THE BEAUTY OF LAUGHTER

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Busy ramping up the new project but thought I’d share a tidbit to bring a smile.  

This reflects the objective of the new project which is to share in a way that is upbeat , helpful, and light-hearted, something I think we can all use these days.

Years back Aaron and I spent a lot of time criss-crossing the country for one business trip or another – in a car.  

Lots of late night driving.  

I stumbled on a wonderful way to pass the time.

Laughter.

TripAdvisor to the rescue!

I would bring up TripAdvisor on my phone, select a random city, then look for lodging reviews that were bottom of the barrel.

Under 3 stars usually does the trick.

The comments people leave are absolutely hilarious.

The very first time I laughed until I cried was reading how a woman had slid between the mattress and bedframe and got stuck as her family slept soundly feet away, not aware of her distress.  It was how she described the situation that got that belly laugh going!

Many times reviewers include any response from management which is sometimes even funnier.

Like did you even read the complaint?

The most common complaints were false advertising on breakfast and Wifi.

Numerous accounts of having to go to the front lobby to get any WiFi and breakfast being something in plastic the guest had to put in a microwave.

The more outrageous stories were often about showers.

Missing shower heads, holes in the wall, seeing into the bathrooms next door.

As we’d faced our own adventures trying to find lodgings at odd hours in interesting places we could truly appreciate the stories.  Best of all was being able to laugh when you’re beyond tired.

Laughter – truly the best medicine!

Enjoy!

Ch-ch-ch-Changes

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Speaking of ch-ch-ch-changes, check out what’s going on at Grace Cathedral!

How’s that for serving a diverse community of locals and visitors?!

Note: Longer article.

I love it when a plan comes together.

As with so many of us the last few years have taken their toll on me.  

It was challenging enough working in a solitary endeavor.

When I left Corporate I went from interacting with dozens of people on a daily basis to less than five.  

It was, to say the least, a shock to the system.

Pandemic lockdown took isolation to a whole new level.  As a way to cope I poured my frustrations into writing novels, nonfiction books, and apps, and though this time period became one of the more prolific, it pushed me straight into burnout.

I was so busy on that hamster wheel I didn’t see what I was doing to myself.

A series of events spread over a year allowed me to slowly and ever so painfully see what was happening.

Great harm.

To make matters worse, that squeaky habitrail wheel I’d put myself on blocked out the soft caring voice of my inner guidance.

With disastrous results.

I am fortunate to have read the Alchemist as it grounded me in the painful process of tuning back into that loving voice.  

You have to drown out the noise in order to hear it and that is far from easy.  

For months I felt like I was in a warbler’s nest full of chicks all vying for attention.

All claiming if I didn’t give it to them some disaster was going to happen.

I didn’t pay enough attention to me and what I needed.

Until now.

I am pleased and proud to announce I am retiring from writing books!  

I will, however, continue to write.

I’d been going in this direction for some time but outside events – the stress of them – kept me from tuning into that reality.

I ran faster on that wheel.

The conversation that changed everything.

I was talking with a trusted friend who helped me see that over the previous decade plus I achieved the goals I’d set for my writing career.

All of them!

In understanding this – owning it – I came to see there was no reason to continue beating on myself like I was.  

I was only harming myself.

Subsequent introspection showed how writing books nonstop had taken me far from who I am.

As a writer and a person.

As Tyrell Terry said, “I wasn’t really doing it for myself.”

Next Stop!

I learned transition is an interesting event, one that doesn’t always start with beginnings.  As William Bridges explains, it can and sometimes does start with endings.  

Including abrupt and unplanned endings.

Out of a place of despair I found a way forward; a way that would help me return to my roots.

As a writer and a person.  

It’s a way of writing that is authentic and will allow me to be who I am.

Someone who wants to make a positive difference in the world.

I’ve no regret over the decision to retire from writing books.

Which in and of itself speaks volumes about being the right decision.  

When I started to get signs from the universe that appear to be giving me a thumbs up, I realized this had been a long-time coming.

