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We Interrupt This Normal Life With ...

3/30/2015

Housecleaning, chores, and spring maintenance errands. Ugh! Of course, I’d rather be working on Dissension but alas, I also want a clean home and everything checked up and in proper order. Being a good steward of your stuff means taking care of it, so that’s what I’m doing instead of writing this week and into next week. Of course, it’s worth it in the end. The house is nice and clean after 2 days of work, and that fresh lemon Soft Scrub smell reminds me of the accomplishment of a worthy investment of time. I still need to clean bird cages, run errands, and then deal with the plethora of spring checkups and follow ups for myself, the birds, and our home and cars. Those are on the schedule, or on the list to be done. Oh well. Things pile up like that sometimes. Even our best efforts can’t stop the inevitable collapse of the “to do” list.

I often hear retired people say they don’t know how they had time to work. Frankly, I don’t know how I have time to go to work either when the personal life is screaming for attention on every front. We manage, though. When your time is limited, all you can do is divide and conquer. Know what needs to be done, get a plan, and get it going. Then after a week or so of intense effort, you can get back to the same old things that eat up your time. Because keeping it going is also a job. Thankfully, maintenance doesn’t scream quite so loud as service, so it’s easy to muffle those bugs.

At any rate, I’ll get back to Dissension soon enough. It’s not like it’s going anywhere. It would be nice if the story would write itself while I attend to life, but yea, we know how that goes. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to miss out on the joy of writing it myself anyway, or the sense of accomplishment once I type “THE END” on this trilogy. There is joy in writing, even if my wrists sometimes wish the story could go without them sometimes. There’s joy in having the routine stuff done too, although it doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about a Rosie the Robot Maid that has the house sparkling clean and supper on the table when we get home from work. Or at least a housecleaning service. What, and then miss out on the sense of satisfaction of being a good steward of my blessings? Hmm, let me think about that.

Such is life, I suppose, but I’ll take the blessing of a full life anytime. Yes, it gets busy, and sometimes it gets intense, but it’s worth it.

That’s all today. Take are, and have an excellent Holy Week.

Bye!

Radical Non-Comformity

3/26/2015

I’m bad. I wore a white belt and shoes today. I know, call the fashion police. I broke out the white before Easter. Shame on me.

Shelving white isn’t practical when you live in a place where it’s already in the 80’s. Besides, how can I be dark and dour when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and pollen is tinting the world a hazy shade of yellow? I don’t think taking joy in a beautiful day is wrong just because the date falls before the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. In fact, isn’t that why He died for us- so we can have life and enjoy it, and so our joy could be complete? Then why hold back?

I’d love to think of myself as a radical non-conformist, but the truth is that I don’t think anybody noticed. Frankly, I wonder how many of them even know or remember this old fashion rule, or the reason behind it. Even if they do, what difference does it make? While I understand the symbolism behind the “no white before Easter” rule, this is a place where it’s ok to break with convention. It doesn’t hurt or disrespect anybody to open your wardrobe when the weather calls for it.

So often, we twist ourselves up worrying about things that don’t make a difference, and we shouldn’t do that. Wouldn’t you rather spend your energy enjoying life to the fullest? So enjoy your wardrobe, and be glad to be free from that long, cold winter that plagued us, even if it’s just for a little while.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Fitbit vs. Pebble

3/24/2015

Rick got a Fitbit last weekend. I’m sure all of you know what that is – if you don’t, it’s a smartwatch that syncs with your phone and monitors your physical state. It can track his calorie and water intake, heartrate, blood pressure, steps, flights of stairs taken, and even how much sleep he got the night before. Good goobely goo, I’m not sure if I want my watch knowing that much about me! But he loves it. He thinks it’s great that he can help him keep track of diet, exercise, and physical state. I guess I see the merit in that. I just don’t want to spend that much mental energy on whether I do or don’t move, eat, and sleep. And a watch tracking me seems to have somewhat of a Skynet fright element to it.

