Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last

From the second in the series of Pug At The Beach books:
"More Adventures From The Beach"
available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Many years ago I was MIS-diagnosed with a terminal liver cancer and given 6 months to live. It was a mistake. An error in the lab. And it was a very important lesson for me that included, among other things, to live each day to the fullest.

The truth is we may not be given advanced notice of our passing and as such, it's in our best interest to live in the present moment because the truth of it is, is that today, this moment now, was our yesterday's tomorrow.

On this day, live in the here and now. Focus on your joy in this moment. If you find that difficult or impossible, close your eyes and envision the things that once made you happy; that brought you joy. I've found that starting each day with joyful moments is the most important thing I can do to set the tone of the each day. And it really does influence what I contribute to the world around me.

For more info on how my health issue influenced my life visit this page on my Pug At The Beach website.

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A Merry-Go-Round Of Books

More Adventures From The Beach, The New Pug Book Is Here

The next in the series of Pug At The Beach books is now available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble.

Available now.

In this second in the Pug At The Beach book series, the island dog takes us on more adventures with a background of white beaches and turquoise blue water. He reveals to us the life lessons he learned while walking the beach everyday including: the importance of playing a little bit everyday, why we shouldn’t try to fit into the image other people have of us, honoring ourselves and our individuality through self reflection, how finding our voice through persistence leads us to our authentic selves, and that anything is possible. As Pug says, “Soar higher, farther, and freer than ever before” with this short, full color book of  tropical drawings combined with short verses of text. This innovative and thought provoking book is a whimsical yet philosophical look at life. Whether a kid or a kid at heart, readers of all ages have benefitted from Pug's simple wisdom and playful attitude.

Pug At The Beach. It's not about a breed. It's about a lifestyle. What do you get when you combine the mindful approach of the Dalai Lama, the playful attitude of Jimmy Buffett, and the turquoise blue waters of a tropical island? Why Pug At The Beach, of course! 

His name is Pug and he's a common dog with uncommon wisdom. He’s got a dorsal fin for an ear and a really nice collection of surfing shorts. His calm and wise insights combined with his playful attitude make for some very interesting adventures from his home at the beach.  

REVIEWS:

Nathalie Brault, Book Eternity

"I'm 45 years old and have been depressed most of my life. I've lost the ability to have fun and I read in your Pug At The Beach book that it's through having fun that we get to know ourselves and others. So, I got to thinking that I should try harder to get out of my bubble and have a little fun and I started to do that, and it does me good. Your book was a Godsend. It made me smile. Pug is sort of a new friend in my life. Thank you."

GeeGee Russell, Ocracoke Observer

"Pug isn't a breed of dog so much as a philosophy of life...he's also a little Zen and a beach aficionado. This is a cozy, quirky little book that has great thoughts on life and definite salt-air flair."

Ann Ronan, Authentic Life Institute

"These Pug At The Beach books are for anyone who needs a ‘pick me up’ or a reminder that they are alright just the way they are. Pug’s wisdom and philosophy are right in alignment with the cutting edge ideas of spirituality and science today. Pug is not a character you’ll ever forget."

More Adventures is available as an e-book.

Amazon ~ More Adventures From The Beach

Barnes & Noble ~ More Adventures From The Beach

Pug's Magic Bicycle

Bicycles in and of themselves are magical. Personalize them and they become that much more special. Pug, being about as individual as an island dog can get, rides a unicycle. In this Pug At The Beach adventure, he's tweaked his bike to make it a fantastic adventure machine. This adventure is from the new book: Pug At The Beach, More Adventures From The Beach.

Pug’s Bike

In a time almost forgotten, playing cards fastened to the spokes of a bicycle turned it into an engine driven magic carpet, its motor an aberration on tradition for sure, but by simple virtue of a puppy’s fertile imagination, a casual riding experience could be transformed into a fantastic adventure. To be transported, Pug had only to close his eyes for a solitary moment and dream of far away lands complete with damsels, and knights sailing majestic vessels on shimmering waters below star lit skies. In this ordinary way of daydreaming playfulness, Pug was able to explore the secret worlds of his heart, soul and mind, and from these journeys he found the answers to many of his seemingly ubiquitous questions.

Pug says: Find your joy and you’ll find your road to peace.

From the new book Pug At The Beach, More Adventures From The Beach available at:

http://amzn.to/JacksonDunes  


http://bit.ly/PugOnNook


© 2011 Jackson Dunes ♡ PugAtTheBeach.com 

Group of plein air artists paints scenes at Delray Beach park

Group of plein air artists paints scenes at Delray Beach park    And Pug is one of them!

For people who think that inspiration follows rules, this one is for you.

