There are times that call for you to go above and beyond. That call for you to make sure you finish your task, no matter what the task may be or the sacrifices that must be made. For me, writing is one such thing. I will sacrifice things for it that I wouldn't sacrifice for just any old job. I sacrifice going out, being with family and friends, being in the moment, tons of things that most people take for granted.
There are other things that call for sacrifice. Like losing weight. I know we all know it's that time of year when everyone makes those infamous New Year's resolutions that last maybe a month, but I really do need to lose weight for my health. I've decided I've got to give up ice cream. Which is something I love. But my health has to take a more important place in my life.
So hang with me folks, I'm going cold turkey. No more ice cream will be bought and brought into this house. I also will not be buying single serve portion of it and eating it in town. I have to do this. If I can eliminate one bad food from my pantry a month, I will not only have pretty slim pickings, but I might also be able to get pretty slim myself.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Sunday, January 8, 2017
I love being able to change my mind
Today's post was going to be this deep, bare all, no holds barred, holding nothing back spiel on how I feel about being divorced. But I changed my mind.
And really, it's a great thing to be able to change your mind. The freedom that affords you is so great it's something most of us never contemplate. Seriously, what if we had to stick with our first choices in everything?
Frankly I'd be afraid if I had to go back and go with my first choice on some things I later changed my mind on. Others, I probably would have been better off taking the first choice, but well, life is a lesson, from beginning to end. All the choices we make, good and bad make us who we are. I'm not content where I am, and am working to change to evolve to make myself fit the picture of what I want to be. Is it going to be hard? Damn right. Will it be worth it? Hell yes. And that's what matters. Someone once said that if you change something just because others say you should, you are a sell-out. But if you change because you see that the change is for the better and you hare happy with the end result, then the change was a good thing and you should be proud of it.
On tomorrow's blog, the cold and how to deal with it!
And really, it's a great thing to be able to change your mind. The freedom that affords you is so great it's something most of us never contemplate. Seriously, what if we had to stick with our first choices in everything?
Frankly I'd be afraid if I had to go back and go with my first choice on some things I later changed my mind on. Others, I probably would have been better off taking the first choice, but well, life is a lesson, from beginning to end. All the choices we make, good and bad make us who we are. I'm not content where I am, and am working to change to evolve to make myself fit the picture of what I want to be. Is it going to be hard? Damn right. Will it be worth it? Hell yes. And that's what matters. Someone once said that if you change something just because others say you should, you are a sell-out. But if you change because you see that the change is for the better and you hare happy with the end result, then the change was a good thing and you should be proud of it.
On tomorrow's blog, the cold and how to deal with it!
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Resolutions and Encouragement
Family and Friends provide some of the best comfort there is. Food provides even better. It doesn't criticize, it doesn't care, it is always there for you. Sometimes it sticks around too long though, in those spare tires some of us carry around our middles. But that's what New Years resolutions are for, right? To promise yourself and the world that you will join the gym and get in shape. So many of us make the pledge but rarely go through with it.
Or maybe you are among the group that actually DOES get off their tush and gets to the gym and joins. You go strong for a couple weeks and then stop because well, it was easier to not go, wasn't it? You had more time to do the things you enjoyed before The Resolution. So you skip a day. The one day turns into two days and then a week and pretty soon you are paying for a membership you don't even use anymore.
Hats off to those of you who manage to make it and actually do it. Those who stick to it, avoid the criticism of our loving friends and family who smirk and go "yeah, I knew he would never stick with it" and laugh at us behind our backs. You know who you are, on both sides of that equation. Kudos to the success stories. Shame on you to the ones who tear down those that even try.
Trying is good. Trying shows you that you CAN do this. Sometimes you need some encouragement and you just have problems finding it. I know I do sometimes. With as screwed up as my back is, I know I would never be able to join a gym and use the membership to its fullest because I frankly physically can't do most of the stuff there. But I'd love to be able to try.
Or maybe you are among the group that actually DOES get off their tush and gets to the gym and joins. You go strong for a couple weeks and then stop because well, it was easier to not go, wasn't it? You had more time to do the things you enjoyed before The Resolution. So you skip a day. The one day turns into two days and then a week and pretty soon you are paying for a membership you don't even use anymore.
Hats off to those of you who manage to make it and actually do it. Those who stick to it, avoid the criticism of our loving friends and family who smirk and go "yeah, I knew he would never stick with it" and laugh at us behind our backs. You know who you are, on both sides of that equation. Kudos to the success stories. Shame on you to the ones who tear down those that even try.
Trying is good. Trying shows you that you CAN do this. Sometimes you need some encouragement and you just have problems finding it. I know I do sometimes. With as screwed up as my back is, I know I would never be able to join a gym and use the membership to its fullest because I frankly physically can't do most of the stuff there. But I'd love to be able to try.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Support for Authors
I know it may seem like the obvious thing, but authors need support. On the whole, we are rather insecure, needing constant reassurance that what we write is worthy and that people enjoy it. There are few people that write that DON'T care if anyone likes what they put out. I know that yes, I want to make money through writing, but I also want to craft a story that people will like and enjoy.
So what can you do? Write a review, recommend a book you found interesting, suggest a book for the book club to review, attend a book signing or other event that your author will be present for, enter those drawings for free books and swag, follow your author's facebook page, connect with them on instagram. Literally every little thing you can do that shows an interest in your authors is appreciated. Open the news letters sent to you. A lot of time and effort goes into writing them and when no one responds to the offers and hidden special things the author puts in them, well, it hits hard.
