I don’t know ’bout you, but it seems the more I take care of things, the more things there are to take care of. Am I right? I’m constantly on the go. Having so much on my plate to take care of, I sometimes forget to take care of the plate holder [that would be me].
Now, eating right and getting enough sleep is not just something your mother or doctor tell you. Get this: It actually works. But sometimes it’s not enough. Sometimes we need a little extra boost, and emotional empowering to get us through the day, yah?
Some days you gotta forget the rules the world tries to impose on you. A little self-love focus can set things right.
Here are five simple ways I tell myself I’m worth it:
Friends and family. I know, I know. Everyone has friends. But when I’m super busy and forget to check in for a few days, I get cranky. Making time to chat with my girls or text my daughter really can boost my spirits. A three-second “Busy day but want you to know I’m thinking of you” is one of greatest messages I can send, or receive. It honors the recipient by demonstrating no matter what’s going on, they’re important. So, in case I forgot to tell you today, YOU’RE IMPORTANT!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : New FRIENDS
Five more minutes. There are things we do daily that can be enhanced and lift our mood. Use scented body wash instead of soap. Heat soup on the stove top instead of in a microwave. Listen to music while cleaning house. Take a breath between coffee sips. Sprinkle essential oils on your pillow before bedtime. A little more attention to the how of doing things can make a big difference in getting them done, and feeling better when they are.
Schedule “ME” time. It’s never selfish to take care of yourself. Have a date with yourself: Make your favorite foods, pop in your favorite movie, read a new good. Dance in the living room. Go for a walk. Do the things you want someone else to do for you. If you’re worth it from them, you’re worth it from you!
Sing out loud, loudly. At home, in the car, and yes, in public (although not always). Singing can be aerobic. It can be a prayer. You don’t even have to have a song. Just la-la-la your way through the day and see if you don’t feel better.
Frankly, Meow Dear . . . : I just gotta sing!
Indulge the inner child. Oh, I don’t care what y’all think. I still color and play games. You know why? They’re fun. Who says growing up means growing dull? Nuh-uh. Not in this household. I eat ice cream on a stick. I slurp through a straw. I do logic puzzles and play MTG. And, yes. I color outside the lines.
Okay, y’all. I admit. There’s a lot to be said about streaming videos. No extra clutter on the nightstand or when traveling. No storage issues (well, at least not at the house). And super bonus: no “ohmagosh where I did put that?” Or super-super bonus: no breakage.
But there’s something to be said for getting your entertainment the semi-old school way. And it comes with its own bonus.
Now, I enjoy Netflix as much as the next person. I mean, how many of you already know when Stranger Things Season Two is available? [Here’s a hint: Come home early from Trick-or-Treating this year.]
I love instant access to all the episodes of Fuller House. I’m watching my way through all eleven seasons of FRASIER this month. Last month it was FRIENDS, but you knew that.
But, see, I also love my DVDs and Blu-Rays for one very important reason: Behind the Scenes.
I love picking up a season of NCIS or ER [or the newest hottie I mean, hero, Avengers movie] and having access to bonus features.
Hearing Aaron Sorkin talk about why he wrote a certain episode of the West Wing, or picking up on Iron Man’s special effects . . . Those aren’t things you can get through online streaming.
And I don’t know about you, but I hope *fingers crossed* I’m not the only one who likes the rewind button. I mean, seriously. I’m talking laugh-out-loud or “what the heck was that?!” moments when you just have to experience it again now without waiting for the feed to reload. In writers terms, we call that taking the reader out of the story. That’s no way to keep the momentum!
Sure, you can’t take everything with you. But when you’re going on a trip, you don’t pack the kitchen sink, do you?
And here’s one more reason to love DVDs and Blue-Rays: Sometimes your shows aren’t available.
Okay? Who else cried when Netflix took down FLASHPOINT? And why is Pet Sematary only available around Halloween?
These things are important, people!
Oh, wait. One more awesome reason: I’m told by more than few to prepare for that foretold horror, the worldwide EMP. You know, that moment when the internet and all things attached go down. I know, I know. Let’s for a moment forget the correlation that in such an event my DVD and Smart TV will also most likelydefinitely not work. Let’s just stick to the streaming video for this conversation. Thanks.
So. What’s This Girl gonna do when I can no longer access my Netflix? I think I’ll survive.
I may have to learn how to churn butter . . . But in the event of an emergency, I can string my discs together and find a laywoman’s way to harness the power of the sun.
