I’ve been following the Angela Booth newsletter and I’ve found much of her tips quite helpful. Today’s (or yesterday’s) writing tip was to write when you first wake up. I decided to give this a try. I unearthed an old notebook and after flipping through it and finding some interesting

and slightly strange writings from the chaotic summer. I began to reflect on how my writing has changed. I would like to share what I wrote today. So here goes nothing.

Long time/coming/now gone/Hallelujah/Praise God/

Or Buddha/Your pick/like little Lotto/

answers come/answers go/yes?/no?

flip a coin/will you find me?/when it’s all said and done/

will you?/cry/no more/no more

Take it for what its worth……

-Carolyn

“Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together”

-Vincent Van Gogh

I  may have used this quote before, my memory is a little fuzzy so bear with me.

Van Gogh was a smart man albeit a little crazy, but smart. I tend to take his quotes to heart and this one always gives me inspiration as I have it sitting on my desk where I can  see it every single day. If we want to get anywhere we must take things step by step, same with writing. There is a process to undergo to get where you want to go and you earn your right to be there in the end.

There’s a problem with instant gratification in this country and we must learn to squelch it in achieving long term goals. I know I struggle with wanting things “right now” and if its a minute late then that’s not good enough

I’ve learned to achieve good writing skills I must be patient and learn and listen and learn some more.  It’s the only way to achieve something on this level.

Try it in your own life with anything you are trying to achieve. Patience really is a virtue!

-Carolyn

Write. Often. All the time. Whenever you can.

Write about your life. Your joys, Your triumphs. Your struggles.

Keep it interesting. Long. Short. Vary your work.

Leave a part of you in your work, so we can identify you by your words.

Leave your legacy. Write from your heart and from your tears.

Just write……….

First off. Its hard. Second. I find myself not knowing what I’m doing a lot of the time.

Third. Anyone want to take a shot?

My point is this isn’t easy and I’m being a whiny little baby right now and crying about it. Mainly I’m trying to get this blog back on track, which also isn’t easy.

Between picking catchy titles, writing captivating posts, promoting and trying to draw traffic is exhausting. But you know what, its an exhaustion I love.

Sometimes I think I say what other people don’t want to, or won’t do.

So here it is, I can’t find a damn thing to write about and its driving me crazy. I can’t shut up on my other blog bLush but here I can’t open my mouth. I started this blog for a reason and I’m still trying to fulfill it but I’m a little lost.

My question is, What draws you in? What makes you read something? What’s good and bad and how do you know the difference?

-Carolyn

Ok. I don’t really know the whole answer to this but I thought I’d give my vast life experience and test out my writing skills.

I’m discovering that there is a lot more to writing and writing on the web than I ever knew. So much more that I’m overwhelmed.

But. Instead of running I’ve been tackling it head on, which is a vast improvement.

No one wants to hear about me though.

One more thing. I’m having a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to this blog. I originally intended to write about my writing and that may be the hardest assignment I’ve ever had. So it kind of veered off in another direction. So if anyone is still reading bear with me as I get my footing.

As for business….it’s an old one, but a good one….”fake it, until you make it” its good in the right context…use at your discretion.

If your looking for something, stop looking, it tends to come to you once you stop. I tell everyone this whether it be in relationships, jobs, school, friends whatever. It’s always worked for me and I do believe in it.

Take my advice as you will…..

Carolyn

I admit it. I’ve never really loved Christmas. I have been in deep like with the holiday for years but cannot elevate to the next level. I usually manage to suck it up and deal with but this year seems different. In fact it doesn’t even seem like Christmas at all. I don’t know what’s missing, but something apparently is.

I dread the thought of going shopping and carols make me sick. What is wrong with me? Could the turmoil of the last three months be catching up? Is there anyone else out there who just cannot wait for this to be over?

We anticipate and wait for something for so long and then its over. Not so bad, but when you’re dreading it so much it seems like such a waste. If only there were a way to boost our spirits and move us through times like this in a happier way it might be easier, might…

Christmas aside life is good. Growing, learning. Learning, growing. I think one day I might get it. Zen that is.

-Carolyn

I’m shameless. I know.

I really should have titled this post something light and fluffy with a loving undertone.

Shoulda. Coulda. Woulda.

It’s been brought to my attention that love is something we distort. Twisting it and our partners into what we want them to be. I am forced to wonder how we deal with this especially when love arrives unexpected.

I recently wrote an article for Associated  Content entitled Facing the Reality of Love that embraces the issue of unexpected love in our lives.

Though I’m still curious on how we can take something that is not material or physical or tangible at all, yet we can bend it and mold it and shape it and still not get the desired result. Since I have a lack of intelligent conversation over here I am alone with my thoughts.

Perhaps love is like a spring. You can pull it and tug on it and try to shape it, but no matter what you do it always returns to its original form. It’s original form which is pure and giving and hard for us to accept. I think that may be part of what love is made up of.

I am shameless. But if you paid attention you learned the lesson.

Maybe you caught the love bit too, think about it.

It’s good for your head and good for your heart.

-Carolyn

“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.”

-Madonna

Patience is not my strong point. I was born four weeks premature and I often like to joke that I was so impatient to come into this world that I just could not wait any longer. This trait has lasted throughout my life. Sometimes though my impatience works for me and it can work for you too.

Case in point

I often want things right away and I often demand them, then I quickly realize the strain I am putting on others and I automatically switch gears. Stemming from my impatience comes the desire to make my wants a reality. I almost always get what I want or need sooner than I expected.

To make this work for you this is what you need:

The ability to know what you want

The desire to work for it

The impatience to drive you

Expect results if you apply this strategy. The secret to making impatience work is really very simple, it lies in the desire to achieve something and then using the impatience to give you the drive to get  there.

Simple Enough

I have pushed myself to all sorts of new limits based on this that I would not have reached if I waited around.

Sometimes it pays to be impatient.

-Carolyn

It’s easy to make mistakes when you first start something, regardless of what that may be. Now I know that it is how you respond to them that counts.

From my mistake I got success.

Now I have the motivation to more forward. Sometimes you need a push, sometimes you need a shove. Sometimes you need a really big kick to get moving.

There’s a lot of sometimes I’m learning.

Today was a good day. My beginner’s mistake has turned me into a better writer and will continue to teach me as I go along.

Thank God for mistakes!

-Carolyn

I just wrote a piece on my other blog bLush and of course it went right into the relationship category. I am having serious doubts about writing pieces like that because I feel that I don’t know what I’m doing. Or maybe I really feel that other people don’t think I know what I’m doing. Whatever it is it certainly isn’t a comfortable feeling. Inevitably though I am drawn to that category for some inexplicable reason and that’s where my heart and soul lies. I’m having a really difficult time overcoming these feelings and I don’t want to be stuck in this holding pattern forever but I don’t know what to say or do about it. Hmm, maybe I should just quit over-analyzing, that may be the solution. But like we all know that’s way easier said than done. I’m lost on this one, anybody, any suggestions???

-Carolyn