Seven Practices for Joyful Living

Dear Friends,

If you’re reading this, you likely have a copy of my book and #1 Amazon Kindle best-seller, Pay Attention, Say Thank You – Seven Rules & Practices for Joyful Living, which I hope you are enjoying. (If you don’t have a copy and want one, click right here to buy on Amazon as a Kindle or paperback: Pay Attention, Say Thank You: Seven Rules & Practices for Joyful Living When I wrote that book in 2008, I had no purpose other than to write what seemed to want to be written through me. I had the luxury of time. And I had wonderful encouragement from my husband. When Bob saw how much fun I had when I wrote early in the morning, he brought me breakfast in bed so I could continue to write. I wish for every writer the kind of loving support I had from Bob. Once the book was written and published, I discovered that I had little interest in promoting either the book or myself as some sort of Joy Guru (though I highly recommend the practices for creating your own life of joy!  See more about that below.) Instead, I began to help other people publish their books through the publishing company I had started, Dudley Court Press.

Here is where I have found my purpose, and my real joy!

I love helping people create their books and then create new aspects to their lives as published authors. This is where I find my joy today – in birthing meaningful books with interesting authors who have a purpose to fulfill. Among our first few clients was a dear friend who, though in his final years, still had books in him. It was pure pleasure to help the late Fred Fisher complete four books as well as to publish in the U.S. for the first time his wonderful epic novel, Confucius Jade We now focus on non-fiction books that fit into an author’s broader mission or business, and legacy memoirs.  In addition to coaching authors through the writing process, I also help our clients strategically produce, position and sell their books through our publishing and marketing services.  My Memoir Writing Made Easy course launched in early 2015 and 20 Good Questions to Ask When You’re Writing & Publishing a Book will be released later this year.

Let me introduce you to some of the books we’ve published at Dudley Court Press in the last few years:

After I experienced immediate relief from chronic hip pain after a two-minute treatment with Lee Albert, I begged him to share his knowledge and techniques through a book. The result of our collaboration was Live Pain-free Without Drugs or Surgery, which has become an Amazon best-seller and the best-selling book at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts where Lee practices and teaches. Two respected experts whose careers span both government and business sectors authored highly acclaimed books in 2013.   We were proud to publish On My Watch: Leadership, Innovation & Personal Resilience byMartha Johnson, former member of President Obama’s administration who resigned in 2012 as head of the GSA in the wake of  the Vegas contracting scandal, and Zero to a Billion: 61 Ways to Grow Your Government Contracting Business by former SRA executive David Kriegman.

What’s Next at Dudley Court Press?

We launched the Memoir Studio early in 2015.  Five of our titles are being presented to foreign publishers at the London Book Fair in April. New titles coming in 2015 include: 20 Good Questions to Ask About Bipolar Disease by Paul Golden, M.D. and The Diabetic Wine Lover’s Guide by Theodore Berland. And plenty more joy and wisdom from our little corner of the world.

So what does all of this have to do with Pay Attention, Say Thank You?

Lots. That little book holds all that you need to know about living a life full of joy and delight. A life, frankly, like mine. As you read the book and practice the exercises, you’ll find that you are re-shaping your inner Self, just as working out at the gym conscientiously re-shapes your physical body. Practice the exercises diligently – they require attention and compassion, not much else. Yet they will lead you to a world of ease and pleasure and contentment, even when circumstances are tough. Bottom line, I say why not learn how to live in joy?  Who really knows why we are here, or what happens when we’re gone? All we really know for sure is that we are here, on this Earth, for a handful of decades if we’re lucky. Why not decide that the most important thing is to learn how to enjoy the experience. Figure out how to be a creative soul, living and loving every day, enjoying all that this experience we call ‘life’ has to offer.

I hope that my little book helps you along such a path.

You’ll find the resources mentioned in the book on the Reader’s Resources Page.   If you’d like to buy yourself or someone else a great gift, how about a paperback or Kindle edition of my book?  This link will take you to Amazon: Pay Attention, Say Thank You: Seven Rules & Practices for Joyful Living Meanwhile, you’ll find me here at www.DudleyCourtPress.com where I am happily engaged in helping our clients create wonderful books and finding exciting strategies for sharing their creations with the world. If you’d like to buy any of our books, or if you have a book in you that needs some help, come visit us there.  I won’t cook you breakfast every morning, but I’ll do whatever I can to help you succeed. May you find your joys every day, and may you live a life of creative expression in every moment. In joy and with love, I wish you everything.     ~ Gail