A time of gestation. Seeds for personal and professional goals, self-care and our most healthy relations can all easily be cultivated in the warmth of our cozy nooks and dens…
A time to learn. Processing information about new people, animals and ideas comes easily during this time of focus and sweet rest. Just add a cup of hot cocoa, tea, coffee or whatever warms you best.
Before the celebration of Spring, Before the manifestation of Summer and before the harvest of Autumn…it all begins with the quiet whisper that is Winter!
From the window of my room at the Renaissance hotel in Hong Kong.
It’s 2015! It has been for 17 days, I know. But, I had previously been in a funk over the setbacks humanity has been experiencing on the journey toward peace.
Since I’ve last written, verdicts have come in a couple of crucial cases-Michael Brown and Eric Garner- which have led to riots, protesting and the discovery of some latent and deep seeded racism in some places and people that weren’t as apparent before.
It’s been kind of a bummer.
But, now that that has had a moment to set in and I’ve come to the conclusion that everything happening now is a necessary step moving us closer to honesty and possibly a better understanding of one another, I’m much better.
So now, I feel excited and empowered to make my new year proclamations…
This year will be better than last year.
This year will be full of hard, but rewarding and exciting work.
This year will be a harvest for some seeds sown all throughout last year and before.
This year will bring a greater understanding of the past, it’s effects on the present and how it will shape the dreams of tomorrow.
This year I will grow more loving, giving, beautiful and peaceful because that’s what’s inside already.
These are my proclamations. Now they’re out in the universe!
Recently we had a friend visit us with their kids in tow. As they had just moved to the area, my husband decided to give them a tour of our home with its renovations to possibly inspiration for their own projects down the road.
After seeing my daughter’s room and then heading downstairs to the basement, one of their children very clearly and comfortably announced, “this is a messy house!” Immediately his parents tried to correct his behavior as they apologized.
“No big deal, he’s just a kid”, we said and we all laughed it off. But later as I reflected on what he said, I realized that he was right! Because I had been working Saturdays and Sundays singing, while I was still getting into the groove of life with a kindergartner and an almost 2-yr old every weekday! That includes making breakfast, packing lunch boxes, preparing lunch for the younger one, helping with homework, making dinner, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, overseeing bathtime, having story time, refereeing the fights that occur during playtime…and then some! Seriously, its tiring just to type it!
I love my little germ magnets!!
On top of that, I was fighting a cold, brought home to me by my little school girl!
I would ask for some slack, but you know the story, a woman’s work…yada, yada! I probably wouldn’t get any slack.
Instead, I asked for energy, better time management and restored health. Then I heard this today (on the Today show) and at least it inspired me, with it’s small steps to keep the house cleaner and try to keep everyone well!
Take a break and Enjoy. (And don’t forget to get your rest, because none of this can get done if we don’t feel well!)
After posting about being an introvert in the music business, I made a few new friends. Thea at introvertology is one of them and I am honored to be one of the first people invited to an interview for her Introvertology site.
I had no idea that writing my (introverts in Music) article would strike such a chord, leading me to new connections to people who not only understand us quieter types, but who are also coming into their own pride in ownership of their introversion.
And in contrast to being quiet, I love how speaking up and voicing our opinions never fails to lead us right where we belong, with people who understand us, think the way we do and like us.
As the world gets louder, it can become very daunting. So, it’s nice to have an experience like the one provided by this interview. It’s a reminder that we can still be heard in the middle of the noise. We can still effectively share information that helps us continue to define what being an introvert means for each of us.
The girl in that picture above is an Introvert (among many other things)!
As G.I. Joe would say, “Knowing is half the battle.”
Again, thanks to Thea@Introvertology.
Check out their site. It is awesome and it has some great information for introverts and others. I especially enjoyed the article on ways that introverts can relax.
Don’t forget to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you.
My 11 week writing class is nearly over. Last week I had the assignment of being first to read a chapter from my novel. Leading up to class, of course I revised it and I thought I had incorporated everything I’d learned in class so far.
Did I hit the mark? Not quite! But I learned a few important things from that nerve wracking experience;
1. Don’t pull this Sara Devine move. It’s the one where I raise my finger and shake it like I’m Bo Jangles, dancing a jig. Ooh, ooh! Teacher lady! Pick me. I’m done with my whole novel, I’ll be the first volunteer! Instead I was the first over zealous guinea pig in the class who should’ve already known that the 2nd and 3rd students are the smart ones who benefit from watching me mess up!
But if being first is unavoidable, try not to worry…
2. Don’t try to escape the critique process. Lying, saying you really have to use the bathroom at that particular moment is not classy. Neither is hiding under the table. Face the critique. Everyone will go through it. Choose to be one who learns from it.
A lengthy, in-depth critique doesn’t mean my work is crap, it just means the teacher is good and I have work to do.
Which leads to the next point I’ve learned…
3. No good writer is an Island. You NEED that critique. You NEED fresh eyes to look over your work. You NEED someone outside of your head, who is willing to dive in and tell you how ridiculous or fabulous it might be.
Lastly…
4. Good writing takes time.It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way. That quote is from Ernest Hemingway, folks. If he knew this and worked hard to achieve greatness, then none of us are exempt!
So having said all that, here I am, or rather here is a picture of my computer, as I burn the midnight oil comparing the old and new versions of my novel.
When you’re a mom writing happens at odd hours.
Happy writing!
What do you think about these tips? Have you learned something else? Leave me a comment.
