Food in advance

In the midst of preparing a simple lunch (Spaghetti tossed with minced beef, peas, carrot and corn), I was inspired to prepare a few dishes that will set me ahead with several meals this week. Prepping took me some time but putting them in the oven saved me from laboring over the stove.  While the oven did the work, I showered and read my email.

Individual meat loaves baked in a muffin pan and topped with barbecue sauce
Hamburger patties
Macaroni pie
Maryland chicken

These are easy to team with sides that I can whip up in a jiffy - beans, salad, rice (I have plain rice and seasoned rice in the freezer), mashed or roasted potatoes...

I'm ahead with the food, I'd better get cracking on some writing.

Cheryl Wright's Interview on Whohub

An anonymous friend sent me a link to a site where I can do an interview. It was a snap. What I like about it is that I can go back at any time and update my answers so that the link/information is kept up-to-date with my progress and achievements.

Read the interview here.

Do you own interview and share it on your blog.

When it all seems too much

Sometimes it all seems too much and when it does,

I cry. I make no attempt to stop the tears. I know how helpful and healing they can be. I let them flow unchecked.

I pray. “What are you doing Lord? What are you saying? Where is it all leading? What can I do?” Some answers are clear, most of them are not. Where I have clear directives, I act. I leave my unanswered questions at His feet. His ways are not my ways.

I dream. My dreams reflect who I am and what I am passionate about. My life is a living testament to the possibility of dreams. Some of my dreams have come true in the full-screen version of my vision. Some, only in a small measure of what I imagined. Their varying degrees of achievement generate gratitude and inspire an attitude and aptitude to think and act outside the box of my self-limiting beliefs, fears and self-doubt.

I write. My thoughts and feelings about the stories of our times and my personal stories find a home in my journal. That is where I sort and store them and try to make sense of them and decipher lessons I can learn.

They inspire ideas for my writing (weekly column and other writing assignments) which is my way of lifting spirits, and inspiring hope. I write to encourage readers to develop positive and progressive mindsets and to generate fresh perspectives on their lives and life in general.Our experiences are different; our experiences are similar. It is a paradox that always amazes me. It is a paradox that inspires my writing and fuels my passion for reading and writing on life issues.

Sometimes, in my cherished solitary moments, I cry, I pray, I dream and I write. Like many, I surrender my questions for answers. I commit to patience while God does His always right, always perfect, always timely work. I resolve to live with love, with gratitude and with compassion. I concentrate on what I believe to be my purpose at this time. I throw myself into my passion for writing and pray that God will use it for good: to help, to heal and to inspire those who read my words. This is how I cope when it all seems to much

In the grand scheme of life, when it all seems too much, how we react and deal with the stories of our times and the stories of our personal lives, determine how we hold on and how we carry on. 

How are you coping? What do you do when it all seems too much? 

Quotes from my collection - On Solitude

"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinions;
it is easy in solitude to live after your own;
but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

         ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone.  And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone." 

         ~Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now

It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. 

        ~K.T. Jong

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."
-- Paul Valery

Ode to Solitude at A Room of Her Own

I'm doing my first guest post today at Awakened Living. My friend and author, Janice Lynne Lundy is the consummate host.


I'm sharing an abridged version of my published article - Ode to Solitude. If you've been reading my articles and my posts you'll know that it is in solitude that I find nourishment for my mind, my body and my spirit. I team it with reading and journaling and emerge from that nurturing time ready to face anything that comes into my life.

Stop on over anytime today and join in the discussion. See you there.

Forget the Monday Morning Blues; Sing a new tune

Does the proverbial Monday Morning Blues feature in your life story? Sing a new tune with these notes:

Rise early            
Get up an hour earlier and take the time to enjoy some of the simple and healthy aspects of life. Watch the sunrise, pray, read, meditate, write in your journal for a few moments, watch your children sleep, stretch, exercise, take a brisk early-morning walk to get your creative and productive juices flowing, contemplate how you will spend the week ahead. 
 