I also saw I am far from alone in making such a choice, as evidenced by Tyrell’s heartfelt action.

First was the support of those closest to me.

Who had been watching me struggle with what my career – the severe isolation – was doing to me.  

Next came the observation that peers – many of whom are longtime friends – are going through a version of this same thing.

They are leaving careers and selling businesses that have been taking a terrible toll on their mental and emotional well-being.

It is refreshing to see so many people making deliberate choices to put their well-being as a priority.

Every one of them has expressed how scary it is, how lonely it makes them feel.  Trust me, I get that!

As everything continues to fall in line with this decision I have moments of fear.

And a strong sense of isolation.  

What helps is feeling this is the right change to make!

I will share details about the project in the days and weeks to come.  For now I can say I am retiring from writing books.

Fiction and nonfiction.

Everything currently available will remain available.

I will not be completing the Second Sons series.

I have removed the landing page.

I will be producing material that is in line with wanting to make a positive difference in the world.

That utilizes the framework I’ve built out on elizabethmaxim.com.

I plan to make the transition easy for readers.

Comments are turned on. 

I ask commenters be respectful.

I want to thank readers and visitors for being there.  I look forward to sharing this part of the journey to our mutual benefit.

I’m already collaborating with another artist/professional on some ideas for this new venture.

Stay tuned for exciting things to come!

Including changes to the website to reflect the new direction.

Manifesting: When Techniques Don’t Translate

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Have you noticed the number of books out there that deal with manifesting and achieving goals?  I’ve read more than my share and I’ve gotten something of value from each one.  I enjoy those from the early 20th century for their apparent simplicity but also their antiquated language which harks back to earlier and theoretically simpler times.  But where they?

Those familiar with late 19th and early 20th century history know a number of wars, a global pandemic, and other conflicts made those years a time of transition that was anything but smooth.

Conversations with my grandparents were enlightening.

They did not sugar coat things even as they put their experiences through the filters of hindsight.

Some books have been updated to reflect a modern era whereas others are out and out new – written from the perspective of someone who has overcome adversity and struggle using techniques common across majority of books on the subject.

i.e. writing goals, visualizing goals as already achieved.

Though I’ve gained tremendous value and made progress from utilizing techniques shared in the various books, I’ve come to see where I’ve done myself an injustice.  

It has to do with one of my favorite themes. 

Perspective is Everything

It was this morning as I was going through my closet that I came to see what an injustice I’d done to myself by not understanding that though someone may have been through a similar challenge and may have words of advice and wisdom to offer – they didn’t go through my challenge.

They weren’t playing the same hand I was.  Their cards were different.

What came from this brief introspection is a tidbit I haven’t seen in books; one I will share.

It’s a big piece of the puzzle.

How did I get to this insight?  

The Tale of Two Memories

I thought briefly of the long multi-year journey of my struggle to build a wardrobe I felt reflected who I was after leaving Corporate.

I struggled to find the Goldilocks balance of career casual.

My efforts usually ended up revealing what didn’t work though they were not for naught.

I eventually got myself here where I’m comfortable with what I have; about as Goldilocks as it gets when it comes to that balance.

One of the better exercises I did – years ago – was have people I trusted [to be honest], who understood the career transition I was going through, give their opinion on various pieces in my closet.  I listened to comments like “Too formal, wrong color, makes you look like an old lady.”

Usually their expressions told the tale before anything came out of their mouths.

At the end of the exercise I had a rather large pile including accessories to donate but what remained felt too patchwork.  It was a defining moment on the path to attaining my career goals.

Having the right self-image meant I wouldn’t feel like an imposter in my new career.

The other example – one that may be read by the individual – is meant to illustrate.

Not criticize the individual who was being sincere in their efforts to help me.

I love having house plants in my environment.  

However

In spite of their resiliency it’s been more of a challenge than I’ve liked with challenges tied to various locations I’ve lived.  

A lot of the places lacked adequate sun and were too arid because of a need to run heat.

