Brummet's Conscious Blog

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Today's featured guest - Jill Spiegel - shows us how to Connect With People during the interview that aired this morning on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. Jill is the founder Goal Getters , a motivational firm where she spreads her message through her hit seminars and speeches to fortune 500 companies, organizations and community centers across the country. Along with her husband and business partner, Joe Brozic, Jill has authored four motivational CDs and five books including her newly released, " Jill Spiegel's How To Talk To Anyone About Anything! " Jill has been a guest of multiple television and radio shows including Oprah. Jill says, "There is magic in communication!" To access today's interview simply follow the hyper-links above or look to the right for links to the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. -- Stamping to Save the Planet? -- A new stamp project has been created with the aim of protec...

WooHoo! Purple Snowflake Marketing - How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd is now available - and for only $10! Purchase your copy at: http://www.booklocker.com/books/2949.html Dave & Lillian are proud and excited to announce that the 2nd edition of Purple Snowflake Marketing - How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd is now available: www.booklocker.com - Our website ( www.brummet.ca ) will soon be updated to reflect the release of this new edition. Purple Snowflake Marketing - How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. With nineteen chapters and twenty-five appendices, this e-book is a means for authors to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. The e-book also offers over 900 resources that will accelerate your marketing efforts far beyond your peers. As a reassuring marketing plan guide, it contains ample...

-- Authors Read Radio Show -- Today on Authors Read we are featuring Robert Kimmel Smith - According to The Child Advocate, “Divorce is an intensely stressful experience for all children, regardless of age or developmental level; many children are inadequately prepared for the impending divorce by their parents.” The award-winning author takes a close look at this painful topic from a child’s perspective in his young adult novel The Squeaky Wheel. To hear the author read an excerpt from this book simply click on the hyper-links here in this post or look to the right to find the Authors Read radio show. *Airs live at 9 AM Pacific & will be archived for anyone to listen to, at anytime, for years to come. -- Positive Eco-News -- Interested in controlling the heat in your building, saving money & reducing your impact on the planet? Check out these great tips: Ecobank Aichi, a Japanese non-profit organization (NPO) based in the city of Ichinomiya in Aichi Prefecture, has publishe...

-- Conscious Discussions -- Conscious Discussions airs live today at 10 AM Pacific - Our discussion will focus on the Save the Frogs non-profit organization - founded by ecologist Dr. Kerry Kriger. Kerry holds a Ph.D in Environmental Science, and a Bachelor of Science a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His career included studies on endangered Hawaiian birds, human illness, teaching university courses and he has also written and edited several chapters for encyclopedias. Tri-lingual wildlife photographer Kerry Krigger is currently the Executive and Ecologist of Save the Frogs organization and we’ll be focusing on the work they do for amphibians. Follow the hyper-linked show title above or look to the right for a link to the Conscious Discussions radio show :) Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

-- Quote of the Day -- The following quote was taken from an email I received from the Zero Waste San Diego group, which I am a member of: “ A 5-year survey of fulmars found in the North Sea region found that 95 percent of these seabirds contained plastic in their stomachs. Studies of the Northeast Atlantic plankton have found plastic in samples dating back to the 1960s, with a significant increase in abundance in time .” -- The Best Advice for Authors -- (Previously published article by Lillian Brummet) The best advice any author could receive is: Do your research. Whatever stage you are at, whatever you are facing – research it. Find out the details from other authors and research the person or business you hope to work with. Find out what their guidelines and policies are, make a note of the person you will be dealing with. Provide them with exact and complete information. Always research your market and query them in a professional manner before sending a finished product. Doing i...

Ok, ok I know that I am breaking my own rules & find myself in the office once again today ;) As a promise - or a pact with my husband - I am to take 3-4 days per month away from the office, I'm not even supposed to walk in the office door. Well, this month finds me breaking that promise... just a little. We had some internet issues over the last week that has given us intermittent service, so I've felt compelled to be in here a few hours a day - but only a few! I promise - lol !! *There is lots of time to enter this week's prize draw for a copy of Rick Glaze's fiction-memoir adventure novel: Middle Fork -- & -- a copy of Dawn Menge's children's book: Queen Vernita's Visitors (book one of a series for young children). Email LDBRUMMET@YAHOO.COM Oh, and Brummet's Monthly - my monthly newsletter - goes out this very weekend as well. If you are not yet on our mailing list simply email me to subscribe. To start today's blog let me share with yo...