Count your blessings
Once you start, it may be hard to stop, so keep going. Nothing humbles you and generates deep gratitude like acknowledging your blessings — both big and small.  
 
Make a difference
In the busyness of life, it is easy to forget the people who rely on us for their daily living. Don’t take for granted the people who provide the goods and services that add value to your busy day. Make a difference in their lives by being the ideal customer every day. Besides, the benefits fly both ways.  

Be enthusiastic about your work
Identify at least one aspect of your job that you like, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Maintain a sense of perspective about your work. When you know the significance of your contribution to the company's vision, you can approach the most mundane duties with joy. 
 
Set goals
A person without life goals is like a leaf drifting aimlessly in the wind. Goals can rev your mental engine and keep it running as you move through your day. Start with a few small, manageable goals for today or the whole week and bask in the exhilaration of accomplishment as you tick them off, one by one.

Once these practices become habits you will approach each week with your engine filled with hope and motivation. 

Have a great week.

 

Saturday Soirée - Its all good

It seems easier to give in to the overwhelm that comes with living. But it doesn't take much time and effort to pause a while and ponder the large life picture, the deeper meanings in the abnormal circumstances and the blessings in the commonplace activities.

If the past week has been difficult, pause and ponder. You might be surprised to discover that in the grand scheme of things, its all good.

I'll be back. I promise.

I have not been keeping to any set posting schedule for the past month or so. Lately , my daily routine has changed so drastically that getting here at the end of the day takes more effort than I can manage.

The blog is weighing on my mind. I have not forgotten my faithful readers or the purpose of Cheryl Wright-Perspectives.

As long as God spares my life, I will be back soon. I promise

Meanwhile, my dear friends, be well.

Forced into a late night writing session tonight, I have already downed one cup of strong Hong Wing coffee. Another cup and a half remains in the coffee-maker, just in case.

Saturday Soirée - Are you a slave to a blogging routine?

My blogging routine has been lagging for a while. Life is at a busy pace in my neck of the woods. I've been
pretending that I am not feeling guilty,  and pressured to maintain the often-blogged-about best blogging practices. But I am.

Last night, as I finished my nightly appointment to work on my current assignments, I popped in at my friend's blog. You remember Janice Hunter from Sharing the Journey? My last post was about her blog post.  Her reply to the comment I left, really helped to easy the guilt and pressure I had been carrying around. Here's part of what Janice said:

"....I usually close the comments when I do guest posts, but I seem to have done that a lot lately. I’m just going with the flow when it comes to blogging at the moment, hoping that it’s more respectful to readers to write when I’m inspired and feeling well than to simply keep to a timetable if I’m under the weather and have nothing inspiring, supportive or useful to say. I’m hoping folk will be encouraged to do the same, to stay true to themselves and not become slaves to a blogging routine that no-one else forced them into....?

This perspective is not new to me. I've said the same things to myself many times in the past. Sometimes we need to hear an old truth ever so often. Janice's words and her obvious conviction encouraged my heart and look what happened - I wrote a post this morning.

For now, at least, until there is an ease with my crammed days, I'm embracing Janice's perspective and practice. I will not be a slave to any blogging routine, not even one I might enthusiastically but unrealistically set for myself. In time, I have no doubt that I will return to a blogging routine. Hopefully, I will ensure that it aligns with who I am and how I live.

Have you been joyfully faithful to a blogging routine? Are you a disgruntled slave to one? Or maybe you are like me, a guilt-ridden hardly-blogging blogger?

Share your own blogging perspectives and practices.

The true reasons behind our attachment to things

Janice Hunter from Sharing the Journey, wrote a powerful post at Silver and Grace.

Janice certainly stopped me in my tracks and held a mirror to my heart. The issues she raised challenged me to dig to a deeper level to answer some pointed questions about the reasons behind my holding on to certain things in my home and in my life.


