Jocelyn Brady 🧠

Reasonably Practicable. I love this phrase for when talking about #ChronicIllness & #Disability management. Because it's not about some technically possible perfection - which is almost always impossible in practice and carries crushingly high demands and guilt. Instead, it's about realistic, practical options. It's weighing up what is sustainable. So I don't 'do everything I possibly can' - because that would kinda have to involve pushing myself beyond my safe limits and trashing my health. Instead I can 'do everything reasonably practicable' - what is manageable, reasonable, sustainable. (I learned it during the legal lectures on my Environmental health degree. It's often legally unsound to demand someone does 'everything possible' to resolve as issue - instead you have to ask for 'reasonably practicable'. So I have chosen to extend that same logic and courtesy to myself) Here's to doing what is reasonably practicable for me today!

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All About Grief. By Lora-Ellen McKinney. Illus. by Sophia Touliatou BOOKLIST REVIEW In this accessible and comprehensive handbook, McKinney, a psychologist who’s worked with children experiencing grief, normalizes reactions to loss. An essential first chapter explains who feels grief at some point (everyone!), why it seems so hard to talk about, and the importance of finding “grief navigators” like friends, counselors, doctors, and spiritual leaders. This section also establishes such metaphors as grief as tumbleweeds and our reactions as bricks or walls, which extend throughout the direct, conversational text. Building on this foundation are chapters on what causes grief; the physiology of grief and how it affects our minds, bodies, and lives; and the stages of grief. In the process, the author raises valuable, real-life questions like “What is the best way to grieve?”, “Is it OK to still have fun?”, and “Will you ever be OK again?” Her final chapter offers age-appropriate strategies for managing grief, and suggests when a trained professional might be helpful. Colorful illustrations featuring individuals with diverse skin colors, hair styles, physical abilities, and religions further emphasize the universality of grief. — Angela Leeper

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Dear writers in the "query trenches", Decide RIGHT NOW if your book is your baby, or your business. If you want a publishing deal, stop shopping for a publisher as if their purpose is to make your dreams come true and pay you for the privilege. Stop repeatedly sending queries for the same book to the same agents, waiting for them to realize they love it. Stop treating your manuscript as a sacred thing, and the whip of rejection a kind of worship by which you can manifest a publishing deal. Start approaching publishers as if you're walking into a bank to apply for a small business loan. Make it your business to know the book market and where your writing fits in. Ask agents what they're looking for, and use that feedback as inspiration for your book concepts. If you want to get paid for your writing, start writing like you work for the reader. If you just want to see your baby on Amazon, skip the querying and hire a vanity press. #publishing #writingcommunity #booktalk

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What is the metal/plastic tube fixed tightly on your shoelace tips called? It's an aglet. Introducing the Aglet Narrative Approach: Just like an aglet keeps the lace threads together, this method ensures every part of your book is tightly connected, making your #bookwriting work a cohesive unit. 🧶 Ensure that the themes or lessons of each chapter weave through the narrative seamlessly, much like the continuous thread of a shoelace. ↔️ Each chapter reflects on previous insights and sets the stage for what’s next, keeping readers engaged and making the narrative flow effortlessly. 📌 Like an aglet protects the lace ends, regularly reinforce the main themes through recurring motifs, or anecdotes that tie back to the central thesis. 🧵 Use visuals like charts and infographics to guide readers through your narrative, similar to how an aglet guides the lace through the eyelet. The Aglet Narrative Approach works best in #nonfiction where clarity is crucial. Pro tip: At the end of each chapter, include a succinct summary or key takeaway that reinforces the chapter’s main points. This serves as the 'aglet'. 🤝 Want to know more or thinking about writing a book yourself? Let’s connect! #BookWriting #NonFiction #Publishing #WritingTips #PersonalDevelopment

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Somatic Narcissism in Relationships: Breaking the Toxic Cycle 🚨 Toxic Relationships Alert: Somatic Narcissism Exposed! 🚨 Are you caught in a cycle of shallow connections and constant validation-seeking? You might be dealing with somatic narcissism! This personality trait can wreak havoc on relationships, leaving partners feeling inadequate and emotionally drained. Somatic narcissists obsess over physical appearance, craving admiration for their bodies. But beneath the surface lies a dangerous pattern that can crush your self-esteem and body image. Don't let their superficial charm fool you! Learn to recognize the signs and break free from this toxic cycle. Set boundaries, focus on inner qualities, and remember: true love goes beyond skin-deep. Ready to embrace healthier relationships? It's time to prioritize genuine connections and self-love! #embraceinnerchaos #somdutt #toxicrelationships #narcissism #selflove #mentalhealth #boundaries #healing #selfcare #mindfulness #wellness #emotionalintelligence #personalgrowth #psychology #relationshipgoals #codependency #empowerment #selfworth #loveyourself #bodyimage #selfesteem #innerbeauty Please read the full blog post for more insights and strategies to overcome somatic narcissism in relationships.

