Yatyahn Dakdouh, Gai'hyun Gaai Sing: family and friends also benefit when one encounters good fortune
There's a legend about Lauh Ngon, the Prince of Waaih Naahm during the early years of the Han dynasty. He was involved in Taoist cults because he wanted to become immortal. One day, eight old men visited him and taught Lauh Ngon how to refine cinnabar. He swallowed the cinnabar and flew into the sky, immortal. After eating the crumbs of the cinnabar left at the house, Lauh Ngon's hens and dogs also followed him, crowing and barking in the clouds.
This story reminds me of a concept in The Happiness Project, where Gretchen Rubin talks about making others happy by being happy yourself. I recently read her popular book, which contains her 12 Personal Commandments. I boiled the list down to one rule for myself (like the one word resolution I learned about via Amanda Socci). My keyword: Listen. I mean the non-multi-tasking, "I will bask in your words" type of listening.
Recently, my husband talked to me about making my blog more appealing to the general public (read: not just my writer friends). I'm thinking of doing an extra entry per week, something like Bolton Carley's humorous thoughts. Mine will use a picture with a brief description underneath it, and instead of numbering my entries, I'm considering alphabetizing them.
My two ideas are:
1) Food Finds (yummy Asian dishes I've tasted and admired)
2) Travel Highlights, starting out with Taiwan landmarks (the setting of my recent novel, which is in the second rounds of the ABNA).
Which topic would you prefer to read about? I'm also open to other suggestions. Thanks!
There's a legend about Lauh Ngon, the Prince of Waaih Naahm during the early years of the Han dynasty. He was involved in Taoist cults because he wanted to become immortal. One day, eight old men visited him and taught Lauh Ngon how to refine cinnabar. He swallowed the cinnabar and flew into the sky, immortal. After eating the crumbs of the cinnabar left at the house, Lauh Ngon's hens and dogs also followed him, crowing and barking in the clouds.
This story reminds me of a concept in The Happiness Project, where Gretchen Rubin talks about making others happy by being happy yourself. I recently read her popular book, which contains her 12 Personal Commandments. I boiled the list down to one rule for myself (like the one word resolution I learned about via Amanda Socci). My keyword: Listen. I mean the non-multi-tasking, "I will bask in your words" type of listening.
Recently, my husband talked to me about making my blog more appealing to the general public (read: not just my writer friends). I'm thinking of doing an extra entry per week, something like Bolton Carley's humorous thoughts. Mine will use a picture with a brief description underneath it, and instead of numbering my entries, I'm considering alphabetizing them.
My two ideas are:
1) Food Finds (yummy Asian dishes I've tasted and admired)
2) Travel Highlights, starting out with Taiwan landmarks (the setting of my recent novel, which is in the second rounds of the ABNA).
Which topic would you prefer to read about? I'm also open to other suggestions. Thanks!
Comments (4)
Hi Jennifer - I think it's a great idea to figure out a way to expand your blog. There are so many writers out there writing about well...writing. Sometimes it feels we are just writing for each other alone. Despite all those blogs out there that claim they have discovered the secret to having thousands of hits/day it just never seems to work out that way.
I like the idea of the Food Finds. I may be showing my bias here but I love anything to do with food...any food, anytime! : ) And Asian food is my favorite. I'd check out your yummy dishes and I'm sure lots of other people would too.
Good luck with the new format experiment.
Hi Susan,
I'm a foodie myself. It's definitely a universal language. Thanks for your input!
I love that line, "I will bask in your words."
Your husband has a good point about expanding.
Asian foods, thumbs and forks up! I'm always looking for foods I can make that use no meat, as I have a Vegan son. Plus food pictures are so eyecatching. Food also correlates to your description in "My Fortune Cookie Life," ...treats, hot dough... written delicacy."
Travels is also a good subject. So you might have 3 posts a week on different subjects.
Food sounds like a big hit :) I don't know about three posts a week. Maybe we'll reserve that idea for next year...