Category Archives: Sunday’s Deep Thought

Jul15

Work in Progress and It Feels So Good

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The same exuberance I felt as I began working on my next WIP

So, yesterday, it happened. That thing that every writer lives for, needs, desires. The spark for the next book. Sure you’ve written x amount of books and you feel like they’re pretty darn good, but now what. It reminds me of the line people in Hollywood use. “You’re only as good as your last movie.” There’s no resting on your laurels (or lack thereof for those of us poor, unfortunate, unagented souls). You have to continue forging ahead, finding new inspiration, writing your next piece of gold.

Finally, I’m there! Started on something new last night and I can feel this one in my bones. It’s tingling deep down and I can see it start to finish, and all the brilliance in between. I’ve already written an upper MG fantasy with a boy MC and now, I’m delving into the world of middle grade fiction with a spunky girl MC and I’m in love with her right away. I have the title which I’m not sharing as of yet, best to actually finish the book first, but I know it’s dead on. So, for a while, I may not be as active on Twitter or even the blog because I’m diving head first into this new project and when I resurface, it’s gonna be GOOD, so GOOD.

Since I’ve written this under my Sunday’s Deep Thought category, I’ll leave you with this. Don’t force it. Don’t sit down and stare at the white blank page until your brain implodes. Get the first inklings of that next book spontaneously and let it ruminate. See something on TV or in a book and feel that bing, bing, bing go off in your head. Your subconscious is working its magic and getting everything together in its perfect form and time. I do believe that things happen just as they’re supposed to exactly when they’re supposed to. Doesn’t mean I’m always all zen about it and don’t get impatient and then have moments of throwing myself on the floor in fits of rage because it hasn’t happened yet, but still, I believe it and that’s what’s important here. Focus people!

I’d love to hear from you guys on your divine moments of inspiration, if you’ve recently started a new WIP or if you’re currently struggling waiting for that next WIP to light up your life. All of you guys are genius and HI-larious, so please share your experiences and wealth of knowledge on this subject so that others in the writer community can benefit from your journey. Btw, writers? You guys are a tremendously supportive group of peeps and that’s just great. Have a wonderful Sunday, leave comments, pass this along and I’m getting back to my new shiny WIP :)

May20

Keep Calm and Carry On

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I’m out of deep thoughts. I get inspired by things I see on TV or read, but sometimes when I go to the well to draw up that bucket full of knowledge for my readers, I find the well has run dry. Today is one of those days. Last Sunday, I didn’t even have a post because it was beyond dry, it was barren. No inspiration to be found. Not a drop. But I won’t let that stop me :)

Today, I made a trip to Barnes & Noble with my family and among the many good reads purchased, I also nabbed some home decor. I bought a black plaque with white writing which reads, as the image does above: “Keep Calm and Carry On”. I know this is kinda the saying of the moment because I’ve been inundated by it everywhere I go. I finally yielded to its profound meaning and brought it home with me. 

I don’t buy things just because they’re trendy or have a happy slogan. I’m normally pretty anal about anything I buy, so I have to say this really spoke to me today. I’ve embarked on a new journey for myself in the form of writing in the past few years and now I’m at that point where I’m submitting queries to agents and entering contests. All this leads to nervously waiting by the computer or my phone waiting for that all-important email that will “change my life”. 

So, as I browsed the aisles today (possibly imagining where my book may be someday), I came across this slogan yet again and I felt deep down in my soul that it was calling out to me, to help me, to guide me. I now have it hanging over my mantle so I can look at it any time of day when I need that reassurance that whatever is happening and I mean, whatever is happening, it will all be okay if I can just keep my cool and move forward. No point rehashing the past, can’t plot too far into the future. Just keep your head up and plod ahead and life will go on. That’s it folks, maybe not that deep but still a pretty good thought. Hope it helps you in some way. Happy upcoming week!

May7

Mindful Living

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On Sunday, Oprah sat down with Thich Nhat Hanh. He’s been a Buddhist monk for more than 60 years, a vocal opponent of war which got him exiled from his native Vietnam for nearly 40 years. He talked with Oprah about the beauty of the present moment, being grateful for every breath, and the freedom and happiness to be found in a simple cup of tea.

As I watched the episode, I was definitely in awe of his ability to be so “present” in the present. He said he could take up to 45 minutes to enjoy a cup of tea and to me, that’s a real impressive skill. Unfortunately, it’s not one that I possess. I keep up my Sunday’s Deep Thought entries because not only am I trying to share knowledge with my readers but I’m also trying to broaden my own horizons. I’m a massively impatient person (which btw is working out great while I sit on my hands waiting to hear from literary agents). I think it must be one of those great cosmic jokes that I desperately want to be a published author and it’s one of the most stop-and-go industries out there. So, while I’m on this journey to live out my dream, I’m trying to take stock of my spiritual growth because I need every ounce of help to get through this process.