I prefer my Pebble watch. It also syncs with my phone, but it tells me what’s going on around me – calls, emails, texts, reminders, weather, and what’s around me (that’s a great app, especially when you travel or in a part of town you don’t know), GPS, and yes, a pedometer. It also has the blood pressure app that checks pressure and heartrate, but either it doesn’t work great or I don’t know how to use it properly, so I took that app off. But the rest of them do work, and I have to admit that I’m rather fond of my watchface that tells both the time and the current weather. That’s just awesome, people notice it, and it’s quite useful. There’s nothing like somebody asking “I wonder what the weather is doing” and you look at your watch and say “It’s 66 degrees and sunny.” The look the first time they see that is priceless.

When you compare them side by side, they're pretty much equal. We paid the exact same price for both the Fitbit and the Pebble (around $160 with tax), but that can vary depending on what model you choose, or whether Pebble is running a special (they sold for as low as $75 in December). The Fitbit is smaller, however, the Pebble screen is easier to read, and you do get used to the larger watch quickly (plus, those are in style right now). Both are comparable with iPhone or droid phones.

Really, there are advantages to both the Fitbit and the Pebble. In a head to head competition, they come out equal. I guess it depends on whether you want to know what’s going on inside or outside. Rick wants to monitor how he interacts with the world, and I want to monitor the world happening around me. There is no right or wrong. Just what you prefer.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great week.

Bye!

Be Happy, Or Else!

3/20/2015

So today is International Happiness Day, as well as the first day of spring. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that they both fall on the same day. After this long, cold, wet winter; we’re all ready for some sunshine and blue skies.

Or are we?

When I found out its International Happiness Day, I remembered something that happened when I was in middle school. I had the idea to give my friends notes wishing them a happy day. I’m not sure if something happened; all I remember is that a lot of people were grumpy and in bad moods. I thought it would make them feel better to know that I was thinking about them and wishing them well.

They agreed that it was the dumbest thing they’d ever seen, and asked me to never do it again.

To be told not only that it was dumb, but to be asked not to encourage them again was shattering. Only two stood by me and said they appreciated it. It’s no wonder that these two were the only ones that remained friends in the years after. The rest went their own way, and I let them. They wanted the grace of being free of my support, and I granted it.

What disturbed me about this memory wasn’t so much the cruelty of pre-teens, but the fact that they had been conditioned to negativity by 12 and 13 years old. It still happens, too – in fact, it’s worse. We say we want to be happy, but the truth is that we’re addicted to the bad. It can’t be blamed on personal temperament either, because society has conditioned us to focus on what’s wrong with the world. Just turn on the news. What comes first, the high news or the high drama? You know the headlines are always about what went wrong, and the good things are pushed to blurbs at the end of the newscast. There are some news shows that choose to focus on good events in the community – unfortunately, they usually air around midafternoon, when many of us are at work. By the time we get home, its gloom and doom time again. It’s even seeped into our fiction. Remember that I shared with you a few months ago that the comedy lineups on prime time are going under, because the dramas are getting higher ratings? “Must see TV” is shifting from knee slapping to skull bashing, and it’s by consumer demand.

While I admit that I’m also more of a drama/scifi/fantasy fan myself, it surprises me that we’re losing our capacity for the fun stuff, because we desperately need it to stay balanced. Happiness really is a choice, and it’s one that we must make each and every day. I know that life is tough. I’ve experienced it recently. Stuff happens and there’s nothing you can do about it, but you can help how you react and adapt. Giving thanks for what’s right and embracing the positive is the difference between accepting defeat, and gaining the wisdom to see and rise to opportunity for a better tomorrow.

I’m going to try this again. I wish each and every one of you a happy day. If things are going well, I hope they continue to do so. If not, I pray things improve and urge you stand firm in the faith and hope of better times ahead. If that’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard, fine. My well wishes are advice and as with all advice, you can take it or leave it. You have a right to be as happy or as miserable as you want to be.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

It's On!

3/18/2015

Meaning Book 3 of The Earthside Trilogy. I started it today! The title is Dissension, and here's a peek at the prologue. Enjoy!

