Amy Newmark's Blog - Posts Tagged "amy-newark"

Traci Langston viewed herself as shy and insecure, but her mother taught her a valuable lesson anyway: “The worst they can say is ‘no.’” Traci has learned to ask for what she wants, whether it’s something as simple as a better table in a restaurant, or as big as auditioning for a part in a play. This philosophy has led Traci to ask men out on dates, get prices lowered on things she’s buying, and even get a new job. Why? According to Tracy, “Because I asked. Because my mom was right.”

She was so frazzled she didn’t even know she was hungry, so when Abbie Dunlap’s mother swooped in to help her daughter with her newborn, that was one of the first problems she solved. She also sent her exhausted daughter to bed and stayed up all night with the baby. “Despite me being twenty-seven years old, my mom took care of me. I did not ask her to; she just did it. She didn’t sleep so that I could,” says a grateful Abbie.

Miranda Lamb was a difficult teenager, telling her mother that she hated her dozens of times. She didn’t think she needed her mother at all, and she moved out at age eighteen even though her mother told her she wasn’t ready. A few months later, Miranda called her mom late one night, crying and feeling helpless. Her mother merely said, “I’ll be right there.” Later that night, Miranda said “I love you” to her mother for the very first time.

These are but three of the 101 stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Mom Knows Best , which we call a “gift to moms, grandmothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, or honorary mothers, with stories that will make them laugh, tear up, nod their heads in recognition, and most importantly—know they’re appreciated.” That appreciation is important, because mothers spend years imparting unsolicited advice and often don’t hear much gratitude until their children are grown. It is a wonderful way for children of all ages to let their mothers and grandmothers know how much they are loved, how important their influence has been, and how much their children rely on them for comfort, too. It’s also a terrific way to admit to Mom that no matter what, we always end up agreeing that she’s right… and that we’re going to emulate her!

Amy Newmark

May is designated as "Military Appreciation Month" and here at Chicken Soup for the Soul we are proud to support military families — the unheralded heroes of the armed services!

In our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families: 101 Stories about the Force Behind the Forces , we share stories from service members and their families about pride and patriotism, heartache and joy, and of course, a few miracles.

We also LOVE that royalties from the book benefit the USO!

Here is a quick look at a couple of my favorite stories from the book. Enjoy!

"Getting on Base" by Heather Gillis
When Heather Gillis’s husband sold his private medical practice and joined the Air Force, Heather didn’t know what to expect. “We were entering a whole new world,” Heather shares. “I learned quickly that if I didn’t get out there and meet people, I was never going to make friends in my new military world.” Thanks to locking her keys in her car, Heather met and became quick friends with her neighbor. From there, Heather got involved in the community at the base and made many great friends. “The neighbors and friends I meet become a part of my military family,” Heather says.

"Like a Dandelion" by Lauren B. Stevens
By the time Lauren Stevens was twelve, she had lived in four states and three countries because of her father’s Air Force transfers. “Home,” she says, “was wherever my family resided at the time.” And she loved it! “Military life taught me discipline and resilience, exposed me to different cultures, and provided my family a lifetime of memories,” Lauren shares. She likens herself and other military children to dandelions. “We thrive wherever our ‘seeds’ land and make friends with ease, deeply rooted in the shared experience of military life,” Lauren writes. “We blossom and thrive in new environments before being swept away in the wind of our military parents’ move to new stations.”


Amy Newmark

I recently resumed my morning routine of taking a brisk three-mile walk. It makes me feel great! And it's so easy! All you need is a pair of running shoes, a safe route, and, of course, the will to get yourself out there!

The 101 real-life stories in our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good, provide plenty of motivation, inspiration, and how-to advice, for everyone from the newbie walker all the way to the super-athletic ultramarathoner.

Here are tips from two of my favorite stories in the book that will help motivate you to get out there and start walking or running:

You can rediscover your true self
On the morning of her 45th birthday, Ann Morrow stood at the bathroom mirror and realized that the woman looking back at her was angry, stressed, and unfit. Ann decided †o reclaim control of her life. She grabbed her coat and walked out the front door, even though it was a gray January day. And then she walked. By March, Ann looked different, and more importantly, she felt different. She says, “My senses came to life as I learned how to use meditation and mindfulness.” Walking led to a 30-pound weight loss for Ann, and it set her back on the path to rediscovering her creative side, too. Now, she says, when she’s not outside walking, she spends her time in front of a computer screen, happily “crafting stories and editing images I hope someone, somewhere will enjoy.”

You can lose weight and enjoy doing it
Billy Cuchens was an out-of-shape father of five who hadn’t worked out in over a decade. When his doctor told him he needed to lose 40 pounds, he wondered how he would find the time. But then Billy got a new job and his employer actually provided a personal trainer to work out with the staff. Billy began slowly, but over time he found himself running on a treadmill and trying to surpass his previous times and distances. As his fitness improved, he started playing football with his sons. Now Billy reports that at his most recent physical, the nurse took his pulse and blood pressure, and then asked if he was a runner.

So get going! I'll see you out there!


Amy Newmark

Everyone could use a little more positive thinking in their life. Right? I know that when I practice gratitude and mindfulness, I feel better!

Did you know a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health said that people who are optimistic live on average 11 to 15% longer, and they have a 50% greater shot of making it to age 85? Amazing!

The power of positive thinking is real!

That’s why I love our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive, Live Happy . The book is filled with stories of people who deliberately became more positive and found their lives transformed. They used gratitude and mindfulness to find pleasure in everyday moments; they tried new things; they found new perspectives by looking outside their own experience; and all these actions were part of a decision to actively use positive thinking.

Here’s one of my favorite stories from the book about practicing gratitude and gladtitude.

Practice gratitude to permanently change your perspective.
In her story, "My Glatitude Journal," Ann Morrow couldn’t force herself to keep a daily gratitude journal no matter how many times she tried. She already kept a regular journal of her thoughts and ideas, and having to make a list of five things she was thankful for each day didn’t resonate with her. But then, one day, years after giving up the gratitude journal idea, she started reading through her old regular journals and discovered that she did indeed have much to be grateful for. Even though she thought she had tried and failed over the years to accomplish the major goals that were suggested by the various self-help books she had read, she realized that in her own way, slowly but surely, she had accomplished a lot! Now she willingly keeps what she calls a “gladitude” journal, in which she keeps track of what went right each day and what Ann calls “the little wins.” Her new gladitude journal reminds her that “nothing is too small to be celebrated” and that she needs to give herself credit for the progress she is making.


Amy Newmark