Tiffany Sunday

Best-Selling Author | Poet | TEDx Presenter

Poetry

National Coffee Day Poem

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For National Coffee Day, I wrote a couple of poems for fun and to honor our beloved cup of caffeine.

I must have coffee in the mornings, therefore, I make coffee at home. Now, that the weather is cooler, I crave the specialty coffees of pumpkin and cinnamon spice.

Coffee is more than a choice or habit.

Coffee is sipping a fresh brew,

while enjoying a brief mental escape to places unknown.

Coffee adds a special touch on crisp cold mornings.

Coffee infuses a little something extra in our day to day grind,

reminding us to take time,

to visit with friends in a café or bookshop,

to sit quietly on a porch step before the day’s chaos begins.

Coffee awakened our minds,

releasing our creativity.

Coffee is more than a drink, it’s the fuel of an artist’s soul.

2020 Copyright Dillon 5 LLC / Tiffany Sunday. All Rights Reserved.

Are We Crazy Yet

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Three days ago, the citizens of Dallas, Texas, were instructed to shelter in place. Last night, while I sat on my patio, the heaviness of the situation was evident as my ears adjusted to complete silence that surrounded me.

While I sat in darkness, I heard no planes, cars, or neighbors’ voices as everyone was inside their homes. No barking dogs or the squealing of tires from over acceleration by teen drivers. Nothing but silence. I wondered, will we all be stir crazy waiting for this pandemic to pass? My thoughts produced the following poem.

Are We Stir Crazy Yet? © Tiffany Sunday 2020

Are we stir crazy yet?
Staring at these four walls.
Are we stir crazy yet?
Never knowing when it will end.
Are we stir crazy yet?
Thinking the same thoughts in our heads.
Are we stir crazy yet?
Wondering when life will ever be normal again.
Are we stir crazy yet?
Spending our days watching Netflixs’.
Knowing April will be longer than March,
Which lasted a century.
Are we stir crazy yet?
Running out of things to do, say, and clean.
Are we stir crazy yet? 
With the unsettling knowledge that we have 30 or 60 more days of indoor, 
Insanity!

© Tiffany Sunday 2020 All Rights Reserved.

Author Tiffany Sunday, Signing Books at Barnes & Noble SMU, February 13, 2020

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Thursday, February 13, 2020, 6:00 PM

Barnes & Noble SMU 3060 Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX 75205

Poet Tiffany Sunday will discuss her work and latest book, Insatiable Consumption of Being: A Collection of Poems, Writings and Micro Stories.

The event is free with book sales and signing to follow.

Her latest book, Insatiable Consumption of Being marks her transition from business writing to poetry and contemporary fiction.

Tiffany started writing poetry in third grade and was first published in high school. She writes about nature, human creativity, self-reliance, and relationships. 

Something Different

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Most of what I write publicly is work-related, yet my passion as a writer is creative, crafting stories and imagines from words. Since junior high, I have been writing song lyrics, poems, and short stories.  Hundreds of lyrics created, some kept the rest tossed.

After How Dyslexics Will Rule the Future is published, I will take a break from writing business books to focus on completing my first novel and publishing a children book series I’ve created.

Here are two poems I wrote.  Salt was written at a restaurant while Brandon met with his tutor.  The second poem was written listening to the remix of Blondie’s Heart of Glass by Philip Glass.

Listening to music, driving, and running are my favorite sources of inspiration, I can listen to a song and ideas for novels, lyrics and screenplays easily flow through my thoughts.

Salt
Calories never counted
Focus is food
To escape while thinking nothing, watching the nightly news
Row after row of generic tables filled with people
Sitting in silence while consuming less than nothing paying more than they should
Emptiness fills the space, accepting how life will be
Hope provides energy, doubt drains leaving a void
He cleans without ever knowing the native language
Earns just enough to send home, a place he hasn’t seen years
Memories fade, people grow old
Workers stare at the clock thinking of where they want to be
Dreaming of a better life
Knowing in the end they’ll be sitting in the rows eating food with too many empty calories.

© Copyright 2011-2018 Dillon 5 LLC and Tiffany Sunday. All Rights Reserved.

Unexpected Event 
Stillness
No motion
She sits quietly at the train station
Waiting
Trains speed past to their destination
Hot wind from the motion blows her hair
Waiting
Until he returns
She sits alone on the bench
Staring at the track
Ignoring passengers
Never seeing the janitor
She waits
Thinking he’ll return
With each tick of the clock,
Life goes by in a blur of mix memories
She attempts to bury,
To erase,
The pain she carries inside

© Copyright 2011-2018 Dillon 5 LLC and Tiffany Sunday. All Rights Reserved.