What are you really holding on to...and why?

Save time with Ping.fm

Last week, I discovered ping.fm. What a time-saver and so simple to use too.

Basically, instead of writing a separate post for each of your social networks and blogs, you write one at ping.fm and your message goes online immediately.

Register, choose your social networks and blogs and write your message. Done. In seconds, all your people know where you are, what you're thinking and what you're doing.

Two cautions I have to keep in mind:

(1) Twitter calls for 25 words only.

(2) Some casual and funny status updates may not be suitable for professional networks and websites.

If you're the consummate social butterfly, you might appreciate the ease and convenience of ping.fm. Check it out. Register and begin pinging.

Another gorgeous afternoon for catching up on my writing assignments.

I forgot I have ping.fm to simplify my social networking and I post a note on Facebook earlier. I am enjoying a glorious day of peace and solitude - writing, reading, journaling and jotting snippets of ideas for my book.

God's precious thoughts

As I sit to enjoy a few glorious hours of writing, the following verse comes to mind:

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand."

Psalm 139:17-18 NIV

God's thoughts are on me right now - here in my little corner, at my computer, as I write. That thought makes this time, which is so sacred to me, even more blissful and inspiring. Because God's thoughts to me are so precious and so vast, they counteract my feeble fears.

12 Attributes of a Can-Do Attitude

Do you look on in envy, while your friends and co-workers snag those coveted promotions, climb the corporate ladder or leave to pursue more lucrative and interesting positions elsewhere? If you’re thinking that brains, talent and connections are the only things that propelled them to the top, you are only half right. 

The other half of the equation is attitude.
 
Attitude is a powerful force and a formidable ally. Often, it trumps
education, experience and a host of other attractive credentials. It looks beyond conventionality and sees possibilities. It propels people to step up, take charge and launch forth with confidence.
 

Try adopting these 12 attributes of a “can do” attitude and see where it takes you.
 
1. Take charge
Don’t sit and wait for the ladder to slide down next to your desk.
Successful individuals go out and make a success of their dreams. Get up and start looking for the ladder. When you find it, identify the rungs you need to master and get ready to climb. You can make it to the pinnacle of your field, if you are willing to step up and take charge of your career.
   2. Show up
Be there, on the job, on time. It is your duty. In fact, a better policy is to be early; be the bird that catches the worm. Take advantage of the hour or so before the phone calls, office chatter and workday distractions to get some paperwork out of the way, or to brainstorm some strategies to manage your daily tasks. Be ready to hit the road running when the door opens.
 
3. Do your best

Take pride in every aspect of your job. Don’t run from work that is beyond your job specification. Perform every task you’re given with all the enthusiasm you can muster.
 
4. Be courteous
Common or sometimes, not so common courtesies leave lasting impressions. It costs nothing to extend them to people around you regardless of their positions. You never know when your courteous dealings with others will play a role in your future.
 
5. Go the extra mile
Make three more cold calls than required. Spend an extra half hour fine-tuning that report. Devote part of your lunch hour or stay after work to help train a new employee. Little extras like these make the difference between being the person who does her job and the one who excels.
 
6. Be visible
Visibility is key to moving up the ranks of any company. Visit other departments, talk to people, ask questions, and offer suggestions. Employers can’t promote you if you remain hidden in the background.
 
7. Ask for what you want
Be it a raise, a promotion, more resources for a project, inclusion on a new team or a second chance, it is amazing what you can accomplish simply by asking for what you want. The key is to believe in the validity of your request and remain confident that you will be successful.
 
8. Don’t settle
It’s human nature to grow tired of the struggle to get ahead. If you want to have a successful and fulfilling career, you can’t afford to settle for less than you envision. Remember that successful people are always on the lookout for opportunities. Keep your eyes, ears and your mind open for new avenues to expand your expertise and develop new ones. A wasted opportunity may be a lost chance to advance your career.
 
