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I’d rather write than talk. Nobody interrupts! Posting monthly or less now--see below. |
My original purpose for this blog, which I started in August of 2019, was to see if I could maintain consistency, to discover what I want to write about, and to find my writing voice. In January, I started a "niche-less" blog at Wordpress.com where I've published weekly. -- Kit’s Kontemplations  . -- I'm preparing to start a Catholic blog on Wordpress.com where I'll post weekly, and another site to put the rest of my writing. I also want to spend more time reading other blogs and offering thoughtful comments, both here on WDC and elsewhere. At most, I will publish once a month at no set time in this blog starting in September of 2020. Thank you to those who have read and rated any posts on this blog. I really appreciate it. I did NOT want to write “about” me on this blog. I wanted to share my interests, discoveries and maybe a few useful insights. If anything I've written helps even one person, whether or not they respond to the post, then this blog has been successful. |
| One of Merriam Webster’s definitions for the verb “ to succeed” is “to accomplish what is intended”. A decade or so ago, I was deep in “productivity mode”, measuring my worth by what I accomplished. Any given day during those years, what I “intended” was far beyond most people’s capacity to achieve yet I berated myself for everything on my list that I didn’t get done. I still need to keep a long task list but it’s more to have tasks on paper instead of whirling through my mind. Whoever said that our minds are for thinking not storage, was right on. Having a good or “successful” day used to mean getting as much done as possible, as perfectly as possible. Getting sick gave me a feeling of relief since I had a great excuse for doing what I felt like doing instead of what I should be doing. It’s hardly surprising that I got sick a whole lot more often during those years than I do now. This way of living along with a few other issues resulted in a “breakdown”. I was first diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome then later with clinical depression. My planned two weeks off work turned into almost two years. “Success” during the first few months was simply making my bed, taking a shower and getting dressed I thrive on routine and structure. Though my days look much different now than before I retired, my days are structured around a core set of “categories”. These include: spiritual, chores, study, creative work, service and leisure. Now, during the pandemic lock-down, my “rule of life” has fewer components but it still exists. Fortunately I’m an introvert with a wide variety of interests, so I’m never bored. The challenge is to manage some kind of balance in my various activities and still do things that are less captivating, like housework and self-care. If succeeding means accomplishing what I intend, then I must be careful to intend what is most in line with what I value while being realistic about my available free time and energy. Deepening my relationship with God, creativity, self-care and using my time well are vital to my sense of well-being. During these past few months, isolated at home with my husband, my definition of a “successful” day includes (in no particular order):  fulfilling the requirements of my Carmelite vocation following my food boundaries so as to either lose or maintain my weight spending time creatively: writing, piano, art on my iPad, or yarn crafts doing at least one household chore walking on the treadmill getting to bed by midnight (which rarely happens) doing self-care (flossing and remembering to take medication)Other “successes” that aren’t part of my daily routine include: resisting the temptation to engage in an unhealthy habit I’m striving to remove finishing a project I've started keeping a promise I've made to myself practicing discipline by doing something I don't feel like doing when I don't feel like doing it because it needs to be done doing an act of kindness or service refraining from expressing an opinion, either because it’s not necessary or could offend even if it’s trueDepending on our temperament, time of life, cultural values and perhaps even gender, we’ll have widely different perceptions of what it means to be successful. Reflect: What does “success” look like for you? If you don’t see yourself as successful right now, are you moving in that direction or do you see it as impossible? If you do see yourself as successful, how have you defined and achieved your success? What do you believe is the most important requirement to experiencing success? What do you consider to be the most significant evidence of success? |
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Yes, I know some people do that but I'm a creative writer not a journalist. Poetry sells ... but it's a money-maker for only a few. I write A LOT. Almost 180 pieces since Spring equinox. My goal is 300-400 per year. One year I went over 1,000. I need to do more editing, polishing, sharing, submitting. Writer's block? Who has time for that? I don't.