6 Ways To Be A Lucky Ducky by @ElsaKurt #RomanceGems

Hang On...

I had about forty words into this post when I read it back and realized, "I sound like a smug jackass." I was explaining why I think I'm a naturally lucky person. I'd have eventually followed up with a clarification that I'm not lucky, I'm just fortunate. So, I can sum up the whole would-have-been post with a few - very true and heartfelt - cliches and platitudes.

• My blessings have been greater than my burdens.
• I tend to always look for the bright side.
• I've gotten up more times than I've fallen.

See, don't you want to roll your eyes? Anyhow, I still want to talk about lucky versus fortunate, positivity, and all that jazz... just in a more useful way. We've all heard what the self-help gurus and motivational speakers have to say. They're all beating the same drum and it's easy to get tone-deaf to the message.

• Yeah, I know I have to think/say kind words to myself.
• Yup, already know about affirmations.
• Uh-huh, clear toxic people from my life. No prob. Got it.
• Meditate, sure.
• Take 'me' time. Yeah, I'll get right on it.

Easier said than done, right? Life is... life. Sometimes, it piles on the garbage so high you can't see the sky, and the mantras are hollow. But (there's always a but) it's all true. I can't give you a how-to that you've never heard before. All I can do is reiterate.

1. You do have to put your foot down and protect your peace; even if it means disappointing someone else. 
2. If you are taking on the weight of the world, it's because someone else is not carrying their fair share. 
3. Remove toxic people from your life. And if you can't literally remove them, remove yourself emotionally from them.
4. Stop apologizing and feeling guilty.
5. Stop making and accepting excuses.
6. Look for beauty.

Ugh, I'm Self-Help Guru-ing You, But...

That last one is more important than you might think. Sometimes we forget what an exceptionally beautiful world we live in. Seek beauty every day and remind yourself how lucky we are to see such sights. Personally, nature is my reset button. If I can't get to a beach, forest, lake, or garden I get internally hysterical. It's usually after doing too much people-ing and absorbing negative energy. Last week, I took myself to the beach for nature therapy and experienced pure joy. And I have pics to prove it...

Not my pup, by the way. This little sweetie trotted up to say hello a few times, making a glorious day even greater. I also collected a bucket's worth of those peachy little jingle shells, but I have no idea yet what I'm going to do with them. Have any crafty suggestions, anyone?

Reality Check

I admit, on a day like that one, it's easy to feel waves (pun intended) of gratitude and good fortune. But those days when it feels like everything has gone wrong? Lord love a duck, it ain't easy. The good news is, it's okay to not be okay sometimes. Take the five minute (or hour, or day-long) pity party. That's self-care, too. Allowing yourself to feel unlucky instead of insisting I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay is... okay.

Stand By For The Segue

Speaking of unlucky (subtle, right?)... My latest release, book five in Welcome to Chance, is Feather Anne's Song and oh, boy misfortune abounds for my dear friends in Chance. This one's a rollercoaster with steep drops and sharp turns. Don't be too upset with me; I'm upset enough for all of us! Short blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Feather Anne Byrd already knows what she wants to do with her life. In fact, she's know it for a long time... and she's never told a soul. Until now.She's loved Brandon since forever, and he loves her. They've even planned a future together - marriage, children, and a house with a white picket fence. But then Nick shows up with his guitar and bad boy good looks. Just when her dreams start to come true, the unimaginable happens, devastating not only her, but the people she loves most in the world. Can this small-town girl leave it all behind for the lure of the big city and the call of her dreams? Or will love keep her tethered to the town she once despised?

BUY SERIES HERE

There's also a bonus story for my newsletter subscribers (and monthly giveaways!) if you're interested. Click HERE to join. And if you're a new or aspiring author, grab your FREE WRITE>PUBLISH>PROMOTE Timeline HERE.

Oh, and I'm happily at work on book six, which is the final installment in the series... at least in full novel form. Perhaps there's a prequel or side-story that wants to be told. We shall see. Anyhow, I TOTALLY make up for the rollercoaster in book five. See...

I think luck is on their side this time around ;)

Speaking of lucky... do YOU want to get lucky? 

Not like that, you naughty thing, you. 

I'm talking about our March  Lucky in Love Giveaway! Check out the Monthly Giveaway page for details and get lucky!