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What can Tarot tell you about navigating today’s job market and all of the layoffs happening? Well, a lot actually. Let me tell you about the Tower card: Representative of destruction and danger, the Tower is a major arcana card that can symbolize life lessons and long-term aspects of life, but it also represents liberation and new beginnings. The card depicts a tower, obviously, but it's burning. In my deck, the tower is burning and there are storm clouds surrounding it. In other decks, the tower is burning and crumbling, people might be stuck in the tower, they might be jumping from it, it depends on the deck, but the message the image gives is all the same. It's a scary-looking card, I won't lie about that, and many people see the card as something to be feared. Most people, when I read their cards, will freak out over pulling the Tower, but there's truly no need for that. I know better than to take the Tower card at face value. There's more to the card than what you can see. Sure, it is an objectively bleak-looking card, but if you look under the surface, it's not a bad card to get. A few weeks ago I was feeling so much stress about my job situation and everything felt like it was crashing and burning around me. I instinctively reached for my old friends, my tarot cards, and I did a reading for myself. I decided to do a one-card pull and I got the Tower. It got me thinking about how it feels like my life of falling apart, crashing around my feet, and burning because, well… It is. I’m terrified and uncertain of what comes next for my daughter and me. But I know that in order for something new and beautiful to be built, the old has to come down. I pulled the Tower and I certainly feel like I’m in my Tower card era right now... I feel like I have been for a little bit. However, I’m hopeful that something bigger and better will be built in place of what once was. And hopefully, that's coming soon. So, what I’m trying to say is… It’s okay to pull the Tower. Nowadays, it seems like many of us have pulled the Tower, most without realizing they have. Don’t lose hope just because everything is tumbling down. Something amazing is coming your way. You just have to take a step back and appreciate the beauty that is the carnage and all of the possibilities and opportunities it may bring. Sure, the world feels like it's burning around you, but it opens space to build something new, something bigger, something better. The Tower can't burn forever. Don't forget that, okay? #JobSeeker #Tarot #TheTower #TarotCards #Copywriter #Opportunities

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Just a quick reminder that my book Foresight Infused Futures - A How To Guide to using Foresight - is available to download free at #foresightpresent Edit: sorry that link didn’t work

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When editors get after you to use active v. passive voice, they're not being nags. Well, they are - but there's a reason. Clear writing, including using active voice, makes it easier for people to read what you write. And when information is shared in a way that's easy to absorb, people are apt to read longer. According to this Psychology Today article, in key studies, people read sentences with active voice 1/3 faster than sentences in passive voice - and misunderstood even simple sentences written in passive voice about 25% of the time. Read more about active v. passive voice and 4 other clear writing tips: #writingtips #grammar #writing

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This week's spotlight in Women Writing is author Vanessa Ricci-Thode. Thanks for sharing with readers, Vanessa! Learn about Vanessa's writing experiences by subscribing here: https://bit.ly/46egkmp #womenwriting #writingcommunity #bestwritingadvice #worstwritingadvice #writingspaces #writingtime

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The title of your book is crucial to its success, yet it’s often subject to changes by editors. This blog post explores the importance of taking responsibility for your title and how to navigate these challenges effectively. Empower your book’s identity with the right title: https://lnkd.in/eKZdSkdX #BookTitles #PublishingIndustry #WritingAdvice #AuthorSuccess #CreativeWriting #BookMarketing

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Publishing conferences and book festivals are fantastic, but they're not how you're going to sell books.  Instead, focus your efforts on reaching the people looking for answers, for methods, for a path forward. Empty nesters. New grads. Entrepreneurs. Horse people (people who love horses, not unicorns). 🐎 For you contrarians, yes the people may indeed attend book festivals, because they're awesome! but they are NOT attending book festivals as a way to find a path to their goal.  Launching a book and selling a book require smart strategies. Spend Your Energy where it Counts. Want my book launch plan? comment "book plan" below. Where can you reach your readers? Reach your readers wherever they already are. Hint: they're always together, and always BANGING a DRUM in hopes you will find them. 🥁 CrimeCon. AARP magazine. @Netflix docu-bingers. LinkedIn groups. Newsletter subscribers. Parents' groups. And... podcasts are available all year long.  You can do this.   #booklaunch #lanelit

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Is the midlife crisis a common rite of passage—or just a mythical concept that makes for grabby headlines? Research measuring well-being has typically provided solid evidence for such a period of soul searching. Over the course of a lifetime, happiness tends to start out high early in adulthood and decline in middle age, only to rise later in life. Unhappiness follows a mirror pattern—with the youngest and oldest tending to be the least unhappy and those in middle age being the most unhappy. #wellness #trends #society #sociology #people #health #biology

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