9.  Improve yourself
Read books and magazines relevant to your field. Sign up for courses to boost your resume and increase your marketability. Volunteer to take on a project at work that will equip you with a new skill and enhance your position for recognition and promotion. Successful workers don’t just complete the job and sign out — they look for additional ways to make their mark.
 
10.  Learn from failure
Everyone fails from time to time. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they deal with failure. Those who find success are the ones who refuse to wallow in self-pity. They fall, get up, dust themselves off, learn from their mistakes and move on.
 
11. Toot your own horn
Have you been waiting for someone in the office to recognise your talents and efforts? Maybe it’s time you start tooting your own horn. When appropriate, talk about what you have accomplished or done for the company. You can point out your achievements without sounding boastful.
 
12. Network
Successful workers understand the importance of networking, both in and out of the office. Be proactive about establishing professional contacts. Hobnob with colleagues and people who are in a position to give you the information you need, but do so with integrity.
 
If you harbour dreams of moving up in your company, do not sit at your desk contemplating the obstacles. Concentrate on your personal strengths, qualifications and experience. Bolster the list with a “can-do” attitude and forge forward with definitive action. That’s what successful people do. 

Believe that you can and your “can-do” attitude will help to get you where you want to go.

Jan Lundy's A Room of Her Own

I forgot that I had begun writing a post and scheduled it to published, thinking that I'd get back here and complete it. Well, I didn't get to it. It was published and I even received a lovely comment.

Instead of editing the post, I foolishly deleted it. Anyway, here is the edited version:


My friend Janice Lynne Lundy from Awake is Good launched her new blog - Awakened Living-A Room of Her Own.

Jan has already lived this dream and she's at it again - gathering like-minded women to share their stories and their dreams and to encourage and inspire each other.

In her words:

In 1996, I joined up with my dear friend, Ellie, to create a women's center. The two of us were on the fast track to awakening and were looking for other women who were too. We lived in a small town in western Michigan (very conservative) and we were feeling quite alone.

Believe it or not, we had the boldness to put an ad in the local newspaper calling for "Wild Women" (based on the book of the same title by Autumn Stephens.) We invited any WW's to meet with us. We rented a small room on the top floor of an old Victorian house—a "room of our own"—a sacred space, where we could safely share our stories, learn, and grow together.

The appointed evening arrived and we wondered who would show up. Anybody? A few brave souls did, then a trickle more, then a river of women and, before we knew it, the room was full. There were not enough seats. We sat on the floor, crunched in tight, shoulder to shoulder, and just looked around the circle at one another.

I remember how silent we were, just looking into each other's eyes, then a sprinkle of nervous laughter. And soon big grins, belly laughs, and even tears because, on some level, we recognized one another. We knew each others' souls. We were home.

Ellie and I had found our circle of Wild Women and a beautiful, new journey had begun ...

The journey lasted for nearly three years and we named our center, "The Gathering Place."

We eventually had to move to a bigger site because our circle kept growing. We offered workshops and therapies and healing circles. We opened a small retail store. In that period of time  we ""  serviced"   over 1,000 women.

I miss that place. I miss being in a circle of women who speak from their hearts and who support one another—unconditionally!—as we strive to embody our truest selves.

So now there is "A Room of Her Own." This time it's not in a building, but on the internet. I need this place. I need community. I say this selfishly because I know that my greatest growth in life has occurred within a sacred circle of women and I am passionate about keeping that growth going.

I've been playing with a similar vision for a while myself but have been using negative self-talk to hold me back from turning the idea into action. Shame on me.! Kudos to Jan!


In time, I just might be re-inspired to launch my own version of Jan's first Wild Women/Room of our Own where I live. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to walking through the virtual doors of Jan's new blog and joining in the interesting, fun, hilarious, insightful and inspiring conversations there.


This is the comment Joanne DeMaio left to the brief and incomplete post I deleted.