Prologue

My heart shall sing of the day your bring,

Let the fires of your justice burn.

Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,

And the world is about to turn.

“Burn is more like it,” a voice said from the back of the chapel. “The world is about to burn.”

Bulletins crinkled as the parishioners stopped fanning the late summer New Orleans humidity off themselves and turned to see Kalea striding up the aisle of Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel.

“That was a beautiful opening hymn,” Kalea stepped beside the St. Jude Shrine to the left of the altar. “The Magnificant has always been one of my favorites. It’s prophetic, isn’t it? Not just at the birth of Christ, but now as well.”

“Ma’am, we don’t allow women to speak in the church,” the Priest said softly from the pulpit.

Kalea smiled. “What about the alien amongst you? Didn’t Moses tell you repeatedly to welcome them?”

“I believe the word is ‘foreigner,” the priest said.

Kalea shrugged, staring at the shrine. “It’s appropriate, don’t you think, to lift up your prayers to Saint Jude now. Humanity is, after all, a lost cause. You’ve never been in a more desperate situation than you face now.”

“Save us!” a woman shouted from the back. She started to rush up the aisle toward Kalea, but Kalea held up a hand, holding her in place. The woman froze in the center of the aisle.

“It’s too late,” Kalea said.

“It can’t be!” another voice cried out.

“I told you. I told you ten months ago that you would listen to us, or die. You chose to turn our help away, and now you will die.”

“That was the government! We had no say in that,” a voice shouted.

“You elected your leaders. You put them in power. You are as responsible for their failures as they are,” Kalea proclaimed. She wandered to the pulpit, where the priest stared at her for a moment before shrinking away and allowing her to step to the microphone. “You did fine for a while. You cooperated. You even helped us to discover more. But you allowed doubt to seep in, and once it won over, there was nothing that could convince you of the true threat you face. Typical human beings. You start the course, but you can’t stay the course. You aren’t built to endure. We thought you were, but we were wrong. Only the elite amongst you are destined to survive, and they are too few to save the rest.”

“Who’s side are you on?” a woman shouted.

Kalea leaned forward. “I’m on the side of survival. We wanted to help as many of you as possible. We wanted to save the planet, but you didn’t want that. You wanted your petty wars more than you wanted to preserve the sanctity of what you have, and now you will lose it.” She stared at the Saint Jude shrine. “Pray your rosaries. Lift up your petitions. Cast your spells. Whatever faith you observe, cling to it, because it is all you have left.” She stared at the congregation, her eyes glinting silver. “God help you, because nobody else can. You’re too stubborn for anything but extinction, because death is the only thing you cannot fight and win.”

A gasp rose as Kalea stepped from the pulpit and walked down the center aisle. The woman from the back, now unfrozen, threw herself at Kalea’s feet.

“Please!” she sobbed. “We don’t want to die. We’re sorry. Please, save us!”

Kalea shook her head. “It’s too late. We’ve inhabited our chosen ones and bound our army. The ones that accepted us have been taken under our protection.”

“What about the cyborgs?” a voice asked.

“They’re here. It’s too late now.”

“But you can beat them,” the woman said softly. “We saw that. Please, can’t something more be done to make this right?”

“We will fight them as best as we can and protect those that have chosen us,” Kalea said.

“And what about the rest of us?”

“You’re already dead,” Kalea held out her hands, forcing open the doors and disappearing in the flood of early morning sunlight.

What Time It Is

3/16/2015

I mentioned in my Shatterpoint series last summer that I grew very discouraged a decade ago, because people were getting in my face about making things happen since I was fixing to turn 30. During that discourse, I discussed how I had to search my soul to learn about doing things in the right timing, and not slipping out of the Lord's will for my life because a calendar page was turning, and people were running their mouths about everything they thought I should be doing. At the end, I joked that I'd let you know what people were telling me I should feel about turning 40. Well, everybody, I have the answer already and golly geeze, 40 is still a little over 5 months away.

Apparantly, turning 40 means you're supposed to feel old.

