CELEBRATING JOY

I can't think of anything more important to a person than maintaining consistent moments of joy. After all, life is short and hopefully sweet. It is up to each of you to make the most of it. Why not reach for your joy? It's much better than the alternative.

It's all too easy to make excuses. “My husband or wife doesn't love me. I'm depressed. I got cut off by that obnoxious driver.” The key is to detach from whatever might get you down and to celebrate every moment. After all, the present moment is all that is guaranteed.

It is the present moment where everything occurs. It is a matter of practicing awareness of this moment in order to be able to appreciate the joy within your life. As you do so, your joy will be increased. This is one of the spiritual laws of the universe. Whether it is joy, love, or abundance that you seek, appreciation of that quality will attract more of the same to you.

If you are not in a place where you feel joy, you need to reach for it. Unfortunately, you can't jump from the lowest rung of the ladder to the top in one step. Just keep reaching for the next best feeling. If you are feeling anger, reach for forgiveness. From there, you can reach for reconciliation. Just experience each feeling, then let it go. Continue to climb that ladder until you have reached the top.

I find it helpful to focus on gratitude in order to bring me to a place of joy. I think about the abundance of blessings in my life in order to reach that level of appreciation. Then I can free myself to feel joy. You can do it too!

The beautiful thing about joy is that it is contagious. By staying in a place of joy, you can pass on that blessing to others. Joy multiplies in ever-increasing quantities. After all, it is said it's no good unless you pass it on. Cherish the moment and share your joy with others. That will help you and them cultivate other feelings of good will that will lead everyone to a better place. They, too, can pass it on.

Imagine casting a stone upon the water. The ripples will spread outward until they reach the surrounding shores. This is what will happen when you pass it on. Ripples of joy will spread outward, touching every person who experiences the feeling and then passes it on. As I have said before, joy attracts more joy as it multiplies exponentially.

Choose not to allow anything to take you from that place. You are deserving of every beautiful blessing. That is all the universe wants for you. The Source of your being is a loving and benevolent One. There is nothing that you need to do in order to earn a sense of well-being. There is great love here for you. Open yourself to it. You deserve it!

Continue to affirm that which you want to possess. Claim it now. The moment is happening and you are a co-creator of your own experience. Do not be an observer of life. Be a participant. You are the one who can make it happen!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Add a Little laughter to your joy with the books series "Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" - full of fun, zany characters, and lots of laughter. Enjoy.

Book 1 - "The Misadventures of Siter Mary Olga Fortitude"
Book 2 - "Babes in Bucksnort"
Both are available in either Paperback or Kindle Format! The Kindle Formats are at a special price right now for $3.99

Babes in Bucksnort (Sister Mary Olga Series) [Kindle Edition]

"Babes in Bucksnort" is now Available in Kindle Format at $3.99
By Author Davis Aujourd'hui

You Can Purchase Here!

Celebrate Diversity One and All

Have you ever felt as if you were the only person like yourself in the whole world? Guess what? You are. Each of you is a unique expression of the human experience. Your task is to embrace all that you are and to celebrate yourself.

Perhaps you're in a minority group. You might be African-American, Asian, Latino, or gay. Perhaps you just feel as if you were a nerd. Some of the most famous people in history felt that way. They didn't let that stop them from becoming all that they could be.

Look at Albert Einstein. He didn't begin to talk until he was four years old. Yet he went on to become the father of atomic science. He met life's challenges on life's terms and became one of the most famous scientists in history.

Look at Maya Angelou. She was another person who didn't talk for many years during a childhood as an abused African-American girl. Yet she went on to become one of our nation's most prominent poets. She also served as an inspiration to another African-American girl who had been abused as a child. That was Oprah Winfrey. She became our most celebrated television talk show host and she served to inspire countless others whether of not they may have lived lives of oppression.