I really, really want to dance in a fountain with my girls. Y’all know what I’m talking about: The opening credits to that wonderful, iconic TV show FRIENDS. Three guys, three girls. Dancing, playing, having fun.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Dance in the Fountain
Some weeks ago I was enjoying conversation with my Mississippi bestie, whom we’ll call SuperGirl, and my Georgia bestie, whom we’ll call Paige. Yes, that Paige, of Paige’s Plantation Part One.
In the course of conversation, guided heavily by our love for all things coincidental and identifiable, I happened to mention my current binging of FRIENDS on Netflix. In particular, after choosing to #EmbraceTheCrazy, I celebrate my affinity for Phoebe and her near-Bohemian/Gypsy character. Okay, maybe those aren’t exactly demonstrative of her character. But, you know. Whatever.
So, we haven’t known each other as long as, uhm, they have. You know, the original FRIENDS. But we do know each other as well, and that’s gotta count for something, right?
So here’s the fun part. This year at Blue Ridge is the first time we will all three be together. #truestory! SuperGirl and I met two years ago before Paige attended. Paige and I met last year when SuperGirl couldn’t attend. And this year, hello! The cosmos smiled and here we are. All three. Together. Smashing, isn’t it?!
It’s been a little unsettling for some of us who are the introverts of the group (I won’t say who, but, uhm, not me), who are nervous about meeting the other one they haven’t met. Oops. Did I just give it away? My bad.
So, anyway. In less than a week we’re hanging at Blue Ridge, learning to be better writers, and we even have our daily coffee hang out: Clouds! How perfect is this ~ our own version of Central Perk!
Frankly, My Dear . . . : FRIENDS and coffee.
But back to the dancing thing, because this is about all of us, not just me. We also have a motto. Or is it a mantra? Whatever. It’s in three parts. Which is kinda neat, cuz there’s three of us. So, it’s Deal with it. Let it go. Dance it out. I bet you can’t guess which part is mine.
Oh, and you want to hear the best part? They totally identify with Monica and Rachel, too! SuperGirl thought she could hide it, but please. Everyone knows she’s a neat freak and loves to cook. She’s so obviously Monica. And Paige? Paige is the one getting ready for a major life move. She’s so Rachel. Could I be any more right?
And me? Well, I’m still Phoebe. In fact, I’m now Penny-Lily-Scarlett-Phoebe. I’m pretty sure you can figure out the Penny and Scarlett, but Lily will have to wait for another time.
Call me any of the above. I’ll answer. Just don’t call me Smelly Cat.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : New FRIENDS
So, okay. Now it’s your turn: Which FRIENDS character are you most like?
With an intimate group and a great coffee hang out,
~Molly Jo
Remember when I went to Blue Ridge and so many crazy awesome writing-editing connection things happened? And how I drank lots of sweet tea?
Sweet Tea at Blue Ridge
And remember how, before I went, I was big on collecting pennies and coins in my jar?
My Penny Jar
And you know how I have a writer’s mind so I link cause-and-effect like other people don’t? Well . . .
Say hello to my new “jar”.
Sweet Savings
Every time I drop a coin or bill into my Sweet Savings bottle, it’s a reminder of what I’m striving for. And the fact that it’s a much bigger container than the little jar is an indicator of just how big my dreams are.
But wait . . . there’s more.
I’d not found pennies on the sidewalk for quite a while. At least a month. And y’all know how I feel about pennies, right? They’re the essential building block for life.
The Penny Parable, available at Amazon
So I’m starting to feel a little let down, you know? A little ignored by God. Oh, stop! You say. Not finding a penny does not equate being abandoned by God. I know that.
Don’t you think I know that?
And yet . . . as I’m sipping my sweet tea, and missing my Blue Ridge peeps, and wondering why I’m not finding pennies, God creeps into my psyche. You know how He does. That still, small voice that hijacks your thought process and turns you on your heels because you secretly asked Him to even though you’re not sure want to admit it.
So the prayer-conversation went something like this:
ME: Go away.
GOD: Is that really what you want?
ME: Yes. Maybe. No. I don’t know. I’m mad at you. Go away so it’s easier for me to be mad at you.
GOD: Why are you mad at me?
ME: Because I miss my people. And I have unfulfilled dreams. And you haven’t given me teddy bears or pennies for a really long time. I miss that.
GOD: You know why I used to give you teddy bears and pennies?
ME: Because you loved me. And you know I collect teddy bears and pennies. They used to call me the ‘Teddy Bear Rescue Mission’ because I’d find so many abandoned teddy bears on the roadside. I’d take them home and fix them up. And I still have them. And the pennies state right there ‘In God We Trust’. And when I needed to remember to trust You, You’d give me a penny. Or more. And You haven’t lately. Nothing. At all.