Now, that is funny. Really? I'm barely halfway to retirement eligibility, and I'm already supposed to be concerned about aging, retirement, and nursing homes? And you know what the funniest thing of all is? The people making comments about yea, you've had a lot of birthdays, you've accomplished a lot in the long time you've been working/writing, you know what remembering that far back means, it's going to take longer to heal from that illness/injury because you aren't a kid anymore, chuckle, chuckle, chuckle - they're all OLDER than I am! Now really, folks, who's getting ahead of themselves now?

Speak for yourself. Yes, I am completely aware of how old I am. I'm also completely aware that I'm not bound by it. Of course, there are undeniable signs that I'm not a kid anymore, but you know what I say to that? Thanks be to God! I'm thankful to have some wisdom and experience now to guide me. No, there isn't much new under the sun. Does that mean it's time to hang it up and simply exist? You can if you want to. I'm still going.

I've also been criticized of late for encouraging people to pray for God's favor, and to have a big vision for their life. My response to that is that if you want to limit your prayers and plans for the future because of the DOB on your driver's license, then I can't stop you. I wish you wouldn't, but if you feel that you're too old to dream big, then I can't make you regain your vision. Vision, goals, and favor are not immature or idealistic foolishness - they are the building blocks of a successful life. Frankly, I did some serious self reflecting recently, and decided that I not only wanted my vision from my 20's back, but that I now have the knowledge and expertises to fine tune it and make it bigger, better, and more fabulous than I knew to wish for then. I've accomplished a lot in the past decade, and I want to keep on doing and keep on shining!

Everybody thought reality would "teach me better" and that age would ground me. Sorry folks, but on being an idealist, I still haven't changed. And it really is funny that I had all of 10 years to really conquer the world. At 30, I was supposed to "make it happen." At 40, I'm supposed to "let it go." Hell, no. I've got life going on now. Nobody mentioned a 10 year parameter on living, and I refuse those bookends. When last I looked, I was still alive, so off I go. Limit yourself if you must. As for me, I'll tell you what I tell everybody else when them make the "getting older" barbs:

Speak for yourself. I'm not old. I'm just getting started on the next thing.

That's all today. Take care, and have a great week.

Bye!

What Extroverts Don't Understand

3/12/2015

As I was recently brainstorming and planning progression for The Earthside Trilogy, I began to explore the relationship between two of the main characters: a Congressman’s wife, who owns a successful psychiatry practice in Washington D.C., and her cousin, who is the President of a small but prestigious electrical engineering firm in Columbia, SC. The trilogy takes place approximately a century in the future, but I came to realize that one dynamic that sometimes causes tension in this family relationship is the issue of popularity. When working together on a situation of national importance, there are obvious and significant differences of perspective between the well-connected politician’s wife, and her logical, practical cousin.

It brought to my attention once again the fact that times may change, but the nature of relationships don’t. Perspective is a very unique thing, and one factor that drastically colors your perspective is whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. And once again, my ponderings on my fictional world have brought me to a real-world realization that there are just some things that extroverts don’t get, such as:

1.       The benefits of flying under the radar. One good thing about being an introvert is that people aren’t up in your business, so you can conduct it with no interference. Case in point: despite the fact that I’ve mentioned it in this blog and on social media, there are still a lot of people I personally know that have absolutely no idea that I’m working on a sci-fi trilogy, and they won’t until it’s published. They’re too busy with other things that they’re more interested in, and frankly, that’s fine with me. It’s hard enough to find time to write with the everyday life thing going on, and I really don’t need everybody elses’ questions and opinions distracting me. I’ll be more than happy to deal with all of that through publicity once it’s published, but for now, my business is to get the book written. It will be the world’s business later.

I wrote an entire blog entry last summer on other benefits of flying under the radar, so there’s no need to rehash here. But as I reminded you in the above example, the biggest advantage is the freedom to do what we want and need to do with much less interference than others that must run all of their comings and goings through their entourage.

2.       A greater sense of personal identity. We know the saying that true character is defined by who you are when nobody is looking, and that’s the place where introverts live most of their lives. We must stand on our own, and as such, we just deal with issues instead of going in circles trying to justify our actions or work things out. When you’re a minion, nobody cares why you did it – they just want things to run smoothly.

