Moving

In 1.3 hours my computer is being dismantled in preparation for a cross country move. (if anyone wants to buy a house in Macon GA I’ve got a good one) I will have access on my tablet but won’t be available for much blogging as I get the family uprooted, across the country and settled into a new home.  I’ll be down for about two weeks but then hope to be back more consistently as things settle down.

Be

I was sitting at church yesterday and somebody hit me with this little gem.

We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.

I do not know if this is their quote or if they were quoting someone else, but credit goes to whomever said it.

This quote reminded me of something my grandfather always said, "You dress for the job you want, not the job you have."

Each of these quotes seem to be saying that we can become what we want to be, just by pretending to already be whatever it is we want. Or maybe not pretending, but striving, living the goal. So, if you want to be a writer, you write. If you want to be a dancer, you dance, If you want to be a doctor or lawyer or chef, start now, practice now, take classes now. Live it to become it.

You know the old adage "Practice makes Perfect".

You'll never reach your goal by sitting on the couch and dreaming.

One of the things I liked about the first quote was "each day". Writing one story, one paragraph, isn't enough. You need to keep doing it, keep improving, keep living it consistently. I'm not a stanch believer in the 'you have to write EVERY DAY to be a writer or you'll never succeed' mentality. Sometimes life interferes. And sometimes a field needs to lie fallow so it doesn't get overtaxed and loose all creativity. But you must  be consistent to whatever schedule you devise. You must make time. Start now, or your dreams will pass you by without you becoming what you want to be.

Books

I’ve spent a lot of time recently wondering why I’m writing. It has been a very stressful, busy time and my writing has been shoved aside. Add to that the fact that I’m working on my query and writing just isn’t fun anymore. So why do I do it? Why do I still stress over finding time? Why do I feel as if I’ve lost something when I don’t even want to do it?

Because it’s part of me. It’s who I am.

I can’t stop. But I can change how I write. I’ve made time for some fun writing. Family history, drafting a new story, notes on meetings and places I’ve been. This way I don’t feel just the drudgery of query and copy edits. (If you don’t think finding all the lost commas is drudgery then I don’t want to know)

 I’ve also made time to read. Reading has saved my sanity. It gives me a bit of time outside the stress and worry, it helps me relax and realize that there is more to life than this, and that I don’t want to miss it. It also boosts my desire to write. When I find a good book, I want, I need, to create something as beautiful. The more I read, the greater my desire to write. The greater my desire to live.

I’ve seen this happen in my life before. I get busy, reading gets interrupted and pushed back and forgotten. I go crazy. I start reading again. I am nice to people again. You’d think I’d learn and just not stop reading.

Reading doesn’t replace living. It just gives me a place to take a deep breath and prepare to go back out into the world. And in this time of farewells and new beginnings I need something that’s constant.

Is it this way for anyone else? Do you have a special book or author that saves you in times of stress? Are there new books or authors you’ve discovered recently? I’d love to hear about them. I still have a long way to go.