-- Quote of the Day -- “… After beginning to meditate, it became very clear to me that I could stay on a psychological emotional realm forever, because the mind will constantly produce problems, thoughts that bother us and on and on and on. And the only way to get off that wheel is to learn how to contemplate and meditate and go within to our own inner wisdom. …Focusing on what does not work only reinforces the issue if it is a repetitive thought however if our negative belief is unconscious to us, that is - we don’t know what they are, it will cause us to repeat the action again and again and again. …You are not focusing on a negative belief you are digging up and discovering the unconscious beliefs. …Repetitive patterns are creating a negative reality. …If it is not working, then that means we are being run by our unconscious mind .” ~ Sheila Radha - May 21, ’09 Today's quote is excerpted from an conversation with Sheila Radha on the Conscious Discussions radio show about how we...

-- Quote of the Day -- “ Our 60 years of research show that organic farming is the single most significant and immediate step we can take to curtail the potentially devastating effects of global warming. ” ~ Timothy LaSalle, CEO of The Rodale Institute -- a non-profit scientific organization for soil & agriculture. -- Eco-Resource -- GreenPeople is helping to grow our green economy by making it easy for consumers to purchase eco-friendly goods and services. Check out our listing in GreenPeople at: http://www.greenpeople.org/listing/Drumit_Percussion_23502.cfm -- Eco-Events -- June 23-24 (Tuesday & Wednesday): 5th Annual Expanding Asia's Carbon Markets Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 23-24 June 2009 "...bring together leading international players to examine barriers and opportunities ...learn and do business, driving growth in developing markets." For info email: Laila.Manji@greenpowerconferences.com June 24-26 (Wednesday - Friday): Electronics ...

-- Prize Draw -- Congratulations to Virginia - last week's prize winner - who won a copy of Rick Niece's memoir novel: The Side-Yard Superhero This next prize draw is for June 22 - July 5. Deadline July 5, 12 noon (pacific). Prizes to be won: Rick Glaze's novel: Middle Fork & Dawn Menge's children's book: Queen Vernita's Visitors (book one of a series) To enter in the random draw for these prizes simply email me with the word "prize" in the subject line at: ldbrummet@yahoo.com... it is that easy! -- Vehicle Emissions -- All over the world people are experiencing air quality changes due to vehicle emissions. Particularly in the peak of summer, cities have worsening air quality to the point where it has become “normal” to hear air quality warnings. In Pakistan, vehicle emissions are responsible for nearly 90% of their air pollution. That is no wonder when you consider that 500 mature trees are needed to combat the emissions for every 20,000 km drive...

**This last week we have had some technical issues that have kept us off line for nearly 4.5 days. Dave & I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. This morning finds me rushing around dealing with 80 or more emails that have been waiting for us to be back Online. We do hope that in the meantime you were able to enjoy the previous posts here on the blog & follow up on the numerous resources that we've offered over the last week alone. -- Quote of the Day -- “… Publicity has changed so much in the last 4 years. It used to be that when you put a book out there the publisher had the funds to help make it successful. …Things have gotten dicey since October of last year (2008)… only 8-10 books historically had to be successful in order for a publisher to make money, but this is no longer the case. The people I work with are very enthusiastic about making their message available to others. …Typically the author needs to find an agent, the agent gets the publishe...

-- Announcements -- I am so very excited to announce that Author Buzz radio interviewed me earlier this afternoon - already the archive is loaded and ready for anyone around the globe to access. Join us as we discuss the world of book promotion and my book, Purple Snowflake Marketing - How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd . We shared thoughts on misconceptions about the world of writing, I was also just interviewed at Funky Writer radio show which will be archived very soon. The host was so warm and gracious... I was smiling the whole time! I hope you enjoy the 15 minute interview and the hosts unexpected questions... He sure came up with some good ones! Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

-- Quote of the Day -- " I must have the purity of my own heart, stance, and intent toward others. This is the seed of all inner peace ." ~ H. E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche -- Eco- Resources -- Ok, As many of you are already aware, all week I will be sharing amazing environmental resources that we featured in the year 2007 at Conscious Discussions talk radio show. We continue to be impressed by the incredible work these groups do. - Seeds of Diversity : Information about heritage seeds, seed saving, plant diversity, garden history and your own garden heritage. www.seeds.ca - Light House Sustainable Building Centre: Inspiration, information, services and skills they need to implement sustainable building solutions; education, training and outreach programs; community engagement, research, partnership development, technical assistance and consulting services... www.sustainablebuildingcentre.com - Conscientious Innovation: A sustainability think tank and marketing consultant comp...

-- Quote of the Day -- “ Writing for me started with letters to the editor – I discovered that I was rather unusual in that most of my letters were accepted where as there was a rejection rate of about 90% of the time… so that had me thinking… Hmmm maybe there is something to my writing. …The thing about traditional publishing, you quickly realize that it is not yours - you no longer own the book. …I found that nonfiction writing is very comfortable, very easy for me. …And is a venue in which I can promote all the things I believe in .” ~ Debbie Jordan - May 12, ’09 Today's quote was chosen from an interview that aired on the May 12th broadcast of Conscious Discussions radio this year. This discussion on Ending Poverty & Building Peace was really quite inspiring - check it out by clicking on the hyperlinks here or look to the right of this blog page for a link to the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. **Don't forget to enter this week's prize draw for Rick Neice...