House plants , including those marked as low-light plants generally need more sun and moisture – though not more watering – than is conveyed.

At one point we were living in an area that from outside appearances implied it would be easy to grow plants. And yet I was facing one of my bigger challenges.

Damn if my plants kept dying!

We had plenty of sun – but not too much – and water didn’t seem to be a problem.

Frustrated I consulted a friend who is pretty savvy growing plants in challenging environments.  Unfortunately, all that came from those conversations was my feeling worse.  

I think that came from the fact I was picking up the vibe of “You have to be doing something wrong since the environment is ideal.”

Unfortunately, I gave a lot of power to this individual because they had overcome environmental challenges.

Challenges I decided were more significant than the ones I was facing since I didn’t have snow and there was more sun.  

What I didn’t consider was that though the individual may have had significant environmental challenges, they weren’t my environmental challenges.  Worse, the lack of certain extremes – low light and snow/freezing temps – obscured the impact of the environmental challenges I was facing.

Wind

To start with, these plants were on an outdoor patio and though they were shielded from direct wind, they were not shielded from the constant buffeting our location was subject to.

Arid

The air was more arid than I realized.

Like a desert in terms of lacking moisture.

Salt

We were not far from the Pacific Ocean.  It honestly didn’t occur to me the salt in the air would take a toll on my plants.

I didn’t consider this until a friend living on a sailing yacht told me she can’t keep plants alive because the salt air finishes them off.

For years I felt frustrated because though I’d tried to explain my environmental challenges, my friend didn’t come across as appreciating them.

I felt I was on the receiving end of “You think you have problems…they aren’t nearly what I have to face so you must be doing something wrong.”

This was on me.

I truly appreciate my friend’s efforts and all these years later they are still helping because they made me realize I was taking on energy that wasn’t helpful.  One might suggest it was just one of those lost in translation moments.  

It was.

What I learned from these examples is that a very important step when working to manifest goals is to offload anything that isn’t part of that goal achieved.

Physically and psychologically.

To the best of your ability, it’s important to remove what might be blocking the path.

What isn’t representative of the end result – achieved.

This is an adjunct to focusing on the outcome.  

Which is only part of the equation.

Letting go of that which isn’t part of that outcome is crucial.

It can be an arduous process.

It can be traumatic and disruptive.

Techniques to deal with the twists and turns in the path are important and this is where authors sharing their experiences can really help.

As this is meant to do.

Note: Some of the best indoor plant advice I’ve come across has come from bloggers living in the UK.

I Hope Works Too!

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“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

I’m fortunate that I had the philosophy everything is a miracle from childhood. I’m lucky to be getting a refresher course in this truth! I reached out to a friend via email this morning, told her how looking out a window and seeing lights in a nearby house brought a smile.

It reminded me of manifesting a childhood goal.

I went on to explain the lights give a warm cozy vibe.  No sooner were the words down when I thought of yet another reason this place is a symbol of manifesting success.

A success to be considered and reviewed when going for new goals.

I Hope

For a long time the house stood empty.

Owners – retired – lived in another state and though caretakers – also in another state – came periodically – it was generally empty.

I remember telling this friend I hoped whoever moved in was a family.

It just seemed to be a house ideal for a family.

Time went on and there were no signs anything would be happening with the house.

To rent or to sell.

Though I hoped a family would eventually move in I released attachment to it and went about my life.

This morning as I typed the comment about the cozy vibe I thought how a family is now living in the house.

A very nice family.

I’ve no doubt it’s a good part of why the house gives off the warm and cozy vibe.

Everyone wins!

Even “I hope” brings manifesting results!

MANIFESTING: BUILD YOUR APPROACH

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Though I didn’t stumble on books on the subject until 1996, I have been strategizing on how to achieve goals most of my life.

I believe it started in second grade when I was taught to pray for a variety of items and/or outcomes.

When I stumbled across Robert Stone’s Celestial 911: Call With Your Right Brain for Answers, my relationship with goal achievement changed forever.

