Must Read Books for Anyone with a Heart

With Lisa Erspamer at BlogPaws 2015

This week I attended the Blog Paws conference in Nashville, Tennessee, along with the folks from the Lucy Pet Foundation and Lucy Pet Products. Long time readers of this blog will remember that I've attended and written about Blog Paws a number of times from prior years. Blog Paws 2015 was bigger and better than ever.

Blog Paws did a great job attracting some great authors for a book signing event. One of the notable individuals was my friend Lisa Erspamer, author of three really great books: A Letter to My Dog, A Letter to My Cat and this year's newest release, A Letter to My Mom. All three of these books are filled with heart-warming stories contributed by leading luminaries of our pop culture, and beyond. 

Along with her team, Erspamer has done an excellent job crafting these collections of incredible stories. Her latest book, A Letter to My Mom is already becoming as popular as her prior two publications. For anyone with a heart, these are all must-read books and make great gifts. They are highly enjoyable to read, perfect to pick-up and put-down for those short reading bursts. You'll find these ideal for a lazy Saturday afternoon or a relaxing Sunday morning with coffee. Do yourself a favor and pick up these books. You'll be so glad that you did.

Never Forget to Smile

Doors Opening

These past few weeks have been enormously fulfilling and enjoyable on many levels. Doors continue to open, leading to interesting experiences and opportunities along the way of life. Much of my time has been spent in Asia, where I find myself drawn for both business and relaxation. I recently opened an office in Hong Kong, so I spend a good deal of time there now with clients and such. My Hong Kong office enables me to work more regularly with clients throughout Asia, as well as those in the US who do business in the South East Asia region. It also allows me time to visit friends and enjoy life along the way.

Doors of another kind have opened for me, coaxing me to cross an imaginary threshold that has been like a boundary for me the past year or so. These early steps are tentative, cautious and guarded, but becoming more sure-footed. The photo I selected of this post is a metaphor for what life presents to us. When the doors of life open, it is important to recognize what is before us, and to step ahead to seize the opportunities.

When I took this photo (Martyr's Shrine, Taipei Taiwan) I was struck by the beauty and solemnity of the shrine. Later when I was looking back at photos, they took on a different meaning. These huge red doors were reminding me to accept what was beyond the doors of opportunity in life. When you are presented with doors of opportunity that open for you, look beyond the threshold and move forward. You'll be glad you did.