Don't Push Me Around

I hate confrontation with a passion. I will work very hard to avoid it when I can. I'm not weak, I just don't want to spend energy on it. I'd rather be creative.

But . . . there are days when I willingly use some of that creative energy to create boundaries in my life and push right back.

Like today. On the phone with my urgent care nursing service to get a script. All is well until I say something he (male nurse) doesn't like, or that reminds him that I'm just a stupid patient who knows NOTHING, and then all **** breaks loose.

I sit there for a minute after I hang up and then I hit redial. And ask for the charge nurse.

It was worth spending another 30 minutes on the phone to get a human being who actually has a clue. And, male nursey, if I'm in that much pain again, I go to the ER whether you think I should or not.

The charge nurse agreed and thanked me for standing up for myself.

I'm a healthy early 30s adult woman, but occasionally, I have issues, and the health care team is there to help me, not scold me.

So, lesson learned. When pushed a bit too far, I muster my creative energy and push the **** back.

Is someone moving in too close today? Push right back.

And keep moving forward.

Do You Live in Fear Or Hope?

That's Maine by the way. Isn't it gorgeous? I just got a file full of pics that my husband took on our visit back there in October 2006.

The weather was amazing for early October; warm enough for two outdoor weddings, and because I'd never been to New England, I soaked it up!

I chose this picture because it reminds me to go forward with hope today. I'm a little stressed out. Too much to do, too many things to think about, too many people trying to get my attention. Too much of that, and your friendly blogger turns into something else.

But, I've been talking about approaching life with fear or hope with a good friend this week. Actually, she's one of my best friends. True, we don't talk everyday, but we've been friends for our entire lives! Since childhood, and that ain't no small feat. She has a fantastic view of life, always upbeat (we were raised by mothers who were best friends), and our families just relate on that level. There is no reason to sit and whine about this or that. There's always more to do! Onward, onward. That's the sense I get whenever we are all together. Sure we enjoy just goofing off togther, but we're all so full of plans and dreams that we inspire each other most of the time.

Gee, now most people reading this think I had a perfect childhood, so thus, I'm upbeat and happy.

Nah. Not perfect, but I got handed hope, not fear.

My parents were often fearful, but it never lasted too long. They always tried to hand me hope, even during the ten years that our lives got very dark in a religious order. Now that we're out, they look for ways to encourage me and they always are ready and willing to be hopeful for things in my life that I'm just not sure about. (I'm also trying to return the favor now that I'm an adult.)

But what if your parents don't do that? Is there hope for you?

Of course. Especially then. My parents didn't have perfect childhoods. Actually, they had tough childhoods, both growing up in single-parent homes, experiencing a lot of rejection during their pivotal years, but look how they have encouraged me.

I say the worst sort of life you've had, all the more reason to be hopeful. It can only get better.

Is there one thing you fear today that you are allowing to control you?

Name it, face it, and do one action to take it down a notch.

Whether that be typing a title of a book you want to write, studying for 15 minutes for that test you have to take, or answering the phone when you're expecting a terrible call. But do it with hope that things will work out. Things will be okay.

It's not a life change, it's a mindset change.

Keep Moving Forward.

How to Have a Good Day

So, people ask me all the time: why the heck are you so upbeat and cheerful?

There's only one reason. Why not?

Sure, there are days that just get to me, but from a very young age, I have always enjoyed the little things: a good lunch, a sunny day, fresh drinking water, even that I get to stay home without going anywhere makes me delirious with joy.

Not delirious, but I do enjoy a day at home.

My glass is half full. That's just the way I am. And it does drive some friends and colleagues out of their minds, especially when they don't ever see me complaining or whining or making mountains out of molehills. One thing they still don't understand is that I don't get angry, I get motivated. I make mountains out of every single molehill in my life, but I just have decided to work double hard to get past 'em. I don't get depressed, I crank up my adrenaline, thus frequently you'll find me levitating a few feet above the ground on a perfectly normal Wednesday morning, my adrenaline flying because of small things that mean a lot.

