Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883

Transcript columnist pens about positivity in new book

"Take care of you," a phrase that means much to Allison Lindgren, has become the title of her new book released December 30.

 Those four little words still tug at my heart strings! Lindgren writes. "You see, I heard them every time my sister, Sarina, hugged me goodbye. She'd wrap her arms around me in a tight hug and quietly whisper those four little words in my ear. It became a ritual, one that I didn't fully appreciate at the time, but I'd nod and smile, without really thinking about their impact."

 Two weeks before Sarina died in 2012, she had orchestrated a sisters' vacation for she and her three sisters in Colorado, where Lindgren was born. Their youngest sister, Nikki, had just moved there and was all alone until her family could join her at the end of the school year.

 Sarina, Allison and Kari embarked on a long car trip to and through the mountains of Colorado. There they met Nikki, where they talked, laughed, explored Colorado and ate at great restaurants. "The hours trapped together in a vehicle and the conversation it generated, made it a memory to treasure," Lindgren writes.

 Once back at home, Lindgren had arranged for her husband to pick her up in Jamestown. As she stood in the gas station parking lot, Sarina said her good-bye like she always did, and "take care of you" were the last four words she would ever say to her sister. Sarina died unexpectedly two weeks later.

 "Those four words I'm still trying to get right," Lindgren said. Now, five years after Sarina's death, she's launching the beginning of her "take care" themed book series.

 The first book, "Take Care of You, a 30 Day Journey To a More Positive You," is aimed at ways to take care of one's emotional and spiritual well-being.

 The idea for the book came this past summer during a Masterminds group Lindgren participated in called Only Healthy You. The leader of the group, Trudy, asked that each member prepare a gift of some kind to share with the rest of the group. Lindgren made a journal with thought-provoking questions and lots of room to write freely, and Trudy encouraged her to turn it into a book.

 For her own spiritual and emotional well-being, she has worked hard throughout the past five years to shed the negativity in her life. She hasn't done it alone, she is quick to note, as God has been at work through her. 

 Her column on page A6 of this newspaper each week, "Eyes That See the Good in Things," came out of that effort. Writing the column gives her an opportunity to seek positive stories and messages and then put them on paper to share with others. The column is filled with stories about gratitude, random acts of kindness, humbleness, and servitude.

 Lindgren is also a contributing writer in the books "Dream Boldly, I Dare You," a compilation of 31 short stories from a variety of authors, thought leaders and motivational speakers. Lindgren's story about her sister Sarina is featured in the first volume, which was published in December 2016. Volume II was released Thanksgiving weekend.

 The lead author on the Dream Boldly project, Carrie, had challenged her fellow writers to follow Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way," which teaches people to unlock their creativity by beginning each day with morning pages. This process involves taking time each morning, when most of us are the most vulnerable and honest, and answering one question by writing three full pages non-stop with whatever comes to mind.

 Lindgren said that the morning pages have made a big difference for her, as she has struggled with negativity and cynicism. The morning pages drew out many of the negative thoughts that had stalled her.

 "Take Care of You, a 30 Day Journey To a More Positive You," features a set of steps one can follow while on his or her journey to positivity. One of the ideas is to celebrate successes. Lindgren said she doesn't mean just celebrating when a goal is reached or when a big project is finished on time, but rather to recognize incremental progress along the way.

 Sometimes the initial "deadline" a person sets for completion of a project isn't met; instead of bristling that it isn't ready on time, one is encouraged to look at the progress made toward the goal, celebrate that effort, and then move forward towards the goal.

 Lindgren plans to launch a blog connected to the "take care" theme. She is also working on a book about employee engagement and recognition, focused on taking care in business.

 She said she's always wanted to write a book, but her career path went in a different direction. At a conference in Las Vegas, she listened to a motivational speaker ask those in attendance to identify a dream they had and then stop making excuses and just do it. Lindgren left that conference determined to make her dream of being an author a reality.

 Follow her progress online at http://www.allisonlindgren.com. Both of the "Dream Boldly, I Dare You" volumes are on sale in the store, and the new book will be available there as well.