I’ve been away
from my blog for a while—about seven weeks if you’re counting. That’s like an aeon in Blog Land. Clearly, I’m standing at the crossroads
of “What the heck are you waiting for?” and “Just pack it up and go home.”
So how did I get here? Well, it started with the proliferation of a
number of circumstances. First, there was nurturing the little one’s virus
that kept her up late and required medication every four hours. Then there was preparation
for my first book signing in August, for which I traded writing time for
planning time (check out the pictures here). Next, I had to handle a couple of
projects for my daytime job that crept into my evening and early-morning hours.
Add to that my daughter’s obliterated bedtime, which we’ve struggled to regain ever
since she got sick, and well… I looked up and it was September. But there were
some good circumstances at hand, too. For instance, I took time to share some treasured
moments with my family before our beautiful Michigan weather changes and limits
the outdoor activities we’ve come to enjoy over the last few months.
Now that
September has ushered in a reminder of getting back to business, I have spent the
last few days trying to get my head around my writing affairs. Despite the fact
that I’ve got a two-page document on blog topic ideas, I’ve struggled with not
only what to write, but also how to get back into things and how to commit the
time. It became easier to put writing on the shelf so I would not have to think
about it.
The process of regaining focus reminds me of how
easy it is to look up one day and realize that your dream has slipped out of
your grip. If you’ve been following this blog, you know I’m passionate about
breathing life into dreams. You’ll also probably realize that when I downloaded
“Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday
Life--a Daily Devotional” and found that one of the first devotionals was on
jump starting your dream, I knew it was a divine reminder to get back on track.
As part of
that devotional, Joyce (I’m taking the liberty of calling her by her first name
because in my imagination, I know her personally) noted two requirements for
jump starting your dreams:
1. Have a clear vision.
2. Keep your vision
in front of you at all times.
This hit home because for the last few weeks, I’ve been struggling with
both tasks. First, I was asking myself what was the next step for my vision?
Would I plan another book signing, focus on book clubs, do more blog tours or
write new material? I truly didn’t know. Second, I had pushed my vision out of
my direct line of sight and into my peripheral vision. I knew it was there. I
could see it, but I wasn’t focusing on it.
How did this happen? The answer is simple. I allowed circumstances to
take the driver’s seat and excuses and sheer laziness were riding shotgun! There
they were—the three of them shouting about how much I had to do, how tired I was,
how nothing had inspired me and how there just wasn’t enough time to do things
in the way I wanted them to be done. Well, it’s time to regroup and refuel. I’m
putting circumstances in the back seat and kicking excuses and sheer laziness
out of the car. I’m taking control of the wheel and encouraging you to do the
same for your dream. I’ll be keeping you posted about this mission, too.
In the meantime, if you need a reminder for how to stay in the driver’s
seat, feel free to borrow mine. It’s not actually mine; I got it from my dear friend
(in my head) Joyce, who wrote something profound in the devotional I told you
about. As part of prayer to Jesus, she wrote, “I chose to trust You to help me
live the dream You’ve given me more than I trust my circumstances.”
Did someone just say Amen?
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Shellie