This was followed that same evening with an equally life-changing book, Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization Workbook.

Dr. Stone’s book listed the Silva Method.  Intrigued I signed up for the Basic Lecture Series.  It was another life-changing moment as I learned techniques to solve problems with the idea to make the world a better place as Jose Silva taught.

Throughout the years since I’ve come across a number of books on the subject of creating the life you want and achieving goals.  What I found worked best for me was to take whatever worked from each of the different resources and use it in a way that was meaningful – for me.

Though I’ve written about how my daily prayer and meditation routine is kluged together from these earlier sources – including prayer routines learned in Catholic school – it came up recently after I recommended a book on the subject to a friend.  After a bit of back and forth I suggested that having more than one author’s point of view on the subject had been very helpful to me and what stands out for me in choosing one, aside from the techniques, is the tone with which the book was written.  I need them to be – in a word – upbeat.

Not every book on manifesting and/or achieving goals has even a neutral tone as many authors are very serious about the subject.  However, there are writers who approach the subject in a way I feel is optimistic and leaves me feeling so good I feel like I’m already a success with my efforts!

Bob Stone’s book definitely did!

In addition to Celestial 911, I can list Henriette Anne Klauser’s Write It Down, Make It Happen, and Michael Samuel’s Just Ask the Universe as a very upbeat approach to the subject.

I’ve mentioned previously that while I got answers to long-standing questions on the subject as well as new techniques and approaches fron Lana Shlafer’s Manifest That Miracle, I consider her book a 300 level course on the subject.

What I’ve learned in recent days is that when you make a sincere effort life has a way of putting what you need when you need it in your path.

I also learned – the hard way – it’s just a suggestion.  You don’t have to follow it.

What I do know is that different methods may appeal at different times and work better for specific goals and objectives.  That is where utilizing what resonates personally make sense.  As a final thought, don’t forget to use what you learn from personal experience.

Be well!

Note:  For those interested in the story behind the Silva Method, I highly recommend Jose Silva’s autobiography, I Have a Hunch.

It’s a fascinating story of a devout man who sought to help others and to leave the world a better place.

MANIFESTING BLAHS: FEELING CAN HELP

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I was sitting here finishing off espresso and rereading a fiction reread.

Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts.  The Ardmore Trilogy is one of my favorites.

My mind drifted to a subject I’ve been writing about.

One I happen to be fiddling with at the moment.

Manifesting goals.

And the emotional ups and downs of hoping it works.

My thoughts first went to a conversation I had years back with a friend who asked how I Aaron and I met.

He was ready for a serious relationship.

We were in a bar in Royal Oak, Michigan.  I smiled at him and said the very best thing I learned from the experience was to put the intention out there.

Ask God or the universe, pray, whatever feels right to you.

Then go about living your life.  

I emphasized focusing on activities that brought joy.

We had a discussion on how doing so could get one’s mind off the waiting.

As Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.

Years later, Aaron and I met up with him and his wife in Southern California.

Where they too had relocated from Michigan.

He drew me aside and thanked me for my words all those years ago, explaining that he followed them to the letter.

He emphasized that he made an effort to go about living his life so he wouldn’t think about what he didn’t have in the relationship area.

I felt really good that it all worked out.  Coming full circle to another goal that I have and the fact I’m searching for ways to go about my business so I don’t have to think about the fact it isn’t here yet and it occurred to me this is an area where feelings can help.

Whoa Whoa Whoa…

– Feelings, Morris Albert

I’ve written previously how I struggle with the concept of fake it til you make it.

In spite of having a good imagination.

I’m too logical.

I know I don’t have the thing I’m supposed to pretend I have.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

A few months back I was pondering this as I was trying out a new scripting technique and having trouble writing something I couldn’t connect to because it wasn’t real.

Thankfully that doesn’t happen when I’m writing a novel!

Interestingly, while referring to this book in a previous post my eyes drifted to another book on manifesting suggested by Amazon.

Manifest That Miracle by Lana Shlafer.

I downloaded a sample then went on my merry way.