That’s not to say that we don’t care about others. It just means that we know what is and isn’t our business, and we’re focused on keeping things in their proper place. Our hands are full with keeping up with ourselves anyway.

3.       An appreciation for the value and nature of relationships. Introverts tend to have a small, inner circle of relationships. To us, relationships are built on mutual interests and trust, not convenience or function. Yes, we’re picky, but that’s because once we let you in that circle, we’re willing to dedicate time and energy to nurturing that relationship.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with having a lot of friends. Introverts prefer to focus more on the few than to spread too thin amongst the many, and they want those relationships based on right, true, and real things. Let’s fact it: not everybody is popular for the same reasons. The charisma that leads to popularity can be a good or bad thing. Some people are popular because they’re charming and witty. Others are popular because frankly, it’s easier to be their friend than their enemy. Deep down, we all know the difference, and introverts usually don’t have the patience to waste their time and energy on false friends or putting on pretense.

4.       Freedom. We’re also familiar with the Albert Einstein saying that the person who follows the crowd will go no further than the crowd, but the person that walks alone finds themselves in places nobody has been. When I took time to ponder this, I noticed one thing about popular people is that they’ve usually been where they are for a very long time, so everybody knows them. Don’t get me wrong – stability is fine, but the real question is, why have they been there so long? Fear is the devil’s favorite tool, because it works so well. A lot of people would like more, or different, or better, but their peers may not approve. And if they fail, the embarrassment would be even worse than disapproval.

I recently read something that said female relationships (especially in the workplace) are based on maintaining the status quo. If one person steps outside of the box, it usually destroys the relationship. There was speculation on why this is, but the main theory is that the relationships fall apart because of envy that somebody had the courage to break through fear, take a chance, and succeeded. It makes sense. Those that are bold enough to take chances experience more life satisfaction and joy because they have a depth and breadth of experience that others just don’t understand. Happiness really is a choice, and it takes a bold person to decide they will pursue that makes them truly happy, no matter who has a problem with it.

I wouldn’t be an indie author if I followed the crowd. Plenty of people rolled their eyes and thought I’d lost my mind – until the publishing contracts started coming.

5.       We know all of your business. You know little (or none) of ours. Extroverts talk a lot. To a lot of people. The problem is, in many cases, the conversations you believe are private in fact, are not. I’ve been in the same job for fifteen and a half years and reorganized roughly every five years during that time, but there’s one critical error that people in every single place I’ve been have made: they forget that cubicle walls aren’t real, and group conversations in open areas are not, in fact, private. Even if you whisper and employ clever non-verbal tactics of communication, we still hear you, and the patterns aren’t hard to figure out.

The good news is that we really don’t care about all of the hot gossip, or put much stock in it. It’s more for personal amusement than anything else, although sometimes it proves to be handy information to know. I have a rule that I won’t believe it if it comes from a source that wouldn’t legally count as a relative if they were blood. If you know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy, and I overhear you, then I’m fifth generation “don’t give a crap” anyway. But hey, you never know what may be useful.

Don’t worry. We share very strategically and sparingly, because we know the true value of knowledge and information. It’s not like anybody’s asking us, anyway.

Yes, introverts really do see the world differently, but that’s ok. We all have our own ways and, like the cousins in my trilogy-in-progress, we can get along if we respect one another. It’s a big world, after all, and we have to understand that there are countless ways to see it. I know there are things we introverts don’t get, because I lost count of the times they said “you just don’t get it!” Sometimes we find common ground and agree. And sometimes we don’t and we agree to disagree.

That’s all today. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

What?

3/9/2015

I don't understand why people think I'm mad these days. People keep asking me what's wrong, and I'm like - what? Maybe it's because I'm not talking much. And maybe I'm not talking much because there isn't much to talk about.