So in mindful living, Hanh explains that you can meditate while walking, eating, practically every activity. It’s just all a matter of taking the time to experience each moment fully. When you take in a breath, be grateful for that beautiful oxygen filling your lungs. He said that taking a breath all by itself enters you into the kingdom of heaven. What a wonderful sentiment that is and it’s one in which I agree. We are living in the same space as that of divine, we just have to take the time to realize it. Again, I’m preaching at or informing myself as much as you guys. This is something I’m nowhere near perfecting or even trying on a regular basis but I’ve blogged about it today because I really think it’s something worth attempting. I wish you all a wonderful week of mindful living, even if all you do is say thank you once this week for your breath because that simple act is truly a miracle.

Apr29

I’m not Afraid to Die Because I’m Already Dead

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No, I can’t take credit for the great title of my blog today. It is from the venerable Deepak Chopra during an interview with Oprah on today’s episode of Super Soul Sunday. I’ve heard this thought uttered before but today it finally struck a chord deep down inside of me. When I was little, I always looked at the future as a fixed point in time. I can remember realizing when my mom was in her early 30s (where I find myself now) and thinking, that’s it. That’s what being a grownup is. You’ve got your job, you pay your bills, you’ve had your kids, you’re married. This is what you’ll be now until you die. You’ll never move from that place you find yourself. You’ve become all you will ever become. Thank God, I grew out of that thought.

Now as I’m the woman I thought I’d become and stay forever, my ideas are vastly different. I realize that life isn’t static, it’s always changing and moving. From the title above, the point Deepak was making which I’ve gotten so clearly now, is that the children we all were years ago are, in fact, dead. The person we were in our teens is dead. And for however long you’ve been on this planet, whoever you were yesterday, in the last 15 minutes and the in the last 15 seconds is DEAD. Our cells die out every few days and regenerate. You’re not the same person no matter how you slice it, physically, mentally or spiritually. We are in a constant state of evolution because that’s what we’re built for.

So I’m not 100% percent on the unafraid to die part just yet, I feel I’ve got plenty of things left to do in this life but I do get the idea that my physical death won’t be the end of me. It will simply be a progression into my next incarnation. I’ll shed the physical body but I’ll step into the next form, whatever that may be and I have a deep sense that it will be as natural as all of my other progressions have been. I can’t say it was a painful or difficult experience to go from ages 1-5 or ages 16-21, they just happened. Now, I’m trying to just be more aware of that fact and go with the flow. We can’t stop it even if we wanted to folks, so why not enjoy the journey? Namaste and God bless on this beautiful Sunday :)

Apr22

Exuberance

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So today’s deep thought is that of exuberance! My daughter woke us up at the inexcusably early hour of 6:30 am this morning and was raring to go. She’s six years old, so that explains a lot but she also just has a joy for life. After some breakfast and grumbling by her father and me, she begged for us to put some tunes on so that she could dance. It’s now just 8:30 am and I’m still trying to rouse myself but nonetheless we turned on some music so she could let loose. I took the above video of her after about three or four songs of hardcore dancing. It was at that point I realized we could all take a lesson from the children in our lives. They live in the moment. They are fully present. All of this stuff I listen to Oprah (whom I adore) preach about being in the here and now and letting go of the past and knowing the future can’t be worried about is fully expressed in the freestyle jubilation of a 6-year-old.

So, I submit to you this video of my daughter dancing her heart out to the song “Wild Ones” (which is so fitting for her) and I hope this Sunday is full of exuberance for you too!

 

Apr15

Appreciation

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So, it’s Sunday and the day has been relaxing and peaceful. Colorado finally saw a little rain and a little snow and it helped the dry, dry earth. The picture below was from a week ago while I was poolside and within a week’s time it’s rained, snowed and hit record highs for this time of year. I was warned before moving here that it’s just “Colorado weather” – it changes on a dime and that’s kind of what I love about it. Every day is a picture. For those of you who may not believe there’s an intelligence behind the design of the world, boy did we luck out with one hell of a coincidence then, because for all the right pieces to fall into place at just the right moment to create such exquisite beauty, if not divinely arranged, feels pretty magical to me.

What is the deep thought for today then? I guess it’s simply this – appreciate the world around you. Appreciate the small things, the big things, the things that irritate you and delight you. Time on this planet is so precious and so limited and none of us know when our time will be up. I’ve suffered many losses in my life at a very early age and so I think I’ve always been very connected to realizing just how special life is. Tell those you care for you love them and forgive those you don’t and just try to be present in the moment of life. The past is behind us, the future before and what is happening in the present is always a gift, whether you can see it now or not. Have a wonderful Sunday and I wish you all the best for the week ahead. Take Monday on with a smile :)