Like today.

Hubby's at the job fair, wearing a tie!; I edited his resume and he printed out neat copies on linen paper last night. He went to work and his boss edited it too and I think he's going to rework it yet again. Oh well. I don't feel so hot today, but instead of spending the day on the couch after I call the nurse for some meds (it's a chronic issue that shows up every six months or so), I'm going to see how much of my to-do list I can get done before those same meds put me into a couch potato stupor (they always make me sleepy).

It's a waste of my time and precious energy to complain or be depressed because of how I feel or how nervous I am for my hubby today. (He'll do fine.) I just have to quit cranking up the pressure (the reason I don't feel well) and calm down. I need to take some adrenal support medications, and relax, and breathe, and not try and add much more to the schedule.

I think that's as normal as anyone else. I just don't feel like whining about it.

In Curio news, wow, it is really coming together. One of the things I aim to work on today is pacing how much information I tell about the major hurt in my characters' lives. Slow, slow, slow peeling of the layers to show their secret hurt. I may not even tell all of the secret hurt, but I want the audience perplexed as to why this character acts like she does.

How is your day going?

Keep Moving Forward.

Lost in Another World

Do you ever get to writing on a WIP (especially fiction) and forget about reality?

I sure did yesterday. I expanded my Curio project space for Cake quite a bit and literally am juggling two completely different people who are at extreme odds with each other and their surroundings. I need to create a space for the hero (shapeshifter character) and then start writing. It was an amazing transformation to watch a one-dimensional character space suddenly come alive with energy and I swear I could hear the two characters arguing already.

Cool.

In other news, I'm swamped today with projects and plans. My phone is ringing off the hook with jobs and I'm really happy and really blessed to be able to choose the client that fits me the best. It's becoming more and more regular in my business and that's exactly what it needed to be for 2007. I spent most of 2005 and 2006 working on what OTHER people thought I should be doing. No more of that.

Also, I'm currently watching (for the tenth time) The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell. It includes an interview with Stephen Spielberg and because I am so not a Stars Wars fan, I usually skip it. Well, not this time. I'm watching it and enjoying the example of the Hero's Journey archetype explained to me in this way. I love learning the rules, just so I can break them.

And, I was once again reminded of how well I stayed true to my calling last year while purchasing references and software and tools to expand my business. I expanded too quickly, took a giant risk, and it didn't work in 2006, but I'm back on track for it to work in 2007. After listening last evening to Alice Seba and Kelly McCausey from WAHM Radio talk about taking these kind of risks for your business, I'm so glad I did it!

How's your day going? Are you pushing the limits, taking risks, and trying new things? How about just one thing?

Keep Moving Forward.

A bit o' wisdom for Monday.

I had to just cool it this weekend. I was so tired I coudn't keep my eyes open on Saturday, and yesterday, I felt terrible and just had to read and not try and think too much (which wasn't bad punishment and I still got through several chapters of the book edit on international relations, which by the way is totally fascinating and well-written).

Todd suggested we go see "Meet the Robinsons" in 3D. It seemed silly and totally juvenile, but what the heck? Why not. So we did. Wow. What a great movie. I don't usually wax poetic over animated movies, but wow. A great personal lesson for the both of us, as we move on from disappointments (things that looked incredible and were unreal opps that just fell through recently). The theme of the movie was Keep Moving Forward, a quote from Walt Disney himself. Again, wow.

It shows me again how easy it is for Resistance to come in and steal your energy. I could have stressed yesterday that I didn't get farther in that book edit, but the editor is a reasonable person and I'm on schedule for the amended deadline. I could have spent the day being reminded again and again of how my disappointment has set me back (in truth it set me on another better pathway), but the reminder to keep moving forward kept me doing just that.

Sometimes it only takes a animated movie to show us the truth.


We can do it.

Keep Moving Forward.