Sure, there was a kerfluffle late last week on Facebook. I posted something on praying for God's favor, and a couple of people jumped on me saying that's a sin, and not to test the Lord. Then I looked and realized that it probably is easy to pass that kind of judgement when you're well off and advertising all over. What's even more interesting is that one of them posted something almost verbatim to that a week earlier. What? Well, I did the right thing: I dropped those hot potatoes and went right on. Some arguments aren't worth having, and that certainly wasn't worth the mental energy. But am I mad? No. If they want to limit their prayer life, that's their business. And now they have one less person to advertise to. I'm supposing they don't need it.

I have to admit, though, that I have been bad. I went to The Avon Store today,and didn't tell anybody I was going. They laughed at me for coming in with a shopping list, but let me say that if ANYBODY knew I was going, I would have been carrying lists for EVERYBODY. The Avon lady probably does better business than drug dealers in these parts. Seriously, people love the stuff around here. You'd think they were Heisenberg (Breaking Bad reference!) and rolling in the 'fat stacks.' If people find out you're "hooked up," then everybody wants to be your friend. My Avon representative quit a little over a year ago, and frankly I didn't look for another one because it's easier to go to the store and get what I need, when I need it. But I must do it quietly. All this stealth for my fixation on Skin So Soft Original body wash. It's kind of funny.

I won't be searching or begging for power strips anymore either, because I went by Walmart, got one, and hid it. The secret is not that I have a power strip, the secret is where I have a power strip. I got tired of that wild goose chase, so I ended it. Insert evil laughter *here*.

And in closing, I'd like to tell whoever is filling up my Spam inbox with running shoes ads that they must have missed the social media post where I said that I have plantar fasciitis, because I won't be running anywhere for a couple of months at least. Actually, I wasn't running much before that, either. I'm more of a walking or stationary bike kind, and it's going to be the bike until this heals. It would take Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King's It chasing me with sushi to get me running. Can you see that now?

Pennywise: Come here for your tasty Asian treat, Sherri!

Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

There's a mental image to leave you with.

So no, I'm not mad. I'm just going through life. The most evil thing happening is my plan to turn the panspermia theory on it's head in Book 3 of The Earthside Trilogy. That's the theory that all life is seeded from a source that was spread by interstellar objects. Or so they say. We shall see what I say about that one. More evil laughter *here*.

That's all today. Take care, and have a great week.

Bye!

Pushing Positive Power

3/5/2015

Many of you know that I gave up negativity for Lent. I’ve been studying the power of bringing more positive energy into my life for a year now, and I decided that it was time to stop studying and start doing. I won’t like to you: it’s been a challenge. The reason is because our thought patterns really are a habit, and changing them is more about forming new habits than breaking old ones.

It’s tough. I believe that changing the way that you think is the hardest thing you’ll ever do, and it makes sense that it would be. After all, you’re thinking all the time, and there’s no way to monitor every thought that you have. The good news is that you don’t have to. Over the past couple of weeks on this journey, I’ve found shortcuts to short circuit negativity before it expands into a huge, black hole sucking all of the joy out of your day. Changing the track of your thinking is really a matter of changing the polarity of your viewpoint. These are easy to catch and modify to change your track of thought, but unfortunately they don’t conform to popular thinking. For example:

Instead of multitasking, focus on one thing at a time. I had to stop multi-tasking when I went through my last job change nearly five years ago because my new job duties were so complex that it was literally impossible for me to do it right unless I focused solely on what was in front of me. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given, because I’ve been more productive these past five years than probably every other year before that! Simply put, you can’t have peaceful balance if your mind is fractured in a million different directions. You have to focus on what’s before you right now to be the most productive. Studies are starting to reveal that people who multitask are actually less productive and make more errors than people who do one thing at a time. It doesn’t surprise me, because I’ve seen it working over and over in my own life.

You’ll get resistance on this, but stand up to it. I remember one time a couple of years ago when I had three crises hit at once, and was under pressure from several people to solve it all immediately. I refused, stating that I’d deal with one crisis at a time. You know what? All three fires were put out in less than an hour, and to everybodys’ satisfaction. No errors, no feedback, no deterioration of efforts, no “oops, you forgot this or that,” no problems, because the solution stuck since I focused on each thing and took the time to act properly.