GOD: I don’t give you pennies as often because you already know to trust me. You still trust me. You don’t need the reminder.
ME: I know. But it’s still nice to be told You’re thinking of me.
GOD: I’m always thinking of you. And I don’t give you teddy bears any more because you don’t need them. The bears I used to give you were for comfort and security. You’re growing up nicely and don’t need that any more.
ME: I know, but . . .
GOD: But you still want them. I understand. And when you appreciate those gifts as gifts I’ll let you find them again. But right now, you want them for the wrong reasons. Right now, you want them so you don’t feel alone.
ME: Yes.
GOD: But you’re not alone. And you know that.
ME: Yes.
GOD: I have something better for you to collect: People.
ME: People?
GOD: People. Every person you know is worth treasuring. Some are more valuable than others, and some are older than others. But every one is a treasure.
ME: I’m a people-collector?
GOD: Yes.
ME: So you’re telling me I don’t need pennies or teddy bears, but I do need people. And these coins are symbolic of the people in my life. Past, present, and future. The people I interact with are important. They are my fun, my security, my soft hugs, my reprimands, my world.
GOD: Yes.
ME: You know, when you put it that way, my treasures far outweigh what’s contained in this bottle. There’s family, writers, church, the day job, Facebook peeps, supporters.
GOD: I know.
[Insert seriously long pause as I contemplate the need to recognize the value in others, and the necessity of showing others how valuable they are to me.]
ME: Hey, God?
GOD: Yes, Child?
ME: Will you be my first penny?
GOD: I thought you’d never ask.
Welcome back to Five Things Friday. My theme for this week is #DoingTheWriteThing. I can’t get tired of it. The more I promote writing, the more addicted to writing I become.
Every conversation I hear, every sight I see, every sense I experience is placed in my mental filing cabinet (and sometimes on paper) for probable later use.
Reading about writing excites me. I’m currently studying Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners” and came across this gem, Number One on today’s Five Things Friday.
Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners”
1. My writing mentor assigned me to read two books. Flannery O’Connor’s “Mystery and Manners” is the first. I’ve been struggling with how to write a gripping murder mystery while retaining my Christianity. He has been telling me for several months that this book would clear that up for me. Three chapters in, and I see he’s right. The book begins with an essay or two on peacocks, which has rekindled my love for these beautiful creatures. That’s another blog post. The next sections express the importance of Christians writing the grotesque with redemption. For if we write only “rainbow and unicorns” (my words) where is the challenge for others to change their world? Authenticity, not loftiness, is the better writing.
2. I finally released The Unemployment Cookbook for Kindle on Amazon. I spent quite a bit of last week rekeying the text into the proper format, then creating the hyperlinks in the Table of Contents. It’s satisfying to have another title in the stable, as well as a completed project. Novel writing takes years, so to have something to show for all my writing efforts makes me feel productive, but more than that, it gives me the chance to show you, my faithful readers, that your support isn’t in vain or cast aside.
The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition
3. All the profits from the Kindle cookbook are going into my #DoingTheWriteThing fundraiser. So even though I have a fundraiser page set up, I’m doing as much as I can to contribute my fair share. Each morning brings me one day closer to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and other networking and learning opportunities, and one step closer to being the better writer I know I can be.
Go Fund Me: #DoingTheWriteThing
4. I reconnected with old friends last week. My missionary friend, Cynthia, returned home from Germany for a short visit. It’s been quite a few years since we were able to see each other, and I am grateful for the time we had. I was reminded that she, too, is a creative writer. She shared how she’s using her gift to minister to children, teens, and young women near Dresden, Germany.
Three Amigas: Corrie, Cynthia, Molly Jo
5. I’m promoting the High Desert Chapter of the California Writers Club. I’ve mentioned it before. It’s a wonderful, state-recognized organization for writers to get together. With over one hundred active members, we have formal critique groups, informal salons, monthly meetings with guest speakers, book fairs, networking and sales opportunities. For the last several months I’ve been the official Social Media Marketer. That’s just a fancy way of saying I get to be on social media for the club. I sit up front at the meetings, attend local author book signings, take photos, and share content. There’s something magical about being in a room of like-minded people, those who don’t just see the words on paper, but know how to put them there. I’m very honored to be an active member of this group.
Wordsmith Salon: Dwight, Tess, Richard, Lorelei, Molly Jo
Today’s bonus is for those of you who think I can’t stop writing.
