INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN

I want to tell you about a couple of women who have inspired me this week. The first one is a co-worker Dana Johnston. You can read a little bit of her story here http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120517/NEWS04/305170052/Ozarks-Technical-Community-College-Springfield-commencement-speech?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

As good as that article is - it only tells part of the story. I watched it unfold over the past two years. I've seen her ups and downs, her highs and her lows. I'd met her husband and her kids. I listened when she needed an ear and I stayed out of her way when she didn't. I even helped her edit a few of her college papers. Words can't describe how much I admire her. The way she handled this hard chapter of her life made me realize I don't have it so bad. So what if I didn't get a book deal. So what if I've lost my MoJo. (see previous post)

The second woman is Cecily White. I haven't know her as long as I've known Dana, but the short time I have, she has also inspired me. Here's a little something about her. http://www.larsenpomada.com/pam-van-hylckama-vlieg-sells-golden-heart-trilogy/

She's probably half my age (I'm guessing, I haven't asked her). She's a college professor, a wife and a mother of two young children. She is the conference coordinator for one of the writing groups I'm in http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/   and secretary for another. And during all that, she managed to write a fabulous YA book, get a wonderful agent and sign a three book deal. Not bad!

I've used every excuse in the book lately to not write, not submit and basically not care about my dream anymore. But, these two women have made me feel a bit ashamed of myself. No more pity party. It's time for action instead of reaction. WE ARE WOMEN - HEAR US ROAR!

MOJO

I seem to have lost my mojo.
The original meaning of mojo was along the lines of magic spells and charms. But, the following definition is closer to what I'm feeling.

According to The Urban Dictionary:

mojo

N. 1. Self-confidence, Self-assuredness. As in basis for belief in ones self in a situation. Esp. In context of contest or display of skill. 2. Good luck fetish / charm to bolster confidence. 3. ability to bounce back from a debilitating trauma and negative attitude Yep, that pretty much sums it up. How did I lose my mojo? I'm going to attribute it to a couple of things. 1. Old age. and . . . Oh, lets just go with that. Old age encompasses most everything I'm feeling lately. I tire easily, my brain refuses to function sometimes, my joints tell me when the weather is changing. The thing is, I'm not really that old. I should have another good 20 years in me, but several incidents these last few months have made me feel like an aging prize fighter down for the count. The details aren't important. The bottom line is I don't want to do anything productive. And that includes writing. :-( I'm hoping it's just a phase and I'll snap out of it. 'Cause this is no fun. I want to write and I want to pitch to an agent at OraCon. http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/ SNAP OUT OF IT!!!! Have you ever lost your "mojo"? And if so, how did you get it back?

BASEBALL & LIFE

Picture from Life Magazine

Baseball season has finally started! I love baseball. I’ve heard people say it’s a boring game. Not if you understand the intricacies of the game and the correlation between baseball and life. I can hear some of you right now. “What in the heck are you talking about?” Well, let me explain.

In a baseball game, you have several chances to get a home run. If you don’t hit it out of the park your first time at bat, you are given another try in a later inning. And then (if you learned anything that first time) you make adjustments in your swing. In life, we do much the same. If we don’t get what we want the first time, we make adjustments and most of us give it another go. And if we hit a home run, we might wonder if it’s a fluke or can we do it again?

Sometimes a player gets a hit and makes it to first base. Then, some decisions have to be made. How much of a lead do they take? Do they wait for the next batter to get a hit, or try and steal second base? Again, in life, sometimes we make it to first and it feels safe and we stay put. Other times we yearn for more. What’s it like on second base? Do I have what it takes to get there or will I fall short?

            As most of you know, I made it to first base with Avalon publishing when Editor Lia Brown asked for my manuscript. I sent it and patiently waited on first. Then Lia left Avalon and a few weeks ago I got my manuscript back with a rejection letter on top. I never made it to second base and while I waited on first, precious time was wasted. I should have tried to steal second by contacting other houses or agents.
           That was my first at bat. I’ll make adjustments and my next time at the plate, I’m sure I’ll have better results. After all, it's a long season and anything can happen.