Given my mindset and what was going on in my life I knew better than to try absorbing something new. I simply didn’t have the mental cycles.

I boosted my morale by rereading Henriette Anne Klauser’s Write It Down Make it Happen.

It is an upbeat book about various techniques for writing goals down in order to encourage their coming to be.

Eventually I got around to checking out the Manifest That Miracle free sample.  I knew within pages it would be worthwhile to purchase the book.  For one simple reason.  The author would be addressing a number of questions I had regarding manifesting goals, not the least of which was a technique for getting the feeling part down.

Before going further I will mention two things about this book.

  • Her life’s story is traumatic and the details may be upsetting to someone who isn’t in a good frame of mind.

I wasn’t.

To counter this I skipped over the details which was easy because I wasn’t questioning why she was qualified to author the book.

  • This is not a book I would recommend to neophytes on the internals of visualizing and writing down goals.

I consider this a 300-level course.

That is just my opinion.  I would never discourage anyone from reading her work.  She does an excellent job explaining.

I just feel people should be sold on the idea that the techniques involved with visualization and writing goals are valid and work.

I was thrilled to find that her way of explaining feelings resonated.  As a bonus and what I came to understand this morning, they are a valid way to fill that space that comes between letting go of that which no longer serves and the arrival of a specific goal.

The big empty.

Event Horizon to the Rescue!

As a writer I easily gravitate toward scripting.  However, without being able to marry feelings to it, the finished product feels like stale bread.

In terms of waiting, yesterday was a particularly challenging day.  To get my mind off my troubles I decided to engage in an activity that always leaves me feeling as if I’ve accomplished something, helping me feel really good even if nothing obvious has changed.

It helps me change my perspective which is worth its weight in patience.

A Bit of Emotional Irony

I designed Event Horizon to help make decisions and/or get clarity on a topic of concern by working through a process that neutralizes emotions that can get in the way.  What I learned is that it works on emotions associated with waiting.

Just what I needed yesterday.

Working the Event Horizon exercises brings feelings of happiness and accomplishment, along with a sense of optimism.  It also brings a number of images to mind as I write the stories that come to mind upon seeing the prompts.  These images evoke more positive feelings.

I’ve found these stories offer solutions to problems I may be dealing with and in several cases, have helped with creative writing challenges.

Feeling good, regardless of the specific event that fostered it, will definitely inject a sense of optimism into the waiting part.  As Lana writes, you feel so happy and so good about the journey you don’t worry about the when part.

Or as Mike Dooley writes, the cursed how’s.  You don’t worry about how it will come about.

Focusing on happy feelings will make it so the happiness pushes out – outshining – anything lesser. 

As Lana points out, there are a number of methods by which to get those good feelings going.  I was fortunate enough to see the app I designed – Event Horizon – is one of them!

Enjoy the journey!

MANIFESTING: MAKING ROOM

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This is generally the time of year when I contemplate career goals. 

Though one year it was all done before the end of summer.

This year the theme that came up was letting go of that which no longer serves.  My first exposure to this concept was back in 96 when I came across Terah Kathryn Collins’ book The Western Guide to Feng Shui Room by Room.  Of all the statements that resonated [at the time] the idea that every item we see chatters at us, reminding us of who gave it to us and/or where we got it, and whether that item makes us feel good or bad was the most powerful.  Once I had that philosophy as a filter it was easy to decide what action I needed to take.

One Man’s Junk

I went through the house room by room and gathered everything I no longer used or needed, as well as items that didn’t leave me feeling good. As a reward for all that work, I was able to pass along every single item to someone whose son was moving into his first apartment and needed everything.

When it comes to getting rid of that which no longer serves it can be done for general purposes which is a great way to keep up on/prevent clutter but also works for a specific goal or area in your life in which you wish to see improvement.  The reason is simple.  If you are constantly looking at something that reminds you of who you used to be or who you are now it will be hard to become the you that you believe you can be.

Or to feel it because you are surrounded by items that may be telling a different story.

