The Soul's Holiday

Solitude is the soul's holiday, an opportunity to stop doing for others and to surprise and delight ourselves instead ~ Katrina Kenison

In December, and sometimes spilling over into January, I like to reflect upon the previous year and develop my goals for the next year.  Sometimes I do surprise myself.

Since January 2, I have been self-editing my second manuscript, Disappear with Me.  My surprise for myself is that I think I'm going pursue it and put A Place to Call Their Own away for a little bit.  It needs some work and I've worked with those characters and their story for five years now.  I think it's time to put them away, focus on Disappear With Me, which is a better story and better written.  Then I'll come back to A Place to Call Their Own and help that story along.

I've resisted this all year long.  A Place to Call Their Own is a simpler story, like most first novels.  Because I wrote it first, I wanted it to be published first.  Then my readers could see the improvement in my writing.  By publishing Disappear With Me first, I am setting some higher expectations for myself and others.  This is very scary for me.  But it's step in the "write" direction for my publishing career at this time.

When you have surprised or delighted yourself lately?  I'd love to hear!

The Soul of Humankind

Art is eternal, for it reveals the inner landscape, which is the soul of man ~ Martha Graham

If you follow me regularly, you know that I believe that following one's dreams is the same as pursuing a creative endeavor.  I do believe that following one's dreams reveals the inner landscape, which is the soul of humankind.

If you haven't nailed down your new year's plans yet, I want to let you know it's not too late.  You still have plenty of time to figure out what 2013 has in store for you and what you want to pursue.

If you have already planned your new year's resolutions, I hope the ten days of the year are going as well as you would like.  This is the day when most people give up on any resolutions they did make.  I am happy to report that after a long break during the holidays, I am back on track with editing. And after getting back into the swing of editing, may be publishing my second novel before the first to give me some more time for another round of editing/reworking.  We'll see what the New Year brings.

Are you still "on track" with your New Year's goals?  I'd love to hear!

This is Life Itself

This moment is your life.  It is the process of living, the journey, this is life itself, and we often wish away our lives by focusing only what tomorrow could, should, would bring ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

Sometimes I get stuck on our dream journey..  Sometimes I can get caught up in "some day when..." I forget that there are little steps to take today to make the "some day when..." come true.  I have to remember that no matter what is going on, I can always take a small step towards my dream journey each and every day.

What are some "small steps" you've forgotten about lately?  I'd love to hear!

Never Have a Dry Spell

I have never had a dry spell in my life, mainly because I feed myself well, to the point of bursting.  I wake early and hear my morning voices leaping around in my head like jumping beans.  I get out of bed quickly to trap them before they escape ~ Ray Bradbury

With the New Year, it's a good time to examine your routines and make sure they are working for you.  It took me quite some time to really hone in on the "morning energy" that I need to write well.  Nine months ago I even changed jobs and shifts so that I have weekday mornings free.  I keep to morning writing routine on the weekends as well.

These new routines have kept me on schedule with my blogging and writing and editing projects.  I have to admit, being out of routine has really messed up some of my writing this last week, but now that I'm back to work, I'm back it regularly and with some renewed vigor.

So are your routines working for you?

Open Your Heart

The possibility for rich relationships exists all around you -- you simply have to open your eyes, open your mouth, and most importantly, open your heart ~ Cheryl Richardson

No matter what your dream journey, the going can be lonely sometimes.  Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person trying to write a novel and be published in today's publishing world and no one else has had the struggles writing that I have.  Hah!

The cool thing about today's social network society is that there are millions of other writers to connect with on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, you name it.  It's nice to be able to build community and gain insight from others who are doing the same thing that I am doing. 

Again, no matter what your dream journey, you should also be able to seek them out on the various social networks.  Like the quote says, you just have to be open!

Do you have any New Year's Resolutions around social networking this year?  I'd love to hear!

The Life that is Waiting for You

We must be willing to let go of the life we've planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us ~ Joseph Campbell

Happy New Year, once again!  I hope your year is starting off the way you want!  Mine sure is...

This is a great time of year to examine your life and determine whether you're missing out on anything.  Traditionally it's the time of year most individuals and organizations review their goals for the upcoming year and start working towards them.  And that's why today's quote seems so appropriate.

I let go of the life I had planned five years ago when my partner and I moved from Denver, Colorado to Bella Vista, Arkansas.  I knew that I wouldn't live in Colorado for my entire life, I just didn't realize it would be so soon before I left.  It was during the employment transition that I started writing my first novel.  Five years later, I've written two novels and have started a third.  I'll be looking to publish the first two this year.

So if you're struggling in your dream journey, see if you can determine if there's anything you haven't let go to make it happen.  Maybe there's something you're holding onto that is preventing you from having the life that is waiting for you?

What are your New Year's Resolutions/Goals?  I'd love to hear!

The Only Reason One Does is That One Can't Help it

The only reason one paints is that one can't help it.  It's a function like any of the other functions of the body...One paints for oneself:  otherwise, one would commit suicide...The artist gets a peculiar sensation from something he sees, and is impelled to express it and, he doesn't know why he can only express his feeling by lines and colors ~ from Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maughan

Happy New Year! 

I chose the above passage from Of Human Bondage because I just read it over my holiday vacation and it struck me as remarkably true.  Like I always do with my quotes, you could substitute the word "artist" with whatever dream journey you are taking.  The references to drawing/painting can be substituted with the actions that you do in your dream journey or regular occupation.

I hope that each and everyone one of you that read my blog regularly have found your dream occupation and are on your path to achieving those goals.  Last year was a banner year for me and reaching my goals.  Not only did I become a more consistent blogger, I finished my first novel.  I finished A Place to Call Their Own in March and used the momentum to start and finish a second novel, Disappear With Me.  Both novels are in the editing phase and should be ready for publication later this year.

If you have not found your dream yet or have not acted upon it, I encourage you to start exploring your options.  Even if you only make a tiny step towards your long term dream vision, I can't tell you how good it feels to reach those small benchmarks.

I surprised myself so much last year, that I had to think about even bigger goals for 2013.  I have settled on publishing both novels that are completed and finishing a third novel that I have started, The Higher Law.  Those are my writing goals for 2013.  And now that I've made them public, I'll have to follow through, right?

What are your goals for 2013?  I'd love to hear!