Well, I'd say I'm in one now, right here on your blog. Blogs are kind of like that, aren't they? Little individual rooms, with each owner's dreams and passions revealed in the words on the page, inviting others to join in? I'd never thought of them that way, but thanks. We DO all have virtual rooms of our own.

So, see you at Jan's new blog - A Room of Her Own.

Makes Me Think will make you think

Sometimes we learn the most profound lessons from other peoples' stories. That is why I follow the Makes Me Think blog. I don't read it every day because I prefer to take in big gulps of the thought-provoking stories and the lessons they teach. A couple times each week, I  visit after I've done my last email check for the night and finished whatever writing task I set for my nighttime writing session.

I can't read one post, or two or three or four.... Once I begin reading, the stories suck me in and I can't stop because I am afraid that I'll miss a more thought-provoking story/a more heart-stopping lesson. Each post I read seems to be more provocative than the previous one. Like an addict I can't let go until my eyes are closing and my brain is growing numb with sleep.


Visit Makes me Think.  Savor its addictive stories and marvel at the stunning lessons the contributors learn from their experiences.

Fuel for my passion, in my basket

Traffic jam preempted my trip to the Logos Hope. Passion nurturing wore different clothes - four hours sprawled out on my bed with netbook computer, books, journal, notebook and pens. My cat, Immi-Poppit, popped in every now and then to see what I was up to.

However, the ship will be here until October 14th. So as long as God spares my life, I have time to get to it before it leaves.

Lesson: Sometimes when we are looking to an out-of-the-ordinary "thing" to inspire us, the most inspirational "thing" is right before our eyes. For me inspiration and food for my passion lay in my computer and the books and stuff in my basket.

Saturday Soirée - Nurturing our passions

Far too often we allow our daily routines and responsibilities to overshadow our passions. The once bright flames flicker to a low, slow ember, just simmering in the background of our busy lives. In the absence of careful and constant nurturing, our passions can die and a part of us along with them.

Today, I'm going to roam the Logos Hope.  It is docked at the Port of Spain harbor here in Trinidad and Tobago. Books, books and more books! Oh joy! I'm so excited.

I am going to try and stay focused in the air-conditioned comfort of the new ship. I'll be looking specifically for books that nurture my passions: books about writing, books for writers, books about writers, books about herb gardening, books with pasta recipes, journals and if they have it, stationary sets for writing letters.

Look out for photos of my treasures.

What will you do today to nurture your passions?

De-cluttering and simplifying

Last month, I embarked on a de-cluttering and simplifying rampage through my closet and kitchen cabinets.

WHOOOOA, talk about mental, physical and emotional liberation!

Two weeks ago, I brought simplicity to my blogging endeavors by merging my Life, Writing, Home and Design and Quiet Time with God blogs into this one.

PHEEEW! No more posting pressure. 
This week, I am tackling my Internet subscriptions, my hotmail contact list, my desk, my files, my Facebook account and other social networking memberships.

Too many things to think about, focus on and maintain. I'm mentally exhausted.

So, if you miss something on my blog, on Facebook or somewhere else, it just might be that I moved it. I hope that in my zeal to simplify I do not remove something that I should keep.

What kind of de-cluttering frees you mind to live, to create, to work, to dream?

An old friend re-enters my life

I can't say that Carla and I were "friends" in school. We were schoolmates. I recognized her name and her face immediately and we struck up a friendship recently. She did not respond when I told her that I longed to find my old friend Odette, but unbeknown to me, she passed along my email address and on Friday morning, there in my email box, was the name that, for all of my adult life, has been a mental and emotional link to some of the most enjoyable memories of my teenage years.

I broke down in uncontrollable tears. It was the real "ugly cry" Oprah often speaks about - that "boo hoo" kind of weeping, that emanates from a heart that has been flooded with unspeakable joy.

It took me a good few minutes to open the email and begin reading. It was not a mistake, a misprint or a hoax. It was the real ma-coy, the real thing. Odette had emailed me.

