Ann Elizabeth Grace, Author

Here's wishing you a magical day!

Last weekend I was a guest speaker for a group of young Chinese women. They’re preparing to apply to college, and their leader—an exceptional woman—asked me to help inspire their growth in the interim.

The topic of the workshop was “Thinking Outside the Box.” One objective was to explore activities the girls could pursue to boost their personal development and college apps. We dug into interests that appeared unrelated (i.e. science and music), and looked for ways to combine them in unique projects. We pulled back the curtain on perceived obstacles, reasons why we think something is not possible, and brainstormed alternate routes to success.  Read more…

“How did you get it together to write a whole book?” a fellow writer asked me recently.      This was by no means the first time I’ve been asked that question. As human beings, we share a common yearning to bring our inner vision into tangible form. Whenever any one of us comes full circle—whatever the project may be—we ignite a flame in those around us to bring their own secret dreams to fruition.

The question, always, is how.

“Well, I treated my book like a job,” I said. “It took the same level of discipline that any big work assignment takes. Getting the inspiration to write was only the beginning. After that, I had to get real about what it would take to actually do it. This meant negotiating my schedule, finding mentors, learning new skills…”  Read more…