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I am currently sharing my thoughts and dreams at http://www.cloudninegirl.com
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Erika
Who Knew People Actually Studied the Psychology of Waiting?
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| designyoutrust.com |
It’s like role call. Waiting to hear your name. Waiting to get off the bench on the sidelines and show everybody out in the audience, what you’re made of—to score. There’s ups and down, you feel hope and then rejection when what you’re standing around anxiously for doesn’t show up.
Waiting games can get to you. The adrenaline builds up slowly. You can feel your heart pulse in your ears. You breathe faster. You feel warmer—totally depending on that one person to give you a chance.
I’m writing today because no matter where we are in life we’re always waiting for something. You’re first or last baby to be born. You’re new car you’ve been saving for years to buy. A house? A new job? Maybe a new semester in school to start over again and swear, the next time, you’ll get that A.
I’m waiting. I’m biding my time and continue to write up a storm. I’ve written two short stories and I’ve started my next trilogy. This one’s better. This one is based on a couple of eighth grade girls I tutored back in school.
So I guess my point today is about the next step and what you do when you wait. No matter what step it is, there has to be one and I’m trying to take my own advice—
To continue stepping somewhere—
To keep moving forward no matter what—
And to fill my brain with other things I love—
People were right when they said dreams never came easy.
And if you’re interested in the science formula of waiting, here’s what I found:
S = P – E.
In this formulation, ‘S’ stands for satisfaction, ‘P’ for perception and ‘E’ for expectation.
My Simple Wednesday Reflection
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| Here’s the site for the pic! http://www.healthyherliving.com |
I hit the ground at a sprint, meeting my goals for my book—brainstorming, writing, editing, rereading, adding more scene descriptions and action to my chapters. I cranked out four whole chapters and I’m proud of what I wrote.
Then the weekend hit—the holiday came and this choo choo slowed way the heck down, the steam wasn’t burning anymore and yeah, I sunk into the trap of time-off. I filled my days with trips to the zoo, picnics, outdoor kiddy pool time and well, I relaxed and didn’t think much about my writing.
So what do you do when each day becomes easier to stray from what you initially set out to do?
I know that life happens no matter what you plan at times. But is it possible to let Life happen a little too hard? And if it’s true that it happens too hard, how do you see your way back?
Here’s what I’ve found works for me:
1) I look at things around me that inspire me to move. Old Books, quotes, and not too surprisingly, I hit the gym. The time I spend on the machines helps me brainstorm and sort through my ideas. I can zone out the world with my head phones and the rhythm of the machine so I focus on what matters in my next second.
2) Then I go home. I play with my kids; popsicle time, bath time, books and bed.
3) Finally—I start up my computer and I stare at the screen. I reread a few things I wrote last, emersing myself in my characters and no matter what my mood is, I try it anyway. I push around words, sentences, I put together dialogue and what makes sense to my characters. Before I know it—I’m in.
So the short version? Even when I don’t feel like it, I keep in mind what I want most—my dreams. I do what I have to do to motivate myself and POOF! I may not make my two chapter goal this week, but eh. One chapter is still better than where I was before.
No one will want your dreams as much as you do. So I’m not giving up.
Neither should you.
And by the way, love this quote!
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
Michelangelo
I Could Never Do A Front Flip
…or a back flip.
I was never good at gymnastics. Strength and endurance, definitely. Dancing, sure. Somersaults, I could do a good one. But then my teachers introduced me to front flips–heck no.
It’s not that I was physically incapable to do a flip, I could. I just knew it wasn’t for me, and I had so many other things I wanted to do that meant I wouldn’t scare myself every single practice on that mat. So I quit. I went on to other things I knew I loved and looked forward to, because they felt natural. And so the fine line between life and balance began.
Ever think there’s never enough time in the day? Ever feel like your stuck and there’s no time for you? I do. It’s hard. Getting older means I have more roles to add to my life and then my personal goals could easily be pushed under the rug.
So what I’ve done is create my top priority list, the things that matter most. Here they are, if you want to know:
1. Take care of the family
2. Take care of my job(s)
3. Take care of me, because that also makes me happy, whether that means, faith, writing, goals, whatever I need to do to fill my heart.
There’s only so much time in the day and I have so many roles from a mother, a career person, a wife and friend. There’s not much time to achieve dreams. Maybe it’s a 5 minute mental brainstorm sessions. Maybe it’s writing down a few thoughts on a post it note. In the end, as long as you do a little something everyday that’s good for your dreams and your soul, well that’s something incredible.
Cloud Nine Girl 