Every arena has its own list of terms and definitions. The world of publishing is no different. When you take the traditional route of a publishing house, literary agent, or a mix, then they take care of the dirty work for you. You can sail on through the process without learning the language.

It’s different when you are self-publishing your work. You’re in the trenches. Even more so if you are attempting to wear most or all of the hats (editor, graphic designer, illustrator, marketing agent, publisher, etc.). You can pick and choose what roles you fill and which you…

I’ve written before about the terror of toxic positivity. It’s the dangers that come with an attempt to force a “good vibes only!” mentality on ourselves or others. It’s not healthy to ignore the full range of our emotions and try to live in a mindset that only the desired feelings are welcome or beneficial. Instead, it’s essential to give every emotion that pops up the attention and reflection they deserve.

During the quarantine, I’ve seen an off-shoot of the toxic positivity way of thinking developing — toxic productivity. …

A month has passed since I explained more in-depth the lockdown measures the country of Panama has been under since about March 15, 2020. This marks now five months of very strict regulations.

I’ll provide a refresher before I add some notes on this one month update. Feel free to read the original article found below.

General lockdown measures

Majority of the population for most of these five months are living under the following:

• Permitted to leave home three times a week during an assigned two-hour time slot which is based on the last number of one’s ID card.

For example, my permissible…

We’ve been asked to share our favorite successes or accomplishments we’re most proud of. But, have you ever been asked, or even considered, your favorite failure? Probably never. So allow me to do the honors.

What is your favorite failure?

We’ve probably all thought of our biggest failure, but maybe it isn’t the same answer for our favorite.

Unnecessary vs. Productive Failures

When we think of it in the way as our biggest failure, we usually look into our box of ‘unnecessary failures’. The unnecessary failures are those mistakes that most likely could have been avoided with better research or planning. Maybe they’re the…

I’m nervous when I don’t receive critical feedback. I’m not sitting around waiting for it to come to me. I’m pretty proactive in asking for it, but I’m usually left feeling that it’s lacking. I needed to figure out what I was doing wrong…with both the work I wanted feedback on and how I was trying to get that feedback.

When I only hear positives, these just lead me to solidify my mistakes and they don’t allow me to come to recognize the errors (and then change them). …

It’s been tough to watch the newest battle in the US from countries away: a new school year in Co-Vid times. Any decision about how to deliver classes comes with a long list of pros and cons.

Teachers have gone from selfless to selfish, heroes to enemies and everything in between. At the end of the day, though, there is no fool-proof path, and a time like this calls for flexibility, understanding, and a willingness to adapt how best needed for the greater of the whole.

It’s been interesting since I’m observing the decision-making processes while reaching the middle of…

The fear of missing out. There are so many things we could be doing with our time, but deciding how to use it can be stress-inducing. Having a multitude of options isn’t a new thing, but the public sharing of these options makes us experience this anxiety of “missing out” on another level.

Remember, most people only share the “good” with the public. Even then, it’s slapped with a pretty filter and an inspiring caption. Also, successful marketing and advertising make you want to have or experience whatever it is they’re offering. …

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

“Quitting is not an option.”

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

“Losers quit when they’re tired, winners quit when they’ve won.”

Just like the concept of toxic positivity, we are flooded with the idea that quitting is a negative option. We’re brainwashed into thinking that if we give up a dream, walk away from a relationship, drop a class (or college in general), or quit a job, then we’ve failed.

Quitting isn’t about effort, but awareness. Quitting needs context to understand, not some blanket quote from Pinterest that guilts us…