Finding the courage to put something so personal out there for everyone to criticize is not easy. If writing were easy and anyone could do it, everyone would do it. Books are the brain child of the author that labors over them. Not saying you have to like every book that has ever been written, because believe me, there are some I hated, but the ones you do like, say so! Learn to skip the ones you don't care for so much but the ones you like, be liberal with your praise. It can mean the difference between a sequel or the author giving up, thinking no one likes what they worked so hard to produce.
So what can you do? Write a review, recommend a book you found interesting, suggest a book for the book club to review, attend a book signing or other event that your author will be present for, enter those drawings for free books and swag, follow your author's facebook page, connect with them on instagram. Literally every little thing you can do that shows an interest in your authors is appreciated. Open the news letters sent to you. A lot of time and effort goes into writing them and when no one responds to the offers and hidden special things the author puts in them, well, it hits hard.
Finding the courage to put something so personal out there for everyone to criticize is not easy. If writing were easy and anyone could do it, everyone would do it. Books are the brain child of the author that labors over them. Not saying you have to like every book that has ever been written, because believe me, there are some I hated, but the ones you do like, say so! Learn to skip the ones you don't care for so much but the ones you like, be liberal with your praise. It can mean the difference between a sequel or the author giving up, thinking no one likes what they worked so hard to produce.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
And Morpheus still hates me
I don't know what I did as a child to make Morpheus hate me. I really don't. Maybe I flirted with his cousin too much or I called him Somnia by mistake. I don't know. I really don't. But here I am, listening to the rain fall outside and it's going on 3 am, and I can't get to sleep.
Not that not being able to sleep is anything new for me. I rarely can get to sleep without the help of some kind of sleep aid. Most of them only work for a week before I get used to them and they stop working though. Doesn't take ol' Mr. Morpheus long to catch on and eliminate any help I get in that arena. I just wish he hadn't recruited Somnia and Noir to join him in boycotting me. Insomnia sucks.
And it's not just the physical things, like the perpetual raccoon eyes I sport. It's the toll it takes on you physically and mentally. Not being able to sleep also results in short term memory problems, health issues, and umm, dang it I forgot what else. But there are studies done on it all over the place. People ask me how I get so much done. I reply, lists and a lack of sleep.
I do have to admit that it came in hand when I was working on my undergrad. Working full time, taking a full load and living 45 minutes from campus was hard. If it weren't for my insomnia, I don't think I would have made it. Things did get easier when I started on my grad studies and could go online. But getting up at 0200 to be at work at 0245 and not seeing my bed again until 2000 was rough, lemme tell you. I survived. And graduated. :)
I do wish Morphie would lighten up though. I really need some sleep.
Not that not being able to sleep is anything new for me. I rarely can get to sleep without the help of some kind of sleep aid. Most of them only work for a week before I get used to them and they stop working though. Doesn't take ol' Mr. Morpheus long to catch on and eliminate any help I get in that arena. I just wish he hadn't recruited Somnia and Noir to join him in boycotting me. Insomnia sucks.
And it's not just the physical things, like the perpetual raccoon eyes I sport. It's the toll it takes on you physically and mentally. Not being able to sleep also results in short term memory problems, health issues, and umm, dang it I forgot what else. But there are studies done on it all over the place. People ask me how I get so much done. I reply, lists and a lack of sleep.
I do have to admit that it came in hand when I was working on my undergrad. Working full time, taking a full load and living 45 minutes from campus was hard. If it weren't for my insomnia, I don't think I would have made it. Things did get easier when I started on my grad studies and could go online. But getting up at 0200 to be at work at 0245 and not seeing my bed again until 2000 was rough, lemme tell you. I survived. And graduated. :)
I do wish Morphie would lighten up though. I really need some sleep.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Happy New Year
So, we made it. We survived a year that was bound and determined to kill us. So much happened last year but I'm counting it as a win for three reasons. #1 I made it through. #2 I got published. #3 I got divorced (trust me this was an excellent thing). Did you have reasons to be thankful you survived the year? I hope so.
So many people focus too much on the negative. Then they wonder why they have nothing but negative in their lives. I know I'm guilty of it as well at times, but I'm a work in progress, not a finished product, so I'm not going to sweat it. As long at the end of the day I can say I had something positive happen, I'm good with it.
Goal setting is a common thing (sorry the subject change is abrupt, I'm just that way sometimes) this time of year. Yes, there are millions of people who resolve to get in shape and lose weight, yadda yadda. I'm not going to say I'm going to do that but at the same time I would like to see it happen. I'm just not making it a resolution. What I AM going to make as a resolution is that I'm going to finish my second book and send it off to the publisher this week. Then I'm going to finish book three and send it in hopefully by the end of February. With some encouragement I can get it done before then. Meaning feedback from y'all.
Anyway, I'm running out of things to say on this auspicious day and feel the time is to wind this all down and just say simply, Happy New Year. Make it the best you can, because you won't get a second chance to do it.
Love from Alabama!
Kat
So many people focus too much on the negative. Then they wonder why they have nothing but negative in their lives. I know I'm guilty of it as well at times, but I'm a work in progress, not a finished product, so I'm not going to sweat it. As long at the end of the day I can say I had something positive happen, I'm good with it.
Goal setting is a common thing (sorry the subject change is abrupt, I'm just that way sometimes) this time of year. Yes, there are millions of people who resolve to get in shape and lose weight, yadda yadda. I'm not going to say I'm going to do that but at the same time I would like to see it happen. I'm just not making it a resolution. What I AM going to make as a resolution is that I'm going to finish my second book and send it off to the publisher this week. Then I'm going to finish book three and send it in hopefully by the end of February. With some encouragement I can get it done before then. Meaning feedback from y'all.
Anyway, I'm running out of things to say on this auspicious day and feel the time is to wind this all down and just say simply, Happy New Year. Make it the best you can, because you won't get a second chance to do it.
Love from Alabama!
Kat
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