From her words, it is evident that she has blossomed into a confident and phenomenal woman. And, she was willing, no, she was encouraging me to join her in making time to stay in touch.

I rarely write long emails but I did. It was as if I was trying to condense the major points in the last 35 years of my life, so that she can, in a few minutes, feel a part of my life again.

The memories of our teenage years and the friends we shared are as vivid today as they were when they were being created and etched in my heart all those years ago.

New friends are a burst of happiness in our lives, and without them we miss a vital component of a fulfilling life. But old friends - old friends are priceless treasures that, despite time and distance and neglect, never lose their value or their brilliance. One powerful proof of that is the openness and easy comfort that kicks in in the early re-connection stage.

Nothing is too personal, too good, too bad or too ugly to share with her. That is how I feel as we move to rekindle our friendship and foster a new chapter in our lives, as adult friends.

Welcome back into my life Odette.

Coming back - Not

Just as I was about to jump back into blogging and enjoying the ease of one blog to share all my perspectives with you, I come down with the cold. Darn. Darn. Darn.

As much as my heart longs to linger here and on your blogs, I need to rest and let the cold run its course.

To my daily skimmed milk with wheat germ and bran and daily vitamin supplements, I'm added lots of liquids, chicken noodle soup, lime juice and rich green salads.

Just give a few days and I'll be back.

Take care of yourselves.

Publication Successes

I should be answering some of the questions in my Saturday Soirée post, instead, I am preparing a select list of my publication history.

I've read that writers should post their resume's online. So I am in the process of posting a small selection of my publication successes since I began writing in 1998. In the Site-Map section to your right, you will see a link to Publication History.


If you check it out, don't be alarmed or confused. Don't even laugh. Well, you may. I laugh every time I look at it. The formatting is giving me some trouble but I'll keep trying to get it right.

It is a work in progress but I've decided to leave it up anyway. You just never know who might be looking for a writer and might be willing to wade through the construction page.

 Have you prepared a list of your publication successes? Is it up on your website or blog? No? Well come on hop to it and get that list up there.

If you are still shy about doing this, at least prepare the list. Each time you look at it you will feel like celebrating and you should, even if the list is short. Additionally, it will help to build your confidence and strengthen your resolve to keep writing and reaching for your dreams.

Saturday Soirée - How does our reality compare to this study

“In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years… No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.“
~ Daniel Levitin

Melissa Donovan from Writing Forward used this quote in her last post. I never heard anything like this and had to share it with those of you who are aspiring or working writers.

I have hobnobbed with my dream to be a writer since I was about seven years old. Although I have only been writing professionally since 1998 (that's eleven years), I can't honestly say that I have spent three hours a day/20 hours a week  with my butt glued to a chair and writing my heart out. Maybe two hours if I am working on a sweet project or trying to beat my self-imposed deadline or one dictated by an editor. Most days, I can almost guarantee no more than a one-hour stretch when my granddaughter is asleep. After my daughter takes her in the evenings, I still can't do a three-hour stint. Maybe it is the conditioning from caring for a baby. I keep getting up and getting side-tracked with some unnecessary activity.

Melissa's post and Mr. Levitin words, caused me to consider what I could achieve if I were to devote at least three hours a day to my writing. The quote did not specify what the research entailed - non-stop writing, writing with breaks, or if it included marketing, sending out queries, brainstorming, and other writing-related tasks.

I am not refuting the research Mr. Levitin talked about. In fact, I believe it to be true because I have proven in my own life that sustained, consistent efforts lead to success in any endeavor.


So, here are some questions to consider:

How much time are you putting into or willing to put into achieving your writing dreams?
How do you determine what is quality writing time? Do you spend quality time with your writing?
Do you approach your individual writing sessions with disciple and enthusiasm?
How do you ensure that nothing (save for emergencies and family demands) entices you away from the time you have designated for feeding your passion?
How is your present practice working for you?