Each of you possess your own unique gifts which can serve to inspire others. The challenge is to embrace yourself so that you may discover what you have to offer. Surround yourself with people who affirm you and inspire you. That is the key to self-acceptance.

I have had my own challenges with self-acceptance. I didn't want to be gay, but I eventually learned that it was a good thing. Along the way, I struggled with things like alcoholism, clinical depression, and sexual addiction.

I worked hard at becoming a champion and I am now a published author of a series of hilarious satires. I have learned to embrace things in my past that didn't seem funny. I have made lemonade out of lemons as I have learned how to laugh at myself. In so doing, I have created a series of books that have made my readers laugh out loud.

My books contain characters that aren't so different from you. Many of them are minorities. I even have a transgendered nun in my book. She didn't let that stop her from realizing her dream. She went on to become the nun she had always wanted to be.

I have characters who are overeaters who celebrate their big bodies. I have a closeted gay man who comes to terms with his sexuality and learns to love it. I have a gay cowboy who struggles with sexual addiction, himself, but who finds recovery in a twelve-step program called Sex Maniacs Notorious.

It takes all kinds to make the world go around. Wouldn't it be boring if that was not the case! I ask you to celebrate yourselves and to celebrate diversity. You can each make an individual difference for the betterment of life.

Go for your joy!

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

In Light of Gay Parenting on the Rise, New York Author Offers Inspiration on Self- Acceptance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News contact: Jackie O'Neal
(609) 334-8621

In Light of Gay Parenting on the Rise, New York Author Offers Inspiration on Self- Acceptance

(Syracuse, NY) CNN reported that data from the most recent U.S. Census shows that the South has the largest share of gay parents in the country. The story then went on to quote Gary Gates, a demographer with the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, and School of Law.

“Gay and lesbian people tend to come out later in life, in those areas, which means they are more likely to have children from a previous relationship earlier in their lives.”

The CNN report asserted that according to Gate's survey, San Antonio, Texas, leads the country in gay parenting, with 34% of same-sex couples raising children. That's followed by Jacksonville, Florida at 32%.

Author, Davis Aujourd'hui, who himself is gay, and the creator of the highly- rated and hilarious "Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" - a series of 11 books centered on religious and social satire.

Many of the characters in his books are gay. His latest book, "BABES IN BUCKSNORT", Davis says, "is especially written to speak to those who do not accept themselves."

Aujourd'hui says, "Times are changing and it is easier than ever to find self-acceptance as a gay person in this country. That is certainly not the case everywhere. It’s just that we've made many strides since the early days of gay liberation. It's time to celebrate and stop complaining."

A big believer in motivating others to "stand strong in their own identity," Aujourd'hui offers three tips for individuals to celebrate their individual diversity in a judgmental world:

* The road to self-acceptance requires a lot of personal effort. This all begins with self-affirmations. Saying to yourself something like the following will be very helpful: I am a beloved child of God. I am worthy of love. I am who I am meant to be. Being gay is good.

* Sometimes this will mean having to make hard choices. If your family or friends do not accept you, you may need to distance yourself from them. Network and find safe people and safe places who affirm you. Create a new family. Make new friends. Never take on any one's judgment of you. You are inherently good and were made gay for a reason.

*Life may not be as funny as it is in my book "Babes in Bucksnort", but that doesn't mean that you can't create your own joy. That's what life is meant to be about. The task for you is to accept life on life's terms and to make the most of it. You are the only one who can do it. Go for your bliss!


About Davis Aujourd'hui:

Davis Aujourd'hui is creator of the highly- rated and hilarious "Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" - a series of eleven books centered on religious and social satire.

