Here is this week’s challenge…

• Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
• Turn to page 123.
• What is the first sentence on the page?
• The last sentence on the page?
• Now . . . connect them together….
  (And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)

I actually had two books sitting together, so I started with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan — the novel I’m just finishing a kit on for a client:

“Auntie is only a woman, but as a matchmaker she is also business-minded”

“‘But you’re marrying — ‘”

I see an interesting statement of the value of women in 19th century China in these two sentences — first the phrase “only a woman” then the conjunction “but” followed by “also business-minded” which implies that women would not normally be business-minded.  Of course, what is the business?  Marriage, of course!  So, still very much a woman’s domain. 

I have to also throw in just how relieved I am that my marriage was not ordained based on social status or monetary value.  My husband and I met through eharmony, so it was “arranged” in a sense, but we obviously had the last word.  So, I guess an interesting parallel between the two cultures would be that match-making is still a business, but the participants have more control over their destiny!

 The other book near me this morning is Tolle’s A New Earth because I have only one chapter left and have been wanting to read it for two weeks now.  Here are the first and last sentences on p. 123:

“When obstacles or difficulties arise in their work, when things don’t go according to expectation, when other people or circumstances are not helpful or cooperative, instead of immediately becoming one with the new situation and responding to the requirements of the present moment, they react against the situation and so separate themselves from it.”

“In order to attract success, you need to welcome it wherever you see it.”

So true!  I love these two sentences since I am days away from my 6 month anniversary of launching my blog / book club kit business, and I appreciated the reminder to be open to many definitions of success.  The biggest indication of my success right now is just how happy I am — I am truly living my best life and am grateful daily.  I also woke up and found that another kit had been purchased — three this week!  And I have had a steady stream of orders for custom kits since December.  Sometimes I get disappointed that the pre-made kits aren’t selling more (”when things don’t go according to expectation…”), but I need to “become one” with whatever is happening and learn to be patient (one of my great challenges).

Thank you for an interesting and ultimately introspective challenge, Deb!

For my readers who do not have blogs, please feel free to do the challenge and leave your observations in the comment!  I love to read them… 

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