Career Part One

As part of my path in tech I switched Fortune 500 companies, bringing with me experience and expertise to do my job but leaving the loyalty for my former company behind.

I had to prove that last part but it worked out and I had a very successful career at the second company as well.

There came a point where we went through a merger and I was told I – along with my peers – needed to give a presentation to the members of my new team, many of whom were from the company we merged with.

Which had been a competitor.

This was so new colleagues could learn a bit about my background and professional experience.  As I was putting it together I came to see some of the certifications I had were no longer relevant outside that I’d earned them and they came in handy when I ran into legacy systems and/or customers.  How I handled it on the slide was to poke fun at them even while making sure it was understood I was proud of them and the work it took to earn them, and that they were steps along the professional path to get me where I was at that point.

A Senior Technical Consultant.

As I write in my bio, I learned the benefit of flexibility working in an industry where change was constant.

It’s why I was drawn to the industry to begin with.  I love learning.

Though the principles still apply, it hasn’t always been as easy in my writing career.

Career Part Two

I’ve written about a bit of a wardrobe challenge in the letting go department, mostly because I had no idea of what would be next.

Having a vision of where you want to go is extremely helpful when setting goals.

As I layered this knowledge over the particular goals I have and the path I’ve traveled this far, I came to see letting go felt a little different.  It required not only seeing myself as that person who achieved the goal, but required feeling like that accomplished individual.  That was a little harder to fake.

I understood the concept of fake it til you make it but wasn’t clear on the execution.

In spite of that missing piece I took physical actions I knew supported the concept.  

  • Got rid of items that sent the wrong message about my career goals. 
  • Reminded myself doing the basics on visualization and getitng rid of what didn’t represent the me that achieved the goal had worked previously.
  • Reminded myself of other challenging goals I’ve achieved to boost my morale and confidence.
  • Acknowledged every mini victory of change – no matter how slight – in how I felt after taking action.
  • Remained open to following whatever my instincts told me I might need to do even if it didn’t make sense. 

So long as it was in line with achieving my goal.

Along the way books were put in my path that deepened my understanding and provided new techniques to try. 

As I come to a point where I’ve just about cleared out that which no longer serves I remind myself of another important piece of the puzzle, albeit one that isn’t always comfortable.  To illustrate I will give a metaphor.

New Dishes

Let’s say you want a new set of dishes.  Let’s also say that you already have some in the cupboard but maybe they are hand-me-downs from when you got your first apartment or maybe your taste has changed.  You can go about this a few different ways.  

  • You could go buy what you want but then you have to figure out what to do with what’s in there.

This assumes you know exactly what you want and you have the means to get that other set.

  • You could take whatever is in there and pass it along.

In this case you may or may not know what you want but decide to get rid of the old because you don’t like how looking at the old makes you feel.

For this scenario you have options but if you’re the kind of person that freaks out at the sight of an empty cupboard you may find yourself making a rash decision.  

One you may regret.

You need to get comfortable with the real big empty.

In the meantime you could use paper plates or find other work-arounds.  Remember, this is just a metaphor.

When we let go of that which no longer serves – items that may be sending a message that becomes an emotional block to attaining the goal – we need to live with a between part until the goal finds its way into that space. There is no set timeframe on how long this between part may last.

One may have more inner work to do to align with the goal.

I’m not saying this is easy but it’s in this space we are able to grow into the person we need to be to receive the goal.

For a technique to help get through this between time, see Manifesting Blah: Feeling Can Help.

Introspection – Clothes Make the Career Mindset

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A well organized closet is a double-edged sword.  – Elizabeth

I’ve had a lifelong love-hate relationship with closets.  

When I was very young I had to share a very small closet with a sibling.  Because it really was too small to be functional a lot of stuff ended up getting shoved under beds in the room we shared.  

More than a feng shui no-no it was a great way to lose small items like socks.

In my early teens I had a closet that was bare.

And I mean bare.  Not better times in life.

In that case I pushed everything to one side and kept the sliding door closed over the other so it didn’t seem quite as empty.