He is a retired social worker, having worked for Adult Protective Services in New York. He said it enabled him to become a student of the human condition. While doing so, he developed the characters in his books in order to entertain a colleague of his using the gift of humor. He is socially-minded and spirituality, he says is the most important ingredient for him in order to maintain a happy and successful life. He lives in Upstate New York.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

Blogs:

Author Davis Aujourd' Hui -----  http: //authordavisaujourdhui.blogspot.com/
The Funniest Satire Series of the Decade -----http://bestsatireseriesofthedecade.blogspot.com/

Sister Mary Olga Fortitude Book Series

Book #1 "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"
Book #2 "Babes in Bucksnort"
Available in both Paperback and Kindle Format----Kindle Format Special Pricing $3.99

HOW MY BACKGROUND INFLUENCED MY CHARACTERS

I was a social worker for over twenty years. This allowed me the grace of becoming a student of the human condition. I worked with every imaginable type of disenfranchised adult: the mentally-ill, the chemically-addicted, the chronically and terminally-ill, the demented, prostitutes, murderers, and more. It was a serious business and there weren't a lot of success stories. I had to focus on how I could be of help to those who so desired it.

What did this experience teach me? I learned that each individual has the right to self-determination as long as they are able to understand their unique life situations. I learned that, just because someone is different, I was in no position to judge. All people are deserving of respect. It's just that most of the people with whom I worked came from or came to very broken backgrounds. Life is not fair. Life is not easy.

Yet, like all of us, my clients had their own visions. Mind you, some of these visions did not seem to be based upon perceived reality! In some of these cases, I was presented with humorous anecdotes, some of which I have been able to incorporate into my books.

I had a schizophrenic client who believed she was of Russian royalty. I borrowed from her background in order to create a character in one of my yet unpublished books. This client would put on great airs. While she could often be abusive, she could also be of great humor and serve as a source of amusement. Of course, I had to remember my role and to remain as detached as possible. That was a challenge!

I had a client who was extremely prejudiced, but she was really just a fearful old woman who was a paranoid schizophrenic. She would appear in the most public places and hurl racial slurs at the unsuspecting. It is amazing that she was never physically harmed.

She would paint her face with baby powder so she looked like a ghost. She also had a disturbing fascination with her feces and it was not beyond her to throw it. I also based a character in one of my later books after her – a character named Ebeneezer Ickums who was an “inmate” of the Down the Rabbit Hole psychiatric unit.

I had an elderly client who became rapidly demented. She had previously been a very dignified woman. Almost overnight, she turned into a very sexual creature. She believed that I was her husband and that I would come to her at night and make passionate love to her.

I heard some incredible and some incredulous stories from some of my clients. In the beginning, I was very gullible. It took me awhile to discern when someone was baiting me. In these cases, I managed the clients' finances. While most clients were reasonable with their requests, many were manipulative and some learned how to get the better of me.

The second or third time a client requested money to go to a grandparent's funeral would quickly come to be suspect. A client who would appear without shoes in the middle of winter and ask for money to replace them would also raise a red flag.

I had one client who I would take on clothes shopping trips to replace his wardrobe. I would soon learn that he would sell or throw out his clothes in order to get more. One client set up a meat stand in a supermarket parking lot, having used his food stamps in order to sell his groceries for money. After all, it takes money to drink. Some poor souls were awfully resourceful.

Fiction mirrors life and, like most writers, I have been able to use that to my best advantage when writing my books. While my characters are largely based upon my imagination, there have been some very human situations that have influenced me. Since I have chosen to write in a humorous vein, I have borrowed from the zaniest of situations in order to entertain my readers.

Aside from inspiration for my characters, my clients have also helped me to discover those parts of myself that have required healing. My alcoholic clients helped me to understand how self-destructive my own drinking had become. That eventually led me into recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous.

My title character has a serious drinking problem that I treat with a great deal of humor. I have drawn from humorous drinking escapades in order to create humor within her own story. I may be getting ahead of myself, but I send her off to Holy Happenings Rehab in the next book in my series. Of course, recovery isn't always perfect and such will become the case for her. Addictions are powerful and difficult to let go of.

