Friday, June 26, 2009

I don't know if it's just me, but I'm not feeling like my usual chipper self. In fact, some days this past week, I've felt downright rotten! My husband seems to think we need a vacation, but I don't think that's it at all. What I need is a confidence boost.

When things don't seem to come together for me, I stress out. Then I feel like I'm worthless. Then I dig myself a hole. I know I have 2 choices: dig deeper or get out. Of course, getting out is advisable, but it's not always easy.

For example, I've been reading a book to help me revise the rough draft of my novel. I keep wondering how people have published 48 books, or even 4 books for that matter. I'm not a slug, but I wonder if I'm missing something here. I can't even seem to get one book out the door to agents, let alone think about writing any more. So it depresses me.

I keep telling myself that I need to revise one word at a time, one sentence at a time. And I need to keep writing. It will all come together eventually!

Friday, June 19, 2009

I went on an 8 mile run on Wednesday. It's amazing what the body can do! My route takes me out the door and down to the reservoir and back home. Of course, going down is the easy part. All along the first 4 miles, I remind myself that what goes down must go back up.

I thought about how it relates to life. When things seem so right and perfect, I know that something is going to come along to challenge me. Right now I'm in an uphill battle, trying to find clients. I know that one day in the near future, I'll look back and laugh at my current situation, as I have done so many times before.

Stay the course, be strong, be persistent, be patient. I'm looking forward to the downhill when I crest this one!

Friday, June 12, 2009

The rain and hail has been crazy this past week! I'm kind of a fair weather runner, so I've not been faithful to my running shoes lately. It's not that I don't like running in the rain, but I worry more about cars coming down the road and slipping and sliding in the mud.

I was sure our garden drowned. Today we had a little break in the weather, so we went to investigate. Unbelievably there are signs of growth from most of the seeds we planted.

I thought long and hard about perseverance and the staying power necessary to succeed. Some days I feel defeated and want to give up. But I always go back to my personal motto. You see, I have this picture of a hurdle hanging on my wall with two words above and below it: Obstacles? Opportunities.

I try to remind myself that no matter how bad I think things are, there's always someone else out there who is in a worse situation. I have my health. I have my family. I have my faith. I have a house. I have food. I have clothes.

It's the difference between needs and wants.

Like those little sprouts that are hanging in there without drowning, I can turn every obstacle into a growth opportunity.

Friday, June 5, 2009

We had a family reunion at our house last Sunday, my mom's side of the family. People came from California and Utah, and we had a fully house!

The great thing about having people over is that I clean my house really well. Because I'm not a fan of cleaning, I've devised a new plan--clean a little each day. So I'll clean all the bedrooms one day, the bathrooms the second day, the kitchen the third day, the living room the fourth day, my office the fifth day, the weight room the sixth day, rest the seventh day, then start over again. My husband can clean his own office. If I do it, he'll never find anything!

Family reunions are great for other reasons, and probably more important reasons as well. We re-connect, eat great food, laugh, and have a picture-fest. Our once-a-year gathering reminds us that no matter where we are, family matters.

I'm very blessed to be surrounded by wonderful, supportive people. And as we all get older, I think we realize that coming together once a year is good for our souls. At least I know it's good for mine.