It's my first Heartwarming blog post of the year! Woohoo!! Happy 2017 people! Great to see you here.
Happy reading...and dreaming!
~Anna J
This year I've decided to tackle a recurring topic for my posts to this blog. Every month I plan to write about something I not only want to do, but something I'm determined to do. No idea what all that might encompass especially since the idea only just came to me as I started typing on this page <G>. But I posted a picture on Facebook that just spoke to me on so many levels, it's inspired me to focus on possibilities instead of letting myself get mired down in fear and uncertainty. Yay, hope! Yeah, let's do that.
So what picture did I post? This one:
Can you guess what city? It's actually one I've been to (a loooooong time ago), but it's a place that has been near and dear to my heart ever since I learned of my ancestry. Imagine the sound of bagpipes echoing in the air as the drizzle and fog surround you. Yeah, it's Edinburgh, Scotland. There isn't anything I don't love about this image; even the grey sky doesn't deter me from wanting to return, to explore castles and my family history, and lose myself in unending days and nights of unplanned fun. Looking at this picture I can feel it calling to me. It's primal. It's unshakable. So I'm putting a return visit on my to do list. Not my bucket list. Not my "when I have the time or money" list because let's face it, we never know when we're going to have either. Snap your fingers and the opportunity might disappear. This is something I will do.
I've been very fortunate in my travel experiences. I've no doubt seen more outside of the US than I have inside, but I'm not sure I ever truly appreciated everything the experiences had to offer. Every memory I have seems hurried, rushed, like a flash of my life that I can barely remember. I didn't savor; I didn't fully immerse myself in the experience (and yes, I was about 20 years younger so there's that). I don't want to do it over, I want to go again and there's a difference in that. So I will. Might take me a few more books in the bank, but I'm going to make it happen.
So here's what I'm going to suggest and it's what I will do the second I type the last line of this post. Find your "living" place. Where do you want to go more than any other place in the world? The whys don't matter; the how you'll get there doesn't matter. Not now. For now, just find a picture, print it out, and put it somewhere where you will see it each and every day so you can see what you will do. Where you will go. Because by focusing on the future, you'll be living in the moment and propelling yourself forward to one of your dreams. And dreams are what sustain us. They drive us. They fill us.
Which brings me back to the purpose of this post: dreams. And the dreams we'll talk about over the course of this year (that's 6 dreams for me, right? We can do that!).
So you have your assignement. I'm betting as you've been reading this post an image popped into your head; the first place you thought of; the place that made your heart clench and your stomach jump. That's a dream...and it's making itself known inside of you right now. Embrace it. And live.
Feel free to share what that dream is in the comments. I'll pop in a bagpipe CD while I read them.
:)
Happy reading...and dreaming!
~Anna J
USA Today and national bestselling author Anna
J. Stewart currently writes sweet to sexy romance for Harlequin's Heartwarming
and Romantic Suspense lines. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek and
Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family-centric
romances with happily ever afters for her independent heroines. Anna lives in
Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock
addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly
affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it's Snickers who tolerates her). When
she's not writing, you can find her at fan conventions, at her local movie
theater, or building her client list for her content editing service for
writers. Her next Heartwarming release will be A DAD FOR CHARLIE, book 3 in the Butterfly Harbor series coming in August, 2017. You can find her online at www.authorannastewart.com.
Can I go with you? I have several dreams. Many of which will hopefully come true if I set my mind to it. I like how determined you sound. Not your "when I have the time and money" trip but your "I'm going no matter what" trip. That's the attitude to have to make thinks happen!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can absolutely go with me!! the more the merrier. :) <3
DeleteThe British Isles call to me. Scotland felt like home when I was there but so did places in England, Wales and Ireland. Edinburgh is a very good place to start!
ReplyDeleteI think it's the only other country I'd ever consider living in! :) Mother ship calling us home, LOL
DeleteI love the picture of Edinburgh . . . and your positive attitude!
ReplyDeleteI've been fortunate to have travelled to a lot of wonderful places; however, I've never been to Ireland. It's top of my list of places I still want to visit.
I wish all your dreams come true!
I loved Ireland, too! Definitely worth the trip. :) Thanks for commenting, Kate!
DeleteMy dream is for a view. I want to write next to a window that overlooks a pond so that I can watch the seasons change, and the ducks come and go.
ReplyDeleteI like your goal setting! :) I hope you get back to Scotland soon!
Beautiful image. The history just seems to have seeped into the stones there, doesn't it? Hope your trip comes soon and you enjoy it to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth. :) For now I get the picture.
DeleteAnna, I have no doubt you will get there! And sooner than you think. It's on my list for the year to go somewhere I've never been, even if it's somewhere close by that I've never seen. I'm determined to make it happen. My BIG place to visit would probably be Iceland.
ReplyDeleteOoooh, Iceland! That sounds awesome. Hope you make it soon!
DeleteYour question for me is easy. I have wanted to visit Ireland for the longest time. I believe my mother's family came from Cork. At least she always said so and that was her maiden name. I've just done an ancestry test and mailed it off yesterday. If I find I indeed have those Irish roots, I may just finish the book I'm working on and fly off. Or maybe I'll just dream about what I'd find if I did.
ReplyDeleteOh, do it, Roz!! Ireland is gorgeous and you'll have an amazing time! Can't wait to hear about your results!
DeleteIreland for me, too. And I like Roz's idea. Find my roots and fly off to where ever that turns out to be...
ReplyDeleteI'm sensing the Heartwarming authors need to take a group trip to the Emerald Isle . Who's in?!
DeleteAny place, outside of my cubicle walls, sounds pretty good to me. For now