-- Conscious Discussions -- Jeanne McNaney was our featured guest of the day on Conscious Discussions radio because of her passion for animals and the environment. Jeanne (pronounced "genie") introduces children to wildlife conservation and endangered species preservation in her new children's book "The Legend of Honey Hollow." The story takes place in Honey Hollow, an enchanted forest sanctuary where the water is clean and the air is pure. Bears from around the world travel to Honey Hollow to escape habitat destruction and global warming. But when the trees are cut down by developers, the bears and the children of the loggers join forces to save Honey Hollow for future generations. Join us as we discussing how to instill a passion for proactive and environmentally conscious in today’s children. - Discover how one person can make a big difference - Learn the importance of community... & get a glimpse into the world of children’s book writing via: Environme...

-- Authors Read -- Today's featured author on Authors Read radio show was Sheryl Kayne who read an excerpt from her nonfiction book - Volunteer Vacations Across America . Check it out by clicking on the hyperlinks here or look to the right side of this blog for links to the Authors Read radio show. -- New Prize Draw Contest -- Announcing our new prize draw contest... Starting today and ending on June 21st, we are accepting entries to win a copy of Rick Neice's novel - The Side-Yard Superhero . This book is a nonfiction memoir of growing up in small town America with a best friend who is handicapped, moving away and then revisiting his home town as an adult. To enter the draw all you need to do is: Email me at: ldbrummet @ yahoo . com (remove spaces before sending) with the word "prize" in the subject line. Deadline will be June 21st. -- Eco - Event -- June 16-19: Air & Waste Management Association Conference -- Location: Cobo Center, Macomb Hall Detroit, Mic...

-- Prize Winners -- Last week's prize draw was held on Sunday evening - winners are: Alice is the grand prize winner of a copy of Sheryl Kayne's book, Volunteer Vacations Across America and the same package of posters as listed below. Kado & Seth who won a package of 5 science-fiction posters (based on the book, Beyond Mars-Crimson Fleet & signed by author Richard Risch ) Dawn won a copy of Lloyd Lofthouse's romance novel, My Splendid Concubine . Thanks to everyone who participated in last weeks prize draw :) Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

-- Quote of Day -- “… The term ‘Training’ is typically delivering information and supporting individuals to figuring out how to apply that information to their particular situation. ‘Therapy’ is more a medical model – therapy assists a person in getting from where they were to where they are. ‘Coaching’ can help a person get from where they are to where they want to go – helping a person get from functional to exceptional. Therapy assists a client decide where they are, what they want, where their strengths are and where they need support. …The support of a coach really is an ongoing partner in accountability and success for a person. …We are programmed from the day we are born …it becomes an automatic thing. The words (or action) comes out of our mouth before we are even aware of it – that is emotional autopilot. That is when all those toxic things show up in relationships: drama, anger, resentment, guilt, blame – all of that. …Becoming aware of those triggers allows us to make new c...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Beyond the beliefs of any religion, there is the truth of the human spirit. Beyond the power of nations, there is the power of human heart. Beyond the ordinary mind, the power of wisdom, love, and healing energy is at work in the universe. When we can find peace within our hearts, we contact these universal powers. This is our only hope." ~ Ven. Tarthang Tulku -- Reminder -- ** Enter this week's prize to win one of 4 prizes... info in previous posts on this blog. Just scroll down a post or two to find the details. *** -- Conscious Living Event -- Today, June 12th is World Day Against Child Labor From the site: http://www.ilo.org " This year marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark ILO Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to tackle the worst forms of child labour. Whilst celebrating progress made during the past ten years, the World Day will highlight the continuing challenges, with a focus on exploitation ...

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Today’s guest was unable to call in, however a good friend of ours, Vince Beazle was in from www.alternativeenergy.com to join in a discussion with me about the transition into green & conscious living in our North American society... how this affects the average individual. -- Eco-Event -- June 12-14: Over 100 environmental non-governmental organizations will be meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, for the Canadian Environmental Network’s (RCEN) 32nd Annual General Assembly and Conference. The AGA will take place at Grant MacEwan College at the College’s Robbins Health Learning Centre - a Silver LEED certified building located in downtown Edmonton. For more information about the 2009 RCEN Annual General Assembly and Conference, please visit http://www.rcen.ca/AGA/2009/index.html -- Eco-Tip -- Paper milk carton or waxed drink cups often attained through corner stores and fast-food outlets are not recyclable, and are not easily composted, but they can be ...