Instead of fretting, focus. It’s easy to let your emotions carry you away, but the truth is that they aren’t Calgon, and often they can take you places you don’t want to go. When your emotions take a dip and your find yourself anxious, worried, or depressed, take a moment to ask yourself why you feel this way. You may be surprised to find that you’ve caught yourself in a feedback loop over something completely irrelevant or irrational. Why? Not many people realize this, but emotions are also habits – we just have the reactions so quickly that we often don’t realize that we even had a decision making process just take place that turned our mood. Our minds take stock of things we say or hear and make judgments based on previous situations, many of which may be buried deep in the subconscious mind. Unfortunately, these judgments might be incorrect based on the current situation, and we don’t even realize that we’ve fooled ourselves into feeling something that we shouldn’t. The way to break to cycle is to stop and ask yourself: why do I feel this way?

Often, what’s happened is that we’ve experienced what my psychology professors in college referred to as “memory cues.” That means that you saw or heard something that reminded you of an event in your past that caused an extreme emotional reaction. It’s not a problem if it’s a good memory, but if it’s a bad one then you can get caught in an emotional trap for days, and you don’t need that. By stopping to focus and pray over how you feel and why, often you realize what it is that caused you to take the turn, put it in proper perspective, and regain your balance. Yes, it takes time and focus, but this is a meditation that’s worth doing right.

Or, you can use my trick. If I get anxious, I consider whatever is stuck on my mind as the devil turning it into a toy for his entertainment in my mind. I rebuke it in Christ and tell him to take his toys and get out. My brain isn’t Chuck-E-Cheez for that crap. The true definition of humility is to focus on God and His will for your life. You have to be where you’re at, and to walk in faith toward where He is leading you. Don’t get distracted by nonsense – focus on blessings!

Make decisions and stand by them – every day. If you want to wrap yourself I positivity, then you must sacrifice some things: whining, complaining, and most of all, pity. I’m not saying suck it up, buttercup. We all go through hard times, but the difference is in the focus. Do you focus on healing, or on hurting? Somebody once told me that you can’t choose whether you become a victim, but you can choose whether you stay a victim. Pity is the victim’s path. Is that the road you want to travel? You do have a choice. Make it. Choose to heal, to forgive, to let it go, and to move on to better days and better ways. Not just once, but every day, until it’s a habit that sticks.

Give yourself things to enjoy throughout the day. When my alarm clock goes off in the mornings, I don’t think “oh no, it’s time to go to work.” I think “it’s time to get up so I can see Rick and the birds, do my Bible reading, and have my coffee now.” We make the mistake of focusing on what we don’t want instead of what we do, and I’ll bet that if you take a look at your day, you’ll find many little things that you enjoy. Don’t discount the day of small things – after all, they are what make the big things. Do you enjoy that cup of coffee in the morning? The setup of your office? A peaceful lunch to yourself, or sharing it with family or friends? Do you have music you like to listen to on your commute? Enjoy dinner at home? Have TV shows or hobbies you enjoy at night? Focus on those benchmarks throughout your day instead of the drudgery of “what must be done.” You may even find hidden blessings in the grind of day to day life if you look enough!

Go AWOL on the war with the clock. I agree with Simple Abundance on many things, but the recent devotion on how too many women are whirling dervishes through the day just spinning through life instead of enjoying it struck me. I am sick and tired of fighting with the clock. Yes, I have a full life and many responsibilities, but I don’t remember enlisting in a war with time, and I’m not fighting this battle anymore. God gave us 24 hours in a day, and what He sets before us should be reasonably accomplished in that time. Understand, this isn’t a license to procrastinate. It means you need to find a balance and prioritize what needs to be done and what means the most to you, then focus on it and do it. Don’t forget to set aside time for rest and relaxation as well, because that’s as vital as paying the bills, family and pet care, and taking out the trash. There is a time to pull the rip cord, call it done for now, and take a time out.

