Great photo shared by Jeffrey Keen on Facebook. My response? I’m just kidding. Unless you gon’ do it.

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Our characters misbehave, refusing to follow the script. We’re not motivated to write. Our minds are elsewhere. We’d rather be checking email or Facebook. Even our bodies rebel. Our lower backs ache and we’re hungry. Again.

But we have to push through. Make adjustments. Refocus. Call on the support of friends. Play through the “pain.” Do what it takes to get the win.

Writing isn’t always pretty. It’s hard work. You have to get your hands dirty. Occasionally you walk away with a bloody nose or a black eye. And in the back of your mind there is the nagging fear that all the hard work and sacrifices might not ever pay off. But if we put our heads down and grind it out we can make it through. We finish a page, then a chapter and eventually make it to the end of the book.

A win is a win. Even if the process that gets us there is ugly. A completed manuscript, a finished article, a first contract. From a writer’s perspective, there are few things more beautiful than that.

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So it is fitting that Ms. Jill Scott is being featured on VH1′s Storytellers on Monday, May 21st at 11:00PM EST. I’m thrilled that next month I’ll get to see Jill perform live and that I’ll get to do it in the company of 5 of my lifelong girlfriends. She has long been on TBS (to be seen) list!

Be sure to tune in, set your DVR or catch a rerun of the show. In the meantime, enjoy “He Loves Me,” one of my favorite Jill Scott songs.

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Then sometimes, you’ve just gotta talk a little smack to keep your head in the game. Even if it’s a load of crap, it just might be the bad idea that leads you to one really good one and then another. This video is funny, mostly because it rings so true. While it is entitled Sh*t Romance Writers Say, it could just as easily apply to writers of various other genres.

What could you add to the list?

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NBA Analyst and commentator, Jeff Van Gundy pleaded for NBA fans to be patient because things would eventually get better.  I know that both teams are capable of playing at a much higher level, but in this do-or-die situation, both teams’ nerves are getting the best of them. It made me think about how we sometimes react when we want something so badly.

We fumble and make mistakes. The harder and faster we try to run, the more it seems that our feet are planted in quicksand. The world seems to be moving ten times faster than we are.

If only we would slow down and take a breath. Give ourselves the gift of calm and clarity. Then we could take inventory of what is working and what isn’t. We could make adjustments , easily overcome obstacles and ignore the distracting voices inside our heads and within our circle of influence. We could calmly and methodically work toward achieving our goals.

Life doesn’t usually afford us this opportunity. We must take it.

Right now I’ve been given a tremendous opportunity to reconnect with my passions and rethink my path going forward. I am making the absolute most of this opportunity.

If you know me or have visited this blog before you know that my primary career goal is to have a long and prolific career as an author of women’s fiction. I am making a concerted effort to wisely and courageously plan my steps toward that goal, and others, going forward.

One of the tools that will help me to do this is Deb Smouse’s 30 Days to Clarity e-course. I took the Clutter Busting edition last month. It is extremely beneficial for clearing physical things from our lives and homes that we keep simply due to an emotional connection, even when they no longer serve our purpose.

Through this course, and many other actions, I will work to let go of the ideas, goals and perceptions that do not serve my purpose and should be tossed in the cosmic waste can.

What about you? What are you doing to reconnect with your passions and get back on course toward your goals?

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I’ve been carrying a lot of baggage lately, both literally and figuratively.

The kind of baggage that slows you down and holds you back. Like you’re up to your ankles in quicksand.

So in an effort to do a little emotional spring cleaning, I figured it was time to let some of that baggage go.

Since physical and emotional baggage tend to be inextricably tied, I thought I’d start by unloading a bit of physical baggage. Thus the picture above of the contents of my purse.

Maybe the contents seem innocent enough, but the truth is the my bursitis-inducing, stuffed to the gills Jessica Simpson satchel weighs seven pounds. SEVEN.

It’s absolutely ridiculous. I know it. And yet I cling to the comfort that if I am ever in need of any of this stuff, it will be there. Things like the paper calendar that I NEVER use or the two journals I never write in (I use Evernote). Or the oversized wallet stuffed with receipts.

So after months of deliberating over it, I finally decided to take Deb Smouse’s Clutter Busting class. Three days in and I’m feeling better about letting go of things that no longer serve my purpose. Like seven pounds of “stuff” that I never really need.

What is it that you want to let go of, but just can’t seem to bring yourself to do it?

PS: Need a little musical motivation while you’re doing a little spring cleaning of your own? Here is the perfect anthem, Bag Lady by Erykah Badu.

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A month or so ago I watch VH1 Divas which featured Florence singing Shake It Out – a Florence and the Machine song. Below is a video of Florence and the Machine performing the song on Saturday Night Live.

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As adults we are much more likely to talk ourselves down. To say that it’s going to be a horrible day or that something isn’t going to work. And let’s face it, when we go into a situation with those negative thoughts – no matter how warranted they may be – we can pretty much be assured that the day is going to turn out as we expected.

So why not give yourself a little Jessica pep talk of your own the next time you are dreading the day ahead? Even if it doesn’t change the outcome of the day, it can change your attitude and peace of mind.

Below is Jessica’s video and a pretty funny spoof video that shows how we tend to handle life once we’re all grown up.

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I am inspired by bold, fearless individuals who are willing to share their life lessons and the resultant philosophies in order to inspire others.

There are a wealth of wonderful people online who are willing to do just that. And yes, I am most moved by bold, courageous women like Marie Forleo, Demetria Foster Gray and my good friend, Debra Smouse.

I’ve known Deb for years and consider her a dear friend, yet I am constantly learning more about her and am inspired by her courage.

Do yourself a favor, if you aren’t already on Deb’s mailing list, get on it here. Every Saturday morning she sends out a thought-provoking newsletter that encourages you to live your best life by being a little more courageous, a bit bolder.

In a recent blog post Deb encouraged readers to fall head over heels in love with yourself by taking risks and practicing courage.  She invited readers to choose love over fear and to create a Courage Agreement with yourself.  Thanks Deb!  I do choose love over fear and I’ve downloaded my Courage Agreement and am filling it out today.  What would you put on your Courage Agreement?

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I’m an emotional person, so quite often my first reaction reads across my face like a headline on a Sunday morning newspaper.  However, in recent weeks I rediscovered a tool that I have found quite effective in helping me to maintain my peace of mind regardless of the things I cannot control in life.  It is the Optimist Creed.

It is a simple set of affirmations that help you to take responsibility for your own life, happiness and peace of mind.  I am trying to focus on one or two of the affirmations each week.  The two I’m focusing on during the week ahead:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

What are your favorite tips and tools for keeping a positive frame of mind, no matter what is happening around you?

The Optimist Creed

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