Wisdom Wednesday - Get Derailed, But Only For A Minute

There’s nothing like the pain and frustration that accompany getting derailed in life. Whether you are following your dream of becoming a writer, pursuing a new career path, or finding comfort in staying home to raise a child, when “life happens” and your speeding locomotive jumps the track, what do you do?

As someone who has experienced this phenomenon this week, I must say I’ve been given some of the best advice. One dear friend told me, “Wallow. Take the time you need to wallow today, but tomorrow, get your butt back to work, dig your toes in and be stubborn about it.”

So I did. But, instead of wallowing alone I invited friends to join me. I had lunch with a handful of wonderful people including a man I recently completed book edits for, followed by a visit from two besties. Once the visits were over and I had found some peace, I got some sleep. This morning brought a visit by my two critique partners, Pam Asberry and Pamela Mason, and some sense of digging my toes in. And this afternoon the fog cleared from my brain and I moved on a bit, my bitterness quelled by a nice dinner out with an old friend.

I guess the point is it doesn’t matter what comes out of life’s tunnels to throw you off track, take a break if you need to but get back on track as quickly as you can. Hold onto the dreams you have built for yourself. Don’t give in completely to the derailment. In the end you have only yourself to be accountable to. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to have to face disappointing myself.

Mary Tyler Moore once said, “You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” So, take firm grasp of the bull in the middle of your life’s track, wrestle with it, and then move it out of your way. You have much more important things to focus on.

Until tomorrow’s Truth or Fiction, I remain Unstoppable.

Thankful...

Today, and every day, I am thankful for my husband, my little red-head, a father who pushed hard and a mother who cared almost to a fault; sunshine, wind, clouds, and rain, and even on occasion, fog rolling in over grey sandy beaches reminding me that even the most joyous places sometimes need a blanket to snuggle under; trees, and grass, and flowers of all sorts that share with us the power of growth and renewal; I'm thankful for hand-sewn quilts and the nimble fingers that so carefully stitched them; for dogs and cats and squirrels and all the little critters that keep us entertained on afternoon walks; for friends that come in all shapes, sizes, and origins who care nothing about the mistakes I've made, but who I've become because of those mistakes; for a family who so lovingly and joyously celebrates the goodness, shares hugs in the sadness, and rejoices in the light of each new day; Today I'm thankful for everything I've learned this year as a woman, a mom, a wife, a novelist, a domestic, a freelancer, an editor, a friend. Most importantly, I'm thankful for you. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. May your day be filled with everything you are thankful for.

Until next time I remain, Unstoppable.