What now?

1000 Mitzvahs – The Book

As I write this blog post today, I have just signed the contract for a book offer on my 1,000 Mitzvahs project. The book will be published next Fall 2011 by Seal Press in San Fransisco. I am absolutely delighted. What an amazing journey these past few years have been. Sometimes taking a step in faith has rewards beyond what you could first imagine. It has certainly been that way for me.

Talking with my editor Tuesday, we discussed the fact that this project has grown from an idea, to a project and a blog and now to a book. Somehow that spark of something inside seems to have manifested itself through me and for that I am completely humbled.

Throughout this process, I have continued to feel guided by my father. Even though we had our difficulties during his life, I remember him cheering me on at soccer practices and choir performances. These past few years, he has continued to cheer me on in my imagination. I have envisioned him talking to me and rooting for me when I wondered what to do next. He’d applaud my efforts when I took that next step forward even when I was afraid to do so. His guidance seems to continue within me.

I look forward to the next several months, finishing the manuscript and finding ways to market and share my book. Any comments certainly welcome!

As I end this post I leave you with a thought…remember, sometimes you can’t see the top of the mountain when you begin your journey and you must take one step at a time to get there. I intend to continue to climb this mountain even though I am still sure I can’t see the top.

A blogger update…

I have been an infrequent blogger this past month. Many of you know that after completing my 1000^th mitzvah I wasn’t exactly sure what to write about on my blog after I had actually completed the project. I originally thought that I would blog about other do gooders but that hasn’t materialized very well.

Of course, it is true that since I finished my project in May, I still continued to do mitzvahs and every once in a while engaged in a certain mitzvah I would think it would make a great blog post but alas I wouldn’t write the post about it either. I spent most of the summer running an auction for a summer camp my children attend. Luckily, it kept me outside a great deal of the summer but not much blogging took place. It was a wonderful experience and we raised more money than any previous auction so that was a great outcome. I have continued to be a guest blogger for several months now at the Portland Family Monthly blog with posts about parenting, motherhood or my role as a wife.

So what else have I been doing these past few months? Well, I actually have exciting news. In August, I attended the Willamette Writers Conference here in Portland, Oregon. I pitched my idea of a book about my 1000 Mitzvahs project to several people. The response was overwhelmingly positive. I have been working in earnest the past month making sure to create a proposal for my book that would convey what I learned and share some of my favorite mitzvah stories from my project. It is still far from done and I am not solidified on a publisher yet but I am very excited and passionate again about writing and sharing this experience. I look forward to some mitzvah opportunities during my book development experience. That’s a category I hadn’t originally planned on.

Thanks for reading!

So what to do with a Mitzvah Blog intended to chronicle 1000 mitzvahs now that I have hit my goal?

Share stories that I have heard or hear about others doing mitzvahs or acts of kindness. There are so many people around the world doing wonderful mitzvahs. I have committed to limiting my negative news and focusing on the positive stories that are just as prevalent. This will continue to be my way to inspire and help others looking to do their own acts of kindness. If you have any great stories that need to be told, please send them my way!