Y’all know how I love-love-love the idea of Something Good: those little tidbits in life that make it worthwhile. Smiling at a stranger, getting an unexpected hug from my daughter, sitting with a friend at church.

The New Inklings Writing Partners

The New Inklings

It’s no surprise that I’ve been less-than-stellar for a few months. For reasons that aren’t necessarily unique but are often personal, I’ve felt, for lack of a better description, run over and run down. We all have them: those moments when the world seems to push, pull, and crush us into submission. Those days when all you can do is breathe in, breathe out, and do it again. Those times when others are so consumed by their own trials and terrors that it makes reaching out seem selfish.

Yeah. Been there, done that, as the song goes.

But if I don’t change, then nothing ever changes. Right? What’s that quote?

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” ~Henry Ford

Yeah. That’s it.

Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? That theory that, in essence, says one flap of a butterfly’s wing, under certain conditions, can result in a hurricane across the globe?

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all were a butterfly? If you knew, if you were conscious of every thing you did, and how it affected others, what kind of impact would you have on your world, and the ever-growing circle of life around you? People who you don’t even know who know people you still don’t know who might be acquainted with someone who met someone who talked to someone else who was a neighbor of a friend of a relative of someone you hold dear… What if you knew without a doubt that you could have that kind of impact on the world?

What would you do? And how would you do it? What if the answer lies not in the goal, but in the idea. What if, by taking that first step, that’s all you needed to do? What if, just by flapping your wings once, you could cause a hurricane across the globe?

I decided since something needed to change for the good, that meant I’d better do the changing.

And on the flip side, that also meant to continue doing the things I didn’t necessarily want to do even though I knew I should do them. Like eating brussel sprouts. (Hey, wait a minute! I love brussel sprouts!)

So yesterday I went to my monthly Writer’s Club meeting. I was tired. I had a lot on my mind. And I wanted to spend time with Dot before she went off to work and out with her Guy.

But since history has proven that the meetings are beneficial, I put on my big girl pants and headed out. And, of course, I loved it. So very glad I went.

We were gifted with two speakers: Lynne Spreen and CJ Hernley who spoke less on writing and more on marketing. Which is just what This Girl needed to hear.

Learning How to Market. Clipboard with receipt and business cards.

Learning How to Market

I’ve also personally been nudged, aggressively, to listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos of some exceptional speakers. Andy Andrews and Dan Miller to name two.

If you’ve never heard these men speak, I strongly encourage you to do so. They are phenomenal. Influential. Brilliant. And down to earth. They don’t throw pie-in-the-sky ideas at you. They don’t ask you to do anything the common public isn’t willing or able to do. But they do have some amazing resources available to help you reach your personal goals.

So as it seems the pieces of this puzzle are coming together for me, I took another two leaps (yes, I feel like SuperWoman right now!).

The first is I finally drafted the title piece for Broken Girl and Other Stories of Redemption: A Collection of Parables, Poetry & Prose.

Broken Girl cover

Broken Girl cover

I realized after yesterday’s meeting that I’ve just been sitting on this project, waiting. Waiting for what? Nothing, really. Just waiting.

Waiting for a reason to finish compiling my stories and essays. Waiting to feel like I could do it. Waiting to get it done. But waiting doesn’t get it done. Waiting is… well, waiting.

So today I drafted the title piece, and worked more on curating my writings for this Project into one computer folder. Throughout this week, I’ll review and edit and format. And pray for a way to get published. Again. But that’s next week’s problem. This week, my goal is to assemble the book. And see where it takes me. One story at a time.

The second Something Good I accomplished today was to set up my Author’s Page at Amazon. Did you know such a thing existed? I sure didn’t. Not until yesterday’s meeting! [It’d be a big help if y’all could click on over and give me a “like”, as well as leave a review for either of the books you have on your shelf.]

So I did these things. And I’m hoping to do more, and reap more. I’ve a huge Faith-based project in the works so I hope you’ll stick around for that.

But even with all these great career-momentous movements on my horizon, I have to let you know the best moment I had lately was coming home last week while Dot was finishing up a college presentation. And I found this waiting for me:

Love note from my daughter. She's a keeper!

She’s a Keeper!

Before I get back to flapping my wings, I leave you with this inspiration:

Do Something. Because something is better than nothing.

Do Something

And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!

The First Step
Stocking up the Cabinet
Sweeten my tea and share: