Miracles

Today's Happiness Quota: 8 – fun, productive weekend – always makes it easy to enjoy life!
Today's Happiness Quote: by Albert Einstein “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”
Today's thoughts: I am humbled and blessed that my life is the result of so many miracles. I came across a list of miracles that I started some time ago, probably the result of some journal suggestion, and it was certainly a pleasant find. So often I discover that the power of journal writing is two fold. Initially it helps clear the chaos that runs through your mind on any given day and then later it offers prospective, on life, on memories, on processes, and it helps to remember that everything becomes a memory and fades in time, the good and the bad. Which means it helps to cherish the good while you can and endure the bad when necessary.

A Little Bummed

Blue Hour: – missed it – slept in ignored the alarm clock and the three phone calls, didn’t realize how tired I was until I crawled out of bed after 9am – almost 10am.

Today's Happiness Quota: on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest I’m about a 7. I never feel great after sleeping in only after going to bed early and waking up early. I am also a little down because I missed my writing target yesterday. However, because I exceeded the goal the two days before I only need to write an extra 1600 words and I’ll be on track again so there is hope.

Today's Happiness Quote: by Buddha - All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.

Today's thoughts and how they relate to my life as a writer: Yesterday I blogged for the first time in a long time, then I ran around from one appointment after the other and did a couple of hours of research (not for the book for work) and bam – I missed my writing quota. I am bummed. But, there are plenty of days left in the month, as long as I over exceed my goal today and (if not by a full 1600 words today then) tomorrow too, I could be on track by Monday….maybe I should wait to blog until after I complete my writing goal, I am after all using my writing energies for this endeavor too.

Blogging Time

Blue Hour - Spectacular - I figured out that I should try blogging immediately after admiring the wonder of rising sun.

Today's Happiness Quota: High – I have a busy day. I get to see a couple of wonderful friends. I’ve had a great productive week. And, I am getting my hair done today – yep it’s going to be a good day

Today's Happiness Quote: by Robert Anthony - Most people would rather be certain they're miserable, than risk being happy

Today's thoughts and how they relate to my life as a writer: I am feeling hopeful about the novel. The first draft is coming together nicely. The characters, which have been developing in the deep recesses of my consciousness for over a month now (some for much longer than that) are beginning to enter the stage. I wonder how much of the 15000 words I have completed so far will remain in the second, third, or fourth draft. But, wait, now is not the time to figure that out. I know that. I accept that. I accept that the most important thing I can do is get the first draft done so I can print it out and get to the second draft. Then I will repeat the process and get to the third draft and so on and so on until I can finally say, I’ve reached the final draft. I will never have a final draft if I never have a first “ugly” draft. So I will find some time today in the midst of running from one meeting to another to type away!

How do others know that I am a writer? If I don't look like a writer.

Today's Happiness Quota: High - wrote this morning well exceeding my daily goal. Life is so good in so many ways and writing just makes it even better.

Today's Happiness Quote: by Aristotle - To live happily is an inward power of the soul.

Today's thoughts and how they relate to my life as a writer: Today's date October 2, 2010 made me think about mirror images and how they are just different enough to matter. Actually it was the process of writing the date numerically that made me think. Sometimes the physical being I take care of, my body and my appearance, tells others that the mental and emotional being I am is sure, confident, and feeling great. Sometimes, though when I look in the mirror I can tell my mental and emotional self is not matching up with my physical appearance and vice-a-verse.

It's true I may be able to hide my issues from some people some of the time, but I know I don't do it all the time. If however I take care of myself mentally and emotionally the same way I take care of my physical appearance and physical body then those images would be less skewed from one another.

This is true of being a writer. If I feel and think like a writer and believe in my whole being that I am a writer, what am I producing in the physical world so others see me for what I really am?

A writer writes plain and simple. Using technology like blogs and twitter makes it possible for writers to demonstrate that they are writers with or without "being published" or having a fabulous book deal. As the saying goes, "If you do what you love, the money will follow" so if I simply just do what I love someday the publishing thing and book deal thing will happen.

Writing goal: complete book draft 70,000-75,000 words by December 31, 2010
Word count to date: 7981

Productivity - great for creativity

"If people are in a good mood on a given day, they’re more likely to have creative ideas that day, as well as the next day, even if we take into account their mood that next day.

There seems to be a cognitive process that gets set up when people are feeling good that leads to more flexible, fluent, and original thinking, and there’s actually a carryover, an incubation effect, to the next day."

More: http://bit.ly/cCQBqV

Farewell to the friend and mentor I never had the opportunity to meet

For years I have kept a John Wooden quote near and dear to my heart. Although I have never met the famous coach - I am forever grateful that I came across his life changing advice - never let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends. As do my condolences that I let a busy week interfere with posting my simple, brief thoughts - the irony of life goes on.

I am inspired.

Met with Robin Morgan today for a conversation with DUs Women's Coalition. She was a key figure in the 1960's civil rights and anti-war movement. A former editor of Ms. Magazine. A founder of contemporary US Feminism.

Meeting her to discuss the current experience of women; what still needs to be; how we can get it done - was like walking into history.

She once said, "If I had to characterize one quality as the genius of feminist thought, culture, and action, it would be the connectivity."

Connect with a woman you know if you want to see real change occur in your life. Two women set on making change can accomplish great things. Imagine what a room full of women can do.

I am inspired.

Writing to Heal and De-Stress

I took a class in my master's program called Writing and Healing. The list of required text included - Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives by Louise DeSalvo. I highly recommend it. Some of the other students in the class thought she spent much too much time on her own depression, but it didn't bother me and I'm not a depressed person, she was just sharing her reality with the reader.

Priceless Burden

Priceless Burden was written for a class assignment on mind mapping. The assignment take a random object - mind map it and create a poem about the object without using the object name.

Priceless Burden

Plastic,
way of the world.
Priceless.
Never leave home
Without it.

Without it,
Never leave home.

Freedom False
Indebted Burden
Interest
Interest
Interest
Compounded
By interests
Outside my means

Those who don’t need
Get
Those who need
Get screwed

Trickle
Trickling
System
Working poor
Working hard
Working for nothing
But false security
False hope for “0” balance
False pride

Truth, Rip-off
Rip-off charges
Rip-off fees
Rip-off plastic numbers
Identifying me

So easy to use

Way of world

Priceless

Never leave home
Without it.

Without it,
Never leave home.

Ah ha moment revisited

In May of 2006, I wrote a bit entitled "Ah Ha Moment" about accepting that my values were above worrying about the extra 10-20 pounds I was carrying around with me. Well, I am still carrying the extra weight. This might be seen as a failure to some, but to me, I realize that I may have kept the weight, but I also finished a bachelor's degree, started on a new career path, engaged myself in my new work, started a Master's degree program, finished raising my sons - who are both independent strong men, and maintained a twenty-year happy marriage.

I can either focus on all the things I've done right - or I can beat myself up for still carrying around the 10 pounds.

What if it was reversed, what if I was still longing to have a degree, still longing to find a career or even a job I loved, still looking for work that was engaging, still believing that a Master's degree was not in my future, still worrying about my son's futures and my son's in general, or wishing I had a good marriage or was floundering looking for love and fulfillment outside my marriage - But I was 10 pounds lighter?

Not a good trade.

I'll take the blessings and keep the 10-20 pounds thank you.

On second thought, instead, I will also remind myself that if I can accomplish all the things I have accomplished through hard work determination and a belief in myself and my abilities, then I can certainly manage to exercise, eat right, and drink plenty of water. Which would enable me to get rid of the extra weight I carry.

Let this be my declaration, I am done. I refuse to carry any more weight, baggage, and abuse than is absolutely necessary. I am 5'4" tall and am small in stature. That means I should be about 135 pounds but I'd be satisfied at 145 pounds.

As long as I don't have to give up any of my other blessings...

Blogging Lesson

Today, before leaving my desk for lunch, I grabbed a book off my bookshelf at work so I would have something to read while I ate. I picked Deepak Chopra's the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. I only read a couple of pages but at one point I read something that I wanted to blog about - I didn't have a notepad or pen with me and figured I would jot down my idea once I returned to my desk.

Never happened.

I returned to my desk and disappeared into my work.

Now, at the end of the day, my wonderful insight is no longer an insight...it will have to shine its light on me another day.

And I'm sure it would have been life changing!

Oh well, change will have to wait for another day.

Broken China

I am a firm believer in burning decorative candles and using your good china as often as possible; that means for everyday occasions not just on holidays. This morning, after savoring a couple of cups of coffee, I decided to load the dishwasher. By the time added the china cup that I had been using for my morning dose of caffeine to the mix, my hands were soapy and wet and the cup flew out of my hand. After colliding with a low-ball glass stained with almond milk the handle shattered in three pieces. My first reaction - I cursed. I believe the word began with an F.

The expletive summoned my husband of 20 years to the room. The moment he saw what happened I heard him growl. The growl began as the word "No" but then rumbled into the deep guttural sound of frustration and disappointment.

I gave him the only response I could. I said "I know" while doing my best to match his primeval snarl.

The china, a gift for our two decade long anniversary, complimented my mother’s china and my grandmother’s china perfectly. On special occasions I mix and match the three patterns for a stunning effect that would make Martha Stewart proud.

As I dug the handle pieces out of the back of the dishwasher I heard my husband conclude, “This sucks but it is only china.”

Serendipitously, we had had an earlier conversation of the value of things verses the value of the people in our lives.

“I enjoyed it while I had it,” I added attempting to calm my own feelings of despair.

I finished the kitchen and returned to a pile of papers I was sorting while keeping up on my Facebook page. I came across a post from a friend poetically sharing her feelings about her grandmother’s death this week. The post said she was happy she had the memories of her grandmother and I was instantly reminded that I don’t cherish my grandmother’s china or my mother’s because they are complete sets (which they aren’t) but because when I use them I am reminded of the strong women who came before me.

Women who honored family and time spent with family and friends and who were afraid to use the dishes they loved so much. I immediately poured myself another cup of coffee in one of the three remaining glasses of my own set that one day will be handed down to my son’s wives (when they have wives).

I hope my future daughter's enjoy them.
I hope they use them – slippery hands and all.

How cool is this!

I am getting better with this online networking and living - I Facebook and I've become pretty good at it. I am staying in touch with people I care about while getting to know new people.

I have a few more networking pages such as linkedin google etc. I have even tweeted a few times.

Then I remember Blogger, signed in and wham - I'm looking at things I wrote in 2006! I am so glad this is still here.