Why A Book Must Be On Everyone’s Holiday Gift List

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In case you are wondering, this is not a blog post listing the top ten business books to read for the holidays.  Nope, this post is different. It’s about the importance of stories and reading.

As an author, I am always asking people what books they like to read.  With two new books slated for publication in 2018, I need to know my market.

I can peg a person’s response to their facial expression.  It’s that frustrated look, “Why would I read a book now, I’m out of school.”  Or “Oh, she’s going to recommend another boring business book. Ugh.” Insert eye rolling emoji.

The majority of the responses all include, “I don’t have time to read because…” We spend hundreds of hours each week reading blog posts, text messages, FB posts etc.  Ironically, we read blog posts about which books successful people are reading.

The book list is unimportant.

What matters most is that these leaders schedule time to read.

The thought leaders, we admire, read a wide range of books including novels, history, biographies and business leadership.  All books contain stories even non-fiction which highlights case studies. We remember stories, we relate to stories, and use stories to help us navigate our jobs, personal relationships, challenges, and events in our lives.

Without these stories, we have a limited mental library to retrieve examples for guidance. Since the beginning of mankind, we’ve used stories to build communities, pass down information, and form bonds needed for survival.

Today is no different.  We need stories; we need this foundation.  Purchasing a book for yourself and everyone on your holiday list is important.

Reading is the gateway to society. If a child does not read by the age of seven, they are at risk of missing the gateway.  Once the opportunity passes, it is extremely difficult to gain access.

The ability read (insert assistive technology if needed to help with reading) is the second most important skill humans’ must possess.  The ability to communicate is first.

As you build your holiday shopping list, take the time to visit your local bookstore or Amazon.  Think about the stories you crave to read.  What problem are you mentally seeking to solve? Go to the library; walk through the quiet aisles glancing at the titles. What book catches your eye?

Better yet, go to the children’s section look at the stories.  Last month, I discovered while walking through Barnes and Noble – What Do You Do With An Idea by Kobi Yamada.  I absolutely love the book and believe everyone should read it.

Books, regardless how you read them are important, they provide us with a rich depth of stories that we use daily to solve problems.  Even non-fiction has a place because we gain knowledge and a different perspective.

Included in this post are images of the current books I am reading.  I will be stopping by Half Price Books and Barnes & Noble to purchase gifts.

Remember – reading by the fireplace is a great way to unplug and enjoy the holidays!

Are You Going Backward?

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Image Credits – The Peaceful Runner

Twice in 2016, I thought to myself, “Am I going backward? Was I regressing to a place I no longer wanted to be?”

Both times, I was an event participant.  Everything felt dated.  After several attendees voiced concern, the coordinator stated, “That’s the way it’s always been done, no need to change.”  Staring back at the individual, I felt like an alien.

I don’t want to go backward, especially after I’ve spent so much mental energy moving forward.  The last thing I wanted to do was to get stuck in another rut.

In all of my experiences, there has never been a time where going backward proved beneficial.

Not once.

As an impatient movie viewer, films are consumed while working on the computer with the audio playing in the background or during dinner. Last night’s working selection was Whiskey Tango Foxtrot starring Tina Fey as Kim Barker.  The movie is based on Barker’s book.

I’ve been thinking about Tina Fey’s character and the reason she became a war correspondent.  Each day she faithfully ran on a treadmill. One day, she noticed the constant motion was moving the machine backward across the carpet.  In her mind, she was regressing in life instead of gaining.

Again, I am consumed with the question “Am I moving forward or not gaining at all?”

Change surrounds us, yet for many, there is no movement, there is no internal growth, there is only redundancy.  The creation of goals reworked year after year.  There is comfort in knowing what to expect each and every minute of every day.  Being too comfortable can evolve into compliancy distorting reality masquerading as happiness.

2016 was a mixed bag as I was surprised and pleased with the growth of my business while conversely dealing with several sobering realizations.  From the new awareness, I gained wisdom enabling me to move forward once again.  I am not the same person I was six months.  My approach to problems and how I formulate decisions is different.   My worldview is constantly evolving.

When you think you are moving backward, stop and ask yourself why you feel this way and what could be the triggers? Often we ignore our inner voice.  Look beyond the usual answers and responses, what else is under the surface.  Is there a decision or something you are avoiding that needs to be addressed?

If nothing comes to mind, then think of the most outside of the box answer.  Anything? If not, let your mind noodle on why for while.  When you least expect an answer it will appear.

I believe the only way we can move forward and create a meaningful life is to avoid events and people who cause us to move backward.   Our world is full of too many amazing things to be satisfied with how it’s always been done or remaining stuck in a rut refusing to evolve.