-- Quote of the Day -- “ We house the homeless, but …Seventh Haven is mainly an organization that puts people back to work; …a for-profit social entrepreneur business to put people back to work. ...The dome is put together with wooden pegs, once those pegs have locked into the holes …they will stay there for ever – you’d have to drill them out. We put plywood over the super-structure, …and hydro-stop which is a covering that gives it a rubberized covering or a stucco look – and that is the shell of the dome. …A team of two could do it, but four people would make it go up easier. …We can do a 24, 32 and 42 sq. foot dome structure. …The heaviest piece of our structure is 7lbs. …Hurricane force winds go around or over top of it, because of the shape. …50,000 lbs of pressure can be put on that structure and it won’t move an inch. …You know, I was one of the original Earth Day people (in Florida), we didn’t do anything earth-shattering or anything… we decided to do a bike ride all the way f...

-- Quote of the Day -- " Helping a child ends generations of illness; Past, Present, and Future. Please help a child today ." ~ Dean Balderston -- Conscious Discussions Radio -- I am very excited to share with you news about today's featured guest on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show... Greg Reitman - recently named as one of the “ Top Ten Movie-makers Making a Difference ” by Moviemaker magazine - has focused his work in the socially conscious documentary genre. " Fuel " is a fantastic, award-winning documentary film about reliance on foreign oil and exploration of new energy solutions. I've had the honor of watching this particular documentary several times and love how Greg is able to take the viewer on a emotional roller coaster, and yet provide so much hope. More recently, he released a film titled: Rooted in Peace , which focuses on the possibility of peace. Learn more about this inspiring award-winning and celebrated individual's object...

-- Quote of the Day -- " Words so innocent & powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good & evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them! " ~ Nethaniel Hawthorne -- Eco-tip -- Water the lawn only in the early morning or early evening, and only water once a week – but water deeply… Some regions allow their lawns to go dormant as it would naturally do in the heat of summer. Be sure to mulch those clippings and keep the lawn at 2 1/2 – 3 inches tall. -- Prize Draw -- Congratulations to the who won last week's grand prize: Alice Shapiro's book of poetry: Grand Forks and West Boundary Columbia Basin Alliance for LiteracyCracked: Timeless Topics of Nature, Courage and Endurance This week's draw, June 8-14th: Email me at: ldbrummet @ yahoo . com (remove spaces before sending) with the word "prize" in the subject line for a chance to win one (or more) of these prizes: - Lloyd Lofthouse's book: My ...

-- Quote of the Day -- Re: Inspiring people to become proactive in their communities: “… One thing, if you are involved with a particular group, they often have social events and this is a great way to get people you know interested in the cause. …There are all kinds of things – for instance, if one of the charities a bake sale for instance you can get people you know who like to bake together to help. It is just a matter of getting the right people with the right skills involved. …my local church is a resource for me because they accept me as I am …and allow me to reach out and share my skills. …In my writing I do information about the events that are going on about the peace groups, things that help fight global warming, green living, groups that are working to fight poverty, and supporting civil rights. …These all help me bring about my overall goal of bringing of peace in the world where we can all get along and allow everyone to contribute, to live in peace – and with respect. ”...

-- World Environment Day -- Wow! Today is World Environment Day!! We are also in the last few days of Canadian Environment Week - a great time to look at how we can make a difference in our own lives for the planet. Our book Trash Talk is filled with ideas, the ideas in just one chapter can save the average individual enough money to pay for the book! Trash Talk discusses the 4-R’s of waste management and the proper order for them. This being Refuse, Reduce, Reuse then Recycle… before we even consider sending the item to the trash bin. Trash Talk focuses on the third R, Reuse – which also saves people a lot of money (through reduced shopping, reduced utility bills...) and provides a way to make a real and measurable contribution towards a healthier planet. The book enables readers to feel more positive in life and leave a lasting legacy. Check out the table of contents, reviews and more information about the book at: www.brummet.ca/trashtalk.html -- Apologies -- I do have to mak...

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Today's Conscious Discussions show focused on the Second Acts Foundation , a non-profit organization, which distributes 100% of the donations to animal rescue groups across the US, in fact they’ve reached animal rescue groups in every single state in less than two years. Their focus is on small, volunteer run groups that adopt the no-kill policy. Today we learned about starting a non-profit organization like this, how to manage education, staff, volunteers and fund raising. We learned about the amazing proactive projects Second Acts has been a part of. Our guest Michael Brown is the Founder & CEO of the Second Acts Foundation - & he was very generous in sharing websites, resources and touching success stories. Find today's interview by clicking on the hyper-links here or look to the right for a link to the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. *Listeners who enjoyed today’s broadcast may wish to check out these related archived episod...