Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

Okay, I confess, I got this off my Starbucks cup but it’s very timely for me because of some life-changing decisions I’ve been thinking about. (If we’ve corresponded in the last few days via email, then you know what I’m talking about.)

And the only reason I read it was because I could see the first six words over my cup sleeve and it intrigued me. You are so dead on, Anne Morriss. I salute you.

The Way I See It #76
“The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”
–Anne Morriss, Starbucks customer

Isn’t that so true? If we believe in ourselves, all things are possible. If we take away the stigma of fear, we can accomplish so much and become that someone we always dreamed of being. As my friend, Devon, says: get out of my own way.

I didn’t really intend to make resolutions this year – mostly because I never keep them. Instead, this year, I decided to try my hardest on everything I want to achieve. I decided to make sure I didn’t drop the ball on anything, which meant I had to be super organized and on top of things even more so than usual.

So far this year, I think I’ve done a bang-up job. I implemented workshops for the chapter; I’ve been working on getting the contest entries out to first round judges (91 electronic entries… the most we’ve EVER had!); put out fires that needed putting out (I serve on two chapter boards – yes I’m a glutton); wrote another 7,000 words on Rome; not to mention all my normal day-to-day commitments that involve my day job and my son. And then there’s spending QT with the Man.

But I can do better, I think.

I’ve reached that point in my life where sitting in Cube Land isn’t cutting it anymore. I used to be happy there, doing the tasks assigned to me.  But somehow, that’s not good enough. My brain is hungry. I want more. (Now don’t get me wrong – I like my job. I work for a great company with excellent benefits and fantastic people.) And so, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on how to change things. It will take time. A lot of time. It will take patience. It will take commitment. Perseverance. Determination. And a lot of damned hard work. I’ve reached that point in my life where Career is a word I embrace instead of run from. Where Life is starting to take shape and meaning. Perhaps it’s because I’m nearing that scary age that involves a 4 as the first digit. Or perhaps it’s because I’ve finally decided what I want to be when I grow up.

At any rate… I don’t want to be confined to a place where I don’t control my own destiny. So I’m making plans and starting to put some things into motion. Yes, I’m vague on purpose. But there’s a reason for that. I have certain interests to protect. But if you’re smart, you can probably read between the lines to figure out what I’m getting at. ;)

Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

That’s enough deep thinking for now. LOL I’m taking today off. I think I need the mental health day, plus I can finish up the contest and not have to worry with it this weekend. (And I have oodles of vacation time…may as well make use of it.) I want to focus some time on the kiddo and relaxing. And finishing Rome! It’s time to get back to writing.

Happy weekend.

The Days of Yore

Remember when? In the “olden” days when there was no internet or satellite TV… when it poured down rain, you couldn’t check the radar and see which way it was headed. Instead, you had to sit and “wait it out” to see if it would let up. When the world wasn’t so tainted by horrifying news listing off murders, robbers, child predators, and other unsavory persons.

When there were no terrorists or wars and elections were won by landslides instead of a hanging chad. When people weren’t trying to steal your identity and getting a mortgage meant something monumental to a new family instead of more money for the greedy banker.

When video games didn’t make your children into mindless zombies and the only entertainment around was a good PG movie. When going to the movies was an afternoon event with your best friend. When roller skating was cool and doing the Hokey Pokey on four wheels took talent. When you actually had to use a real phone book to find a number instead of using Google (and isn’t it funny the world’s most known search engine means “to stare with wide eyes”?).

When playing Spin The Bottle at birthday parties was scandalous. When high school halls didn’t have 16 year old girls walking around pregnant and the closest thing you got to sex was reading your mom’s romance books. When divorce was uncommon and life-long marriages was the norm.

When life was slower, simpler and we were just a bit ignorant.

Are the worries the same for parents today as they were 30 years ago? Or are they just…different? I guess I’m feeling a bit of nostalgia today. I’m wishing things were easier, simpler. I’m wishing I hadn’t made some of the choices I made. I’m wishing I’d not rushed to get married just because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do.

What are you nostalgic about? What do you long for? And what do you wish you could change, if anything, about your life?