latest edited books include The Blood FeudThe Blood Tie and the soon-to-be-released The Blood Trail by Shelley Young, and Vibrations: A Psychic Journey by Tammie Whalen Buckler. He is also an author and ghostwriter.

cropped-jerry1.jpgWhat type of stories do you most enjoy editing?
Right now, I like thrillers, including erotic thrillers. I’ve recently edited the novels of Shelley Young, who is getting quite a following with her Dardian Dreshaj series – The Blood Feud and The Blood Tie.
What other books have you edited?
I’ve edited science fiction and adventure novels. The Dream Chaser, a romance-adventure by Anne Higgins Petz, has been getting great reviews. I’m editing a science fiction in the young adult genre for a new writer. I just completed editing a wonderful memoir by a woman with psychic abilities, Vibrations: A Psychic Journey by Tammie Whalen Buckler. I’ve also edited a science textbook, The Young Amateur’s Guide to Radio Physics. So, I pretty much cover a wide range.  Continue reading

How on Earth Did We Lose the Moon?

earth to moonThe Louisiana Purchase and the Apollo Program were two major U.S. policies, a century-and-a-half apart, which eliminated fierce competitors in our quest for the freedom to expand our horizons. They provided voyages into new frontiers with the promise of prosperity. In one case, it worked. In the other, it looked really good until recently. Continue reading

It Only Takes a Little Money to Laugh All the Way to the Bank

Do you wake up thinking you’re in a Groundhog decade? That’s kinda like a Groundhog Day feeling; only the decade keeps repeating itself over and over. Money is tight, the future looks bleak and you don’t know who’s spying on you while reading this. OK, so you took a big hit from the market in the last few years and swore off risky investing. Or maybe you’re a beginner looking for easy ways to get started. Continue reading

How to Stop the Motor of the World Without Chaos

Sometimes I feel at one with John Galt, even if it isn’t on purpose. The hero of Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged, stopped the motor of the world by convincing the men and women of the mind to go on strike, thus rendering society dysfunctional and rebuilding it from the ashes. Although going on strike sounds somewhat impractical, and unproductive, you can always turn off the rest of the world by continuing to go your own way Continue reading

Wisdom from Mort Sahl’s Heartland

It never ceases to amaze me how people don’t understand that Mort Sahl remains an equal opportunity political satirist. Let him lampoon a Democratic President and even fans of his will question his negativity. How dare he bash a sitting occupant of the White House (especially one who severely deserves it)! I notice this reaction from Sahl’s Twitter and Facebook remarks. “Move the clock forward four years so you can miss Barack Obama,” he recently tweeted. Or, “Will Obama improve? He hasn’t got the Constitution for it.”

And liberals just don’t have the stomach for it. In comedy world, it seems you’re only allowed to insult the other side. That’s not satire. It’s boot licking. Sahl reminds people that if the boot fits, wear it with his compliments.

SahlHe’s going amazingly strong long after first rousing audiences with his unique brand of wit at the Hungry i and the Purple Onion clubs in San Francisco in the 1950s, sometimes substituting for Lenny Bruce while the controversial comic served stints in jail. Unlike Bruce, Sahl never used profanity to get his point across. His points were well made as America’s most popular satirist in TV and movies. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine flanked by Kennedy and Nixon during the 1960 Presidential campaign. He wrote jokes for Kennedy and later took him on as President.

“You can be sure whoever is elected President, I will attack him,” he often said during campaign season. Today’s comics, who should last so long, could take many lessons from Sahl. Continue reading

Little Miracles Happen When You Turn It Over

I’ve had my share of highs and lows. I make right decisions and wrong decisions as I try, sometimes in vain, to get back up. But progress seems to occur out of the blue — with those little miracles that keep helping me feel positive about what the next day brings. I learn to look forward to those small steps that take me higher. There’s only so much you can do. Things just work out, even if a little bit at a time, when you learn to turn it over and understand there is more order in the world than we will ever know.

emerald-square1.gifWork-related issues or financial difficulties can seem like enormous barriers to happiness at times. Stress and anxiety trigger a cycle that results in damage to your mental, emotional and physical well-being. The worry that surrounds you during these times can produce a negative impact on your health. Research shows that stress not only hinders your body’s immune system, but also contributes to heart disease risks. Mental stress may increase harmful cholesterol levels, according to a study reported in the November 2005 issue of the American Psychological Association’s “Health Psychology.”

A healthy diet and regular physical activity help avoid those unwanted effects of stress — but so do turning it over, letting it go or putting God in the driver’s seat, however you wish to describe it. It might all come down to accepting change and following the current, instead of fighting it.

“If we can learn to tap into our innate wisdom and intuition we will gradually become able to discern the difference between our fears based on insecurities versus our soul trying to steer us into the flow of least resistance,” notes Sandra Carrington-Smith in Housekeeping for the Soul: A Practical Guide to Restoring Your Inner Sanctuary. Change might produce fears, but accepting change provides opportunities for new discoveries about your abilities and strengths. Turn it over, and don’t be surprised by the little miracles.