Stepping Back

Now that I have completed my first writing class, Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff, I had intended to write a post about it...but that's going to have to wait. At the moment, I probably couldn't do it justice because I just have so many other things on my mind. For now, I'll just say that it was a really great experience, and I highly recommend taking that class. But more on that later.

I have had A LOT going on in my personal life recently...and today it reached a climax. It all got to a point where things just seemed like they could not get any harder than they already were. So what did I do? I packed a diaper bag, grabbed some coats, and headed to Disneyland for the day with my hubby and kids. (We already have annual passes, so it didn't cost us anything to go today).

And you know something? It really helped! My mom always said that when things got rough, sometimes the best solution is just to take a step away from it all for a moment. I think that obviously this advice does not apply to every situation, but in some, it really does help you gain some clarity.

Just for the sake of doing so, I have to mention that I truly, truly love my family! And you know, when it comes down to it, I really don't have all that much to complain about. Because I have my incredibly wonderful family - the most incredible gifts that anyone could ever ask for!

I realize that this all sounds pretty random, but it's just stuff that I really need to get off my chest. I promise that tomorrow I will pick up my pen again and get back to "being a writer"...but for tonight, I just need to be a woman expressing herself through writing. Lately, I have been so focused on meeting deadlines and following a schedule, that I have kind of forgotten about writing just for the sake of doing it. In my case, this is a big mistake because writing has been an outlet for me since I was a little kid. Since I forgot about "just writing," so much has gotten bottled up inside, which is really a shame...because it could have provided inspiration, and I could have focused all that energy on more writing.


Anyway, taking a step back today did give me some insight...

There are things that I truly love in my life, and I cannot take them for granted. It's important to take the time to find enjoyment in daily life, whether it be family or work-related (a.k.a. writing).
Really living your life is the greatest inspiration for writing. So if I want to be a good writer, then I shouldn't always be at my desk. By the way, these are just a few things that I learned. Try taking a step back sometime...you'll be surprised at what you see!