I’ve had my busiest summer ever, so far. Not complaining, but it’s true.
Book launch, trip planned-prepared-cancelled, COVID-19, 100 Writing Days of Summer-planned-written-curtailed, and yesterday, we filmed my TEDx! (Pictures below).
I’m also doing a rewrite of my novel, and writing in response to the Microfiction Prompts in the FB group, as they inspire me. (Ask to join?) And, again, not complaining, but we have been remodeling our living room this whole time – since March – so there’s disarray – and work waiting for us – in most of our public rooms.
… As inspired… is the critical difference. It’s why I’m not complaining. Even when your days are FULL of things you want to be doing, it can get overwhelming and frustrating. Things take longer than expected, don’t work out as well as you’d like, or cost more. You’re not as excited as you expected to be.
You see the flaw instead of the grand feat! It happens to all of us. And so, I’ve had to keep a mantra in my head all summer:
Fun & Easy
I use this little mantra to keep myself present in what I’m currently doing. What’s fun about right now? How could it be easier?
Presence and pleasure.
Also, I don’t try to plan ahead. I put things on the calendar, and then just live today. As my Grandma Dot used to say:
“Don’t borrow trouble.”
This one baffled me, as a kid. She meant don’t meddle in other people’s business. But, as a kid who was sent next door to borrow a cup of sugar or two eggs, fairly frequently, borrowing trouble made no sense. Who would ask to borrow your trouble? I wondered.
I now enlarge its scope to mean – don’t borrow tomorrow’s trouble today. Don’t foreshadow how tired, stressed or exasperated you (or someone else) might be tomorrow. Just look around for the fun and pleasures of today. If there are none, add a dip in the pool or a great TV show, or a take-out meal. Or go to bed, if you’re tired.
We’re putting 2 coats of polyurethane on our living room floor today. The furniture can all move back in tomorrow. Gotta go do that.