In high school it became a place to put not only clothes but posters and other visual aids that inspired creativity.

Paving the way for my novels to become reality.

Closet Normal.  

Once I was fully entrenched in corporate my closet found itself organized for the simple fact every piece in it had a purpose.

Since many suits and blouses were Christmas and birthday gifts it also served as incentive to smile every time I looked inside.  

It also reminded me of a brilliant colleague – who left corporate to become a full-time writer – who advised me on dressing for the job I wanted not the one I had. 

 Thank you MT!

Tweaks Thanks to Advice from Mom.  

I’d just moved back to the Midwest from Silicon Valley, my closet filled with a hodge podge of Caliornia stuff alongside suits.

Messy – like my state of mind at that point.

My mom told me of a TV show on which a guest who was a professional organizer explained that most people wear 20% of their outfits 80% of the time.  Armed with that I did the first major wardrobe purge of my life.

I’d always donated what I outgrew or no longer needed but taking a hard look at what I truly wore was something I hadn’t done before.

Career Identity – The Clothing Evolution

Life in Silicon Valley – corporate clothing wise – was always more casual than the Midwest.

My first day of work in Santa Clara I ran into a sales guy in shorts, tank top, flip flops and sunglasses.  When I asked if he was on vacation he laughed and explained he was on his way to Intel and that his attire was not only right it was what he would see at his customer as well.

Rather than get rid of perfectly good suits I swapped out the skirts and pants for jeans.  

Colleagues would often say “You can take the girl out of the Midwest…” in response to my formal attire.

Career Identity Trouble Brews

Though I left corporate to pursue writing full-time I kept all the beautiful suits.  Unfortunately, wearing them to work on a novel didn’t feel right.

Or comfortable.

Wearing jeans and a t-shirt, however, felt too casual and stymied my creativity.

I didn’t feel like I was working.

About a year and a half later I decided to donate my suits.

I wasn’t wearing them and seeing them in the closet was keeping me stuck between my old career and my new one.

Career Identity Trouble Intensifies.

This was the beginning of a years long wrestle with my career wardrobe as every time I looked in my closet I felt confused.

And inadequate.

No Goldilocks In Sight.

I vascillated between overly formal which killed my ability to be creative…

Stemming no doubt from being physically uncomfortable/feeling physically confined.

And feeling like a bum because I was dressed so casually…

Inhibiting my ability to take my writing career as seriously as I had my corporate one.

Changes Outside Inside

Aaron supported me as I tried multiple versions of wardrobe pieces, taking effort to explain that in the time since I left corporate, things had become even more casual in terms of work wardrobe.

What I remembered from when I was there was no longer en Vogue.

For all his support, my psyche was still caught in conflict.

Too formal V. Too casual.

Irony

Perhaps the biggest irony is this now being an issue for thousands thanks to the Work From Home wave brought on by the pandemic.

Changes Inside Outside

The Closet Speaks

I’ve come to see recently that my closet was always a reflection of where I was along life’s path.  In terms of my career I have been successful in having what I needed but only this weekend past did I see that I have what I wanted, a wardrobe that reflects who I am – career-wise. Specifically, I came to see my casual work wardrobe has evolved as I have.

Career wise.

Over the past 2 or so years I’ve worked in pajamas, jeans, and t-shirts associated with the various series.

I’ve also put on more formal tops if the Muse moved me.

Though I understand the more comfortable I am the more likely the words will flow, it’s how I see myself as the writer that should drive what I wear.

It’s Attitude not Clothes!

There was a time when wearing pajamas and working on the couch got me down because I felt I shouldn’t do it.  It didn’t matter that I was highly prolific.  My mind was stuck back in corporate thinking What would people think if they saw me?

Slacker anyone?

Over recent months as I’ve made changes on my website and to my project calendar I have further tweaked my wardrobe to better reflect the changes that were every bit as internal as external. 

The Weekend Breakthrough.