I "paint" with a group of plein air artists on a monthly basis. The only thing is that I don't paint. At the meetings, which are held outdoors, I choose to either sketch Pug or something Pug related or I photograph interesting sites around town.

Step outside of your comfort zone today by stepping into something that's just outside of your norm.

The Importance Of Play

I have a friend who is really, really busy at work right now. It's starting to catch up with her. I reminded her of what her pal, Pug, said about the importance of play. Take 15 minutes today to do something fun just for yourself. Here's a photo I posted on Facebook of the fun I engaged in one morning with a popular kid's toy.

For more of Pug's Adventures, visit my Amazon Author Page here:
http://amzn.to/JacksonDunes

Chase Your Dreams

At the end of a very long road, bumpy and laden with hazards too many to list and capable of disabling the most seafaring of vessels, I took a chance and hitched a ride traveling another route to a different destination. One sweet deal later, I headed south. 

I had, starting very early in life, for my entire life, lived deeply in a life that wasn’t really mine, immersed in an image of who I was, an image cultivated by others, by people who hadn’t a clue on how to direct their own lives much less mine. They said with alarming authority, “Diana you are this. Diana, you cannot do that. And good Lord child, you most certainly must not believe that.” Without effective tools, breaking free from that stranglehold was almost impossible. Almost.

I struggled with my lines, tangled as they were. I sailed in seeming circles until navigating by the stars came with relative ease. I questioned the necessity of brightwork. But in the end it all made sense.


Travel south on Ocean Boulevard (A1A) to this spot in Delray Beach.

And when it did, I took my life and ran. And while I’d like to say I didn’t look back, the truth of the matter is that I did – for a while, in the beginning. I don’t understand how, we as human beings, cannot look back even briefly.

Two years into my journey, I began to see a vision for my life that prompted me to look forward. Only forward. And all those old hurts and unfair judgments, they just slowly faded away, became invisible. Invisible. And I began to really chase my dreams as I'd never done before.

I'd given and given and then given some more. And while that may have been good for that time, back then, when life was different, it doesn’t flow smoothly anymore. Now my journey consists only of my adventures and how to create a life for myself that’s even better than it’s already been. And it’s a sweet life.
 

I live at the beach in a delightful cottage. My possessions are few, my friends are many. I’m on a spiritual journey now. I’m loving life, loving it deeply, for the first time in my life. I hang out at the beach and write my book. And I know deep within the fiber of my being that it’s only going to get better with each sunrise.


Sunrise at the beach is pure joy.

A while back, late into the night, I came upon a realization which had me questioning how much time I had left on this earth. As I contemplated whether to drive myself to the hospital or even I could even make it to the car, or the door to unlock it for an ambulance attendant, prudence got the better of me and I penned a quick note to my daughter.

In a telephone conversation earlier that day we’d been talking about our individual lives, our respective goals, and our dreams for our lives.  Feeling compelled to offer one last (or so I thought at the time) piece of advice I scribbled a few thoughts in the pad I keep on my nightstand.

I love you, you’re a good kid, I’m proud of you, were the first things that came to mine but the most important I saved for last. Profound yet simple, it consisted of three simple words:

Chase your dreams.

I invite you, too, to chase your dreams. Without them you have nothing but a dull life adrift with tangled lines. If you feel trapped with no escape at least write them down and tuck them someplace for safe keeping. You’ll be surprised at how much power lies within this one simple act. It just might be the catalyst needed to send you down a new path, on a new journey to a richer and more joyful life.

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Spread the joy of Pug At The Beach. Mindfully forward this to those who might need or enjoy it.Reviews of Pug At The Beach

Rev. Dr. Ann Ronan, Authentic Life Institute reviewed the brand new, soon to be published Pug At The Beach book. Here's what she had to say:

“These Pug At The Beach books are for anyone who needs a ‘pick me up’ or a reminder that they are alright just the way they are. Pug’s wisdom and philosophy are right in alignment with the cutting edge ideas of spirituality and science today. Pug is a character you’ll never forget.”

Loretta Prescott of Kettle Boys Popcorn had this to say about Pug:

"Pug At The Beach is a long, rolling wave with a sweet curl, a lanky heron skimming the surface, an evening bonfire in the dunes, and that lazy, deep warmth you feel after absorbing the sun and salt air all day. Pug pushes us forward and leads us astray all at once, with purpose, dignity and big love."

Jennifer Thompson of Monkey C Media had this to say about Pug At The Beach:

"I have really enjoyed reading your book and meeting Pug too!!  I love the feel of your book, the paper, the stories, and the small pieces of quiet wisdom.  The thing about this book, is that it's not overbearing, it's a happy nudge about reflecting on what's good in life." 

NOTE: This piece was originally posted on Pug's News From The Beach.