Happy Easter
Opinion/Musings
A Sunday Confession – I have an Attitude Problem
I have an attitude problem. How’s that for a Sunday morning confession?
No, I don’t have the bitchy attitude, although my husband might disagree and I’m not being haughty or arrogant.
Nope, the attitude problem I have, believe it or not, is one of discouragement and lack of faith. Not, the Faith, that’s another subject. Lack of faith in my ability to write.
My muse has left me high and dry, and the 40,000-word novel I’ve struggled with is taunting me each time I open the file. Prompts I used to enjoy doing are drawing a blank. It’s as if the words and thoughts in my brain have gone on vacation without me. An invite would’ve been nice.
I had the entire house to myself yesterday, and writing was on the agenda, but the ghost of my mother appeared. I ended up reorganizing my cabinets and scrubbing the surfaces clean till they sparkled. Yeah, those cabinets just had to be cleaned, three days before my housekeeper is due.
By the time I finished, the day was more than half gone, I was exhausted and had screwed up a knee. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the evening recuperating, bingeing on the Hallmark channel, and getting weepy over stupid stuff.
The truth is I didn’t want to write yesterday. And being a bit obsessive about my house, I welcomed the ghost of my mother. She’s the one I blame for that little personality trait. We learned early on; a clean house is a Southern woman’s obligation and an excuse to get out of anything.
Yep, right now, I have a piss-poor attitude about writing. And, to make matters worse, I’ve committed myself to the A-Z Blogging Challenge in April. Oh no, with my brain on vacation, I’m not feeling any pressure.
April is looming, and I needed to get out of this slump.
Self-help books of all kinds have always been a go-to resource for me. Over the years, I’ve saved encouraging and funny quotes for times just like these. So, this morning I searched out the old file out to get inspired. The first sheet I pulled from the folder had me wondering, but I persevered.
Really?
Then I discovered two of my all time favorites. A quote about Attitude, by Rev. Charles Swindoll and Faith (author unknown).
You can find the entire quote from Attitude by clicking on the link but here is an excerpt.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life…
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill…
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have,
and that is our attitude.” Charles Swindoll
I encourage you to read the entire quote. It will give you an attitude adjustment. And as far as faith, well at some point we all have to believe.
Faith
When we walk to the edge of the light we have
And take that step into the darkness of the unknown;
We must believe that one of two things will happen –
There will be something solid for us to stand on
Or, God will teach us to fly!
I’ve always liked the idea of wings. What about you? Do you ever have doubts? I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.
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Are You Crazy? Give Up My What?
DAILY PROMPT: Life After Blogs Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
Courtesy of Unsplash.com & Pexels
Oh, this is a tough one. As a culture, we have become so technically attached the thought of going without a computer or iPhone sends us into a frenzy. It’s like a smoker without their cigarettes – we don’t have a clue what to do with our hands. And, for the record, I’ve never been a smoker, but I’ve heard that is a problem when kicking the habit. But back to the topic at hand. What would I do if all my computers disappeared? My phone turned into a rotary dial, my Kindle into pages, and my iPad into a chalkboard or even better, an etch-a-sketch.
But back to the topic at hand. What would I do if all my computers disappeared? My phone turned into a rotary dial, my Kindle into pages, and my iPad into a chalkboard or even better, an etch-a-sketch.
A feeling of nostalgia swept over me just typing that sentence. Growing up, we could have never imagined the kinds of technology the future would bring to our fingertips. 2001 seemed like a space odyssey fantasy. But here we are, and the advances are truly space age.
As a young girl, I spent my days outside in the sun. Swinging, hiking in the cow pasture, riding bikes, catching lightening bugs, or daydreaming under a tree. I read book after book and wrote endless essays, poems and letters in a journal. My sisters and I talked about boys, school, each other, how to do makeup and hair, or how we could decipher the words of Mick Jagger’s song, Can’t Get No Satisfaction.
Without all this technology, I would read more, taking baking classes, spend more time at our lake house, or travel. I’d write letters to those I love and leave them with tangible words to remember me by. I’d visit my neighbors or family members more often. And, I’d learn to be still; to enjoy the quietness of life.
Technology has been a tremendous force in our lives. In many ways, it has enhanced our lives, made things easier and more convenient.
Yet, like a coin or a story, there are always two sides. The reverse side of all this wonderful, addicting, convenient technology is a disconnection, lack of intimacy, social isolation, and the inability to communicate with each other.
I’m not sure the tradeoff was worth it.
I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.
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Look Fear in the Face and Kick
You’ve heard the adage, sink or swim. It’s a phrase often shared when one is facing something difficult, be it a choice, future, task, or survival. When we find ourselves with little recourse in life, sometimes all we have left is to take a leap of faith.
Sink or swim is a simple, to the point, and powerful statement. It offers only two choices – success or failure. It’s also an affirmation of what each of us is capable of doing.
I left home before the age of eighteen under difficult circumstances, moved to the city, thirty minutes from my home, and rented a one-room apartment. My apartment, situated on the top floor, consisted of a bedroom, unheated kitchen (unless you counted the oven) and a shared bathroom across the hall in an old, rundown house. Located in a “bad” section of town it was, thankfully, close to city transportation.
At seventeen, in school with only a part-time job, I was on my own, and anything after that was my doing. I could either wither under the pressure, let fear paralyze me, or soar under the wings of freedom. I could either sink or swim. I chose the latter.
I learned about public transportation, memorized the bus schedule, and discovered the power underneath my legs. If the bus didn’t go in my direction, my legs did. I penny-pinched and learned the value of a dollar. I studied hard, made friends, and fought back the fear of unchartered territory with determination and confidence I didn’t feel until much later.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.”
Two years later, I would graduate nursing school, marry, and begin a family. To this day, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life and left memories that still bring a smile to my face. At seventeen, I looked fear in the face and I kicked.
“Faith is believing that one of two things will happen. That there will be something solid for you to stand on or that you will be taught to fly.” Unknown
COW PASTURE CHRONICLES 