This weekend past I spent time in a closet that was already cleaned and organized to see what if anything was tied to the old writer me.  I then took any items I felt fit that bill and put them into a donate bag.  

The idea being let go of what no longer serves.

Though I know that I, like my career, am still evolving, at least I will be journeying with less baggage.

Fewer items holding me in a place I have not been in a long time.

Interestingly, the most important work was done before I went through the closet.

Internally.

I needed to come to peace with who I have become in the years since leaving corporate long before thinning the wardrobe.

Be well and journey light!

END OF YEAR TRADITIONS

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I wanted to take a moment this holiday week and let everyone know how thankful I am for my readers.

And visitors to this site!

I am also thankful not only to my team but to all of those at WordPress, Smashwords, and other organizations who make this all possible.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving week.  

Update

I will be offline for a bit.

Though I may be inspired to write a post.

I continue to work on projects but will be using the coming weeks to do a bit of introspection and self-evaluation.

This end-of-year tradition is a significant part of career planning.  

After a hectic 13 months I consider this a well-deserved and much needed break.

I will post and/or provide updates as appropriate but for now…

Happy Holidays 2022!

MORE THAN A HERO’S JOURNEY: BRINGING A STORY TO LIFE

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I’ve been sitting here contemplating the Port Gallatan Series from a few different angles including a stubborn refusal to let what was Hollow Shelter go without a fight.

The premise is just too good in my opinion.  It’s also close to my heart.

That isn’t to say in its current form it would fit the series and while I originally floated the idea – to myself – of reworking it so that it did fit the series, I decided it was probably too much work given everything else going on.  So, I let it go.

Or so I thought.

I was sitting here, minding my own business (pun intended) when a niggle of an idea for a reworked story came knocking on my consciousness. 

 I tend to pay attention to these as even if a new book doesn’t come from them I usually get information that is of benefit.  

Tune Out to Tune In.

For me, the best way to let something from the unconscious percolate to the top is to play Free Cell. The mindless repetition lulls – or perhaps bores is a better word – my mind to a daydream state whereby unconscious thoughts can be seen in the mind’s eye

Scenes

And heard

Characters

Within a short time I had a great way to totally revamp that story for a future Gallatan book.

It will have a different title by then.

Satisfied I was ready to go back to Blue Skye in the Rain when another random thought popped into my head.

The unconscious wasn’t done talking apparently.

The Hero’s Journey.

That was it.  That simple phrase.  However, it was accompanied by images of a newspaper article I once read that was about a movie.  In it the critic mentioned the movie being a “typical” hero’s journey along the lines of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

I’m thinking that writer didn’t enjoy either movie.

The writer in me tensed up.  By suggesting there is nothing more to a story than labeling it as falling into one of the 7 basic plots one risks sounding like a high school teacher trying to convince bored students the classic they are reading will change their life forever.

Oh, it may, but not always and not necessarily in a way that can be predicted.

When it comes to a novel, classifying it in such limiting terms not only denies the reader the oppoturnity to discover the adventure in the characters, setting, and subplots that make a novel entertaining, it diminishes the role of the writer in the story.  I, for one, do not think, “Hm, which of the basic plots does this fall into?” when I start a story.

Port Gallatan.

As with the Okcracoke Awakening Series, the first choice I made before the initial book was even fully formed was the setting.

I love the Carolinas for their rich history and love the peaceful Outer Banks Islands off their shores.

For the fictitious Pacific Northwest Port town I created something completely fabricated that was inspired by a number of ports I’d visited.

Combined with various East Coast towns throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Though a reader may classify the storyline in such a way as to match one of the infamous plots I promise none of that was going through my mind when I came up with the idea.

I was sitting at a local haunt I went to (pre-pandemic) to have coffee and work when I came up with part of the story.  A lunch in a neighboring town weeks later gave me the other piece of the light-hearted plot.

To me, oversimplifying an aspect of a fiction work is cheating reader and writer both.  Far better, me thinks, to take the plunge into the adventure.

Now, back to my story.  (Grin)