I was utterly shocked — and totally delighted — to discover that ALALYAK, author of one of my favorite blogs, ESSENCENTRAL, had nominated me for a Mystery Blogger award! Thank you so much, ALALYAK! I invite my readers to follow ESSENCENTRAL, which has been nominated twice for the Mystery Blogger award, for some of the most thoughtful, inspirational, beautifully written posts in the blogosphere.

“The “Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.”

Thank you, Okoto Enigma, for creating this award! It’s a wonderful way to build community through recognizing and rewarding high-quality writing.

Rules and Guidelines:

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog
2. List the rules
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
6. You have to nominate 10-20 people
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
8. Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
9. Share a link to your best post(s)

Three things about myself

1. I sang backup for an Elvis impersonator in Memphis.
2. I love knitting, reading, freshwater fishing and bowling.
3. I was a literature major and have read many of the classics, but my favorite genre is horror.

ALALYAK’s questions

1. If money was no object, what would your life look like right now?

I would be living in a rural, mountainous area with lots of land, a fish pond and facilities to house and train rescued dogs for adoption

1. If your blog was a message to the whole world, what would it be saying?

Seek a spiritual path that works for you. If you do a 360 and end up right where you started, that’s OK; you will know without a doubt that it’s your path, not just the path that you inherited. And, above all, respect everyone else’s right to determine their own path.

1. What fulfills you?

Accomplishing whatever I set out to do on any given day. I am driven by the Puritan work ethic.

1. What do you owe yourself?

To spend the rest of my life writing about spirituality and animals and to “say yes” to abundance — finances, family, friends and pets

1. And for the silly question… If you were an animal, which would you be?

A shaman once told me that I was a chinchilla, but I would want to be a beloved lap dog.

My nominees for the Mystery Blogger award

JOHN PAVLOVITZ

Impromptu Promptlings

Act 3

Semantics Station

SKYLARITY

Barefoot Pagan Life

SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL

Tootlepedal’s Blog

All Along the Watchtower

soulgifts – Telling Tales

Questions for my nominees

1. Have you achieved what you set out to accomplish with your blog?
2. What is the best comment that you have ever received on your blog?
3. If you received a million dollars with the caveat that you couldn’t spend it on yourself or your family, what would you do with it?
4. What wisdom would you like to share with your younger self?
5. (“Funny or weird” question) If you could become a fictional character and live their life as written by the author, who would you be?

My best posts

What the heck is Eclectic Spirituality?

The smaller the world the greater the suffering

The Power of Myth

Everyday Gratitude

The woman in the mirror