I'll share my own answers to these questions in the comment section. Please join me there and share yours.

Welcome to my merged blog

Welcome to my new blog. It's not really new though. In fact it is a merger. I've merger all my other blogs into this one-stop shop/blog to continue sharing my perspectives on life, writing, home and design and spiritual reflections.

Take a look and you'll see all the old posts in the archives. Cool huh?

I hope you'll continue to visit and follow and subscribe and we can continue our lively discussions in the comment section.

Looking forward to seeing old and new friends here soon.

Sincerely,

Your favorite room

I know, questions, questions, questions.... But look at it this way, we are getting to know one another better with respect to how we relate to our homes and how it helps to nurture us, our relationships, our lifestyles and our dreams.

Which is your favorite room in your home and why?

What activities do you engage in there, except maybe the obvious ones?

How does that room enhance those activities?

What is the most significant item in your room and why?

If you could add just one new item what would it be and why?

Is your home soulless?

I welcome your thoughts on this quote from May Sarton:

"A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless."

Saturday Soirée - AAARRRHHHGGG!

I try not to let them, but some little things (and they are little things in the grand scheme of my life) frustrate me. Like sharp little knives they poke and jab.

AAARRRHHHGGG!

But the things that twist in my side and hurt the most are those things: chores, interruptions, people, un-intentioned procrastinations and crazy unproductive thoughts that run rampant over my best well-laid plans, my writing time and even the very motivation to write.

Don't you just hate when that happens?

The worst part is that some days, my attempts (to calm my scattered thoughts, smooth out my frayed emotional anxieties and soothe the cry in my heart for silence and solitude) go awry. Then by the time the busy day is over, I am so mentally drained, physically spent and emotionally whip-lashed that I stare at the computer screen or a blank page in my journal with a mind that is just as blank.

Contrary to how my days end, my mornings are usually relaxed, contemplative, mindful. In the blissful pre-dawn moments I pray, I read, I meditate and most mornings, I write in my journal. Oh joy!

However, from the moment, I switch to daily-duties-mode, it is an all-day struggle to remember and maintain the essence of the early morning ritual. In fact that essence fades the further I venture into the realities of my day.

By noon I'm into ARRRHHHHGGGG-mode and it doesn't let up until the sun goes down around 6PM. By that time of course, I'm too tired to appreciate the gift of silence and solitude that darkness brings.

I have been building a new practice of writing at night. It was going so well and I was so proud of my progress but it is waning. These days, my life resembles the days when I was a fulltime frustrated, overwhelmed, disillusioned, depressed and stressed employee (it was so bad that each of those words, though similar in meaning, deserve to be individually noted). I didn't have time for much else and my tired mind shut down from the moment I left the office at 5PM.

Like my friend Jan at Awake is Good and so many others, I have a bedtime ritual. However, mine runs a three - five day dash and frizzles out into a few mindless activities before crashing into bed. Somehow in the first few days after my bedtime ritual crashes and falls into a neglected heap, I still manage to sleep. It is not the most restful sleep but enough so that the next morning, I awake bright-eyed and bushy-tail. Eventually, my nighttime sleep (if you can call it that), begins to mirror the mental anxieties of my day - busy, conflicting and converging thoughts jostling for attention and action.

In between tossing and turn, when I am aware of what's happening, I groan,

"AAARRRHHHGGG"

Maybe I am not mining my morning moments for enough of its sustaining properties. Maybe I need to get up earlier, dig deeper and see what I can find. Yes. That's what I'll do beginning Monday morning. I'll let you know how that goes.

How do you cope with the realities of your day which may run contrary to your ideas, your efforts, your dream? Do you scream or groan "ARRRHHHHHGGGGG! " like I do? If you could begin a new practice or shift to a new mindset to improve your day, your life, your writing, what would it be? When will you begin? Would you be willing to share your progress with us?