What have I been doing in the absence of writing any entries in my blog since
my last post?
Thanks for being curious! I have been preoccupied by my
self-publishing process for the last three months. The good news is I
finally debuted as the published author of Gift
of Gratitude: Lessons from the Classroom! I have been writing pieces
here and there for over a decade and wasn't sure what to do. I attended a
local writers' group and a professional writing retreat. I talked some
local editors. I researched and once planned to attend the annual
writers' conference in the area. None of these directly worked on or helped in the
publishing process. This frustration ironically pushed me to my drastic
move in December 2017. I decided to publish my own book.
Gift of Gratitude: Lessons from the Classroom is about my
journey of self-discovery. Through my professional career with children,
my attitude and perspective have evolved over time. I began to accept ups
and downs in the past because these events are connected to present moments in
many sophisticated ways. Finally, I learned a lesson. Being able to be grateful
is a gift in myself.
Let's say you receive a mystery gift box. You don't know what’s inside, but
you believe it is a treasure. You start decorating this mystery box to make it
as pretty as you can. You use beautiful wrapping paper, ribbons, a bow,
and even more extra things. A simple gift box soon becomes a cheerful one
that makes you and your friends smile. These smiles you share in
your life are a gift. Inside of the box, there is an inner treasure
called gratitude. I was too arrogant to decorate this gift box for a long
time. But once I recognized this is a priceless gift, I started fetching
paper, ribbons, and bows to create my own gift box. Perhaps I can proudly
pass it on to somebody important in my life. Publishing my book was the
final bow to my gift box.