Reject negativity. Or in other words, pick your friends carefully. “Down in the mouth” people that gossip and can find the cloud in any silver lining are poison to your soul, and you need to purge that from your life. I don’t care if they’re the “cool kids” or the ones with connections - tolerating anything that brings you down is self-sabotage, and you’re smarter than that. Don’t do yourself in. Surround yourself with people that uplift and inspire you. If you’re forced to deal with a “Debbie Downer” that can’t be purged, well, you’d be amazed at the power you have to minimize that contact and influence. You’d also be amazed at how an increase in positive power can expand your light enough to drive the vampires away from you.

Yes, this certainly flies in the face of convention, but which would you rather have: popularity or peace? I don’t know if the path to positivity wins friends and influences people, but it makes for a better everyday, and that’s where I’m living my life. How about you?

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Bye

Lifting the Fog

3/1/2015

The rough draft of Schism is finished. I typed the final chapters today. Hooray! Now there's only one more book to write to complete The Earthside Trilogy. And then rewrites, revisions, edits, proofreading -- yes, there's still a way to go on this, but at least 2/3 of it is written, anyway.

I am going to take a brief break before diving in to the final novel, so hopefully that scrambled brain I referred to in my last entry will come back together as I life out of my writing fog (for a little while, at least). Until the fog lifts, I hope you will excuse me for not having anything to blog about, as I've been wholly focused on finishing this particular part of the project all weekend. As such, I will be fair and give you something from my corner of the world. Here, I proudly present the Epilogue from Schism. Remember this is a rough draft, but it still gives you a good idea of where things are at, and where they're going. Enjoy, and I hope you have a great week!

Epilogue

Brother Harold Dempsey wandered aimlessly through the floor of The Grand Canyon. He had no idea how he got there from Mempkin Abbey in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. His last memory was being admitted to the hospital with an aneurism that the doctors suspected was on the verge of rupturing. After that, everything was fragments. He remembered doctors telling him the robots had fixed it. He remembered standing outside of the hospital, and somebody he didn’t know offered him a ride. He remembered trains, cars, and buses. He remembered the land turning from green trees, to brown dust, to red rock. He remembered cold turning hot, countless faces, and green and blue signs passing on the endless highways.

And the voices. He remembered the voices most of all.

They told him to come and bear witness, but to what, they would not say. If he resisted, there was pain. If he cooperated, there was silence. Blessed silence. Just like the Abbey. He missed it. At least here, he had it again. Since he arrived, it has been quiet in a ways he had never known.

Until today. Then the voices started again.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and took a drink from the water bottle – where did it come from? He didn’t know, but he was grateful for it. Shelter would have been nice, but fortunately it was late summer and the weather had been nice, if not a bit hotter and drier than he had ever known. But he must stay here. There was something he had to see.

Suddenly, a ship appeared in the sky and his eyes were opened. This was it! Salvation was at hand! Now he remembered, deliverance was coming. This was it, the dawning of the new age that had been promised since the beginning. He smiled and gave a shout of joy, opening his arms to the Heavens.

Then there were noises. He squinted against the rays of sunlight streaming around the ship to see bodies; bodies that looked so small from down here. He saw bolts of lightening. The ship shuddered. There were screams and shouts.

“No, what’s happening?” he asked, squinting at the figures in the light.

He jolted as a clenching pain extended through his head. He collapsed, holding his head. Finally, the pain receded. He noticed that a small trickle of blood had escaped his nose. He swiped it away with the back of his hand to watch. Were they angels? Were they demons?

One figure pushed the other.

No, they were something else.

There was more shouting and another explosion of light. Suddenly, his mind cleared. What was this? Why did he come? He meant to resist but –

He jumped as the grey body landed on the ground ten yards in front of him. He walked slowly to it. It shuddered on the ground, then finally stopped. Sparks erupted from it’s ears. Brother Dempsey leaned over it, taking in the face he now recognized as one of them, one of the ones that spoke to him and deceived him into coming here. And he understood. He stood and spat on the ground next to the cyborg.

“Welcome home.”