Published!

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.

You will find out about my agonies and obsessions in my past and how these events are intertwined with my present events.  Gift of Gratitude: Lessons from the Classroom is available on Amazon and waiting for your review there, as well as on Good Reads.