Welcome, #RRBC’s “SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR @JohnJFioravanti!


It is my pleasure to welcome #RRBC Author, John Fioravanti, today, on my blog as he tours with his book titled,

REFLECTION

Over to you, John!

I’m grateful to my host of this second post of the REFLECTIONS TOUR, and to Nonnie Jules and the #RRBC Team who arranged it all!

Reflection 1Ÿ* Feel It with Your Heart

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”

 ~ Helen Keller

I often think that, in our heavily commercialized civilization, we are lured away from the most important things in life. Helen Keller could neither see nor hear, yet, she is a fountain of wisdom.

In this digital age, we are told that to effectively market ourselves, our skills and our talents, we need to utilize visual presentations on social media. Beware… don’t make the presentation longer than two minutes because you’ll lose your audience! Sadly, it’s true. Even as I browse through web sites online, I am aware of constantly jumping from site to site because my attention isn’t captured in the first five seconds. “I don’t have time for this…” is my mantra.

I listen again to my own words: “I don’t have time for this…” My appetite for snappy video or sound left unsatisfied, I move on. I’m not reading much, or carefully. Significant ideas that I would do well to ponder are missed. Am I really too busy?

Isn’t this the real message of Helen Keller’s words? Our faculties gather information about our world, analyse it and sift it, but what is most important is that we feel it with our hearts.

To feel something with my heart, I must first, invest time to quiet my mind, and focus my attention on this one thought to the exclusion of all else. Next, I must consider, carefully, each facet of the idea so that I don’t misunderstand it. Then, I must savour it in the context of my own life experience. How does this idea speak to me? Finally, my heart must accept it; I have to internalize the idea, making it a part of me.

When an idea settles in my heart, I make it mine. That means that I act upon it, and it becomes part of my living, my life experience. Not only that, but it is something that others can catch. Not because I expound upon it with great eloquence, or write voluminous essays about it, but because I live it.

Author Bio:

John Fioravanti is a retired secondary school educator who completed his thirty-five year career in the classroom in June, 2008.  

Throughout his career, John focused on developing research, analysis, and essay writing skills in his History classroom. This led to the publication of his first non-fiction work for student use, Getting It Right in History Class. A Personal Journey to the Heart of Teachingis his second non-fiction work; it attempts to crystallize the struggles, accomplishments, and setbacks experienced in more than three decades of effort to achieve excellence in his chosen field.

John’s first work of fiction is Passion & Struggle,Book One of The Genesis Saga,and is set within Kenneth Tam’s Equations universe (Iceberg Publishing). He claims that, after two non-fiction books, he’s having the time of his life bringing new stories and characters to life! Book Two is Treachery & Triumph.

At present, John lives in Waterloo, Ontario with Anne, his bride of forty-six years. They have three children and three grandchildren. In December of 2013, John and Anne founded Fiora Booksfor the express purpose of publishing John’s books.

 

 

25 thoughts on “Welcome, #RRBC’s “SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR @JohnJFioravanti!”

  1. Mary Adler

    Your Helen Keller quotation reminds me of The Little Prince and his little flower. Thank you for your lovely explanation of how you make things part of you! Enjoy the Spotlight!

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  3. balroop2013

    I am delighted to hear heart is still relevant! I agree with you John, anything that doesn’t appeal to my heart… “I have no time for it.” What a heart-warming post! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Gwen M. Plano

    So happy you are part of the wonderful RRBC team. I love your explanation of how you “feel it with your heart.” When we take time to understand in that way, how can it not become part of us? ♥

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    1. John Fioravanti

      Thanks, Gwen, I’m pleased to be active with the club once again. I’ve always put great importance on the linkage between our intellect and our emotions. For me, the two work together to personalize the reflection – to make it part of me. You certainly hit the nail on the head, Gwen! Thanks for stopping by with your support!

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    1. John Fioravanti

      Thank you very much, Rhani. I loved the picture for the cover when I found it, and then the guy who designed the cover came up with the idea of putting a reflection of the sky in the water below the title. Thanks for stopping by!

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