My life challenges have become a wellspring into which I have been able to tap in order to create zany characters and situations. I've never had more fun in my life. Imagination and inspiration are my main influences, but my own experience has been instrumental in shaping my ideas. Life may be stranger than fiction, but I try to make my fiction stranger than life. Enjoy my books and your own unique life journeys.

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

"Babes in Bucksnort"

Both books are also available in Kindle Format also for the price of $3.99. Hope you all enjoy.

DON'T LET THE JUDGEMENT BE ON YOU

How human it is to judge! It seems to be a fact of life. Unfortunately, it can lead to warped perceptions of others and of what is. The road to being free of judgment is to come to a place of acceptance. That always begins within.

As humans, we often find ourselves comparing ourselves with others. If we hold someone in high esteem, we may end up feeling diminished ourselves. If we are full of ourselves, we tend to judge others as inferior. Don't let the judgment be on you!

It's a tricky business. In comparing ourselves to others, we may not realize what we are doing. Our egos are leading the way to conflict – within or without. What we tend to judge in others is something we need to take a look at within ourselves. It may not be that we have that same issue, but we may have something else that we need to look at. As an example, we may look at someone who has an addiction to alcohol with disdain. We may think that they should be able to exercise willpower. Unfortunately, that doesn't tend to work when it comes to addiction. Addiction is a disease. The thing we need to look at for ourselves is how we may be addicted to something else that may or may not be as destructive.

For example, we may be addicted to toxic relationships. We may be addicted to work, sex, compulsive gambling or compulsive buying. When we judge the alcoholic, we think we are better than him or her in order to avoid looking at our own issue. This is denial!

I have developed a series of satires that contain ornery characters who like to judge others. Priscilla Bunhead is a case in point. She judges anyone who is different from herself as being “less than.” She looks at my main character, Sister Mary Olga, with disdain. That's because Sister Mary Olga likes to tip her bottle of bourbon with fervor and to smoke her Marlboros with a passion. Because Priscilla doesn't do these things, she thinks she is better than Sister Mary Olga.

When Priscilla Bunhead looks at people who are gay, she judges them as perverts. She doesn't have any comprehension that they were made that way. It's not a matter of choice. They just happen to have a different sexuality than her.

Unfortunately for Priscilla, she has no outlet for her sexuality. She is an old maid who has never had sex. Perhaps her judgments are fueled by envy of those who have healthy outlets with which to express themselves.

She also doesn't like African-Americans. She basically doesn't like anyone who is different than herself. She has no ability to appreciate the diversity of people. She probably doesn't even like the different colors of the rainbow. Poor Priscilla! She happens to be a very unhappy person.

You may or may not see it, but you may have some aspects of Priscilla Bunhead within yourself. Your vision may be clouded because we all have blind spots. This is where careful self-examination is important. Just don't take this or yourself too seriously. Life is meant to be about joy. A better road would be to find the ability to laugh at yourself.

A good vehicle to do this would be to read my books and take a look at yourself as you laugh at my zany characters. Just don't be surprised if the laugh is on you! "The Misadvntures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" and "Babes in Bucksnort"

Author Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Authors Show" Featuring Davis Aujourd'hui

"The Authors Show" - "April 7, 2011"

A Must Listen to Interview

Here's the sequel to "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude." Once again, the unconventional bourbon-swilling, chain-smoking nun will spin hilarious tales about the residents of Bucksnort, Wisconsin while she tests the will of a reformed prostitute who just happens to be her Reverend Mother. Unfortunately, there's trouble brewing. The nasty town busybody crusades to stamp out “the gay menace.” That's when she brings the Reverend Billy- Bob Blunthead and his Born Again or Burn Forever Disciples for Jesus to town to do the job. It will be an upward climb when the closet doors of many gay people burst open.

"The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" $3.99 (Kindle Format) Purchase Here

"Babes in Bucksnort" $3.99 (Kindle Format) Purchase Here

Both are available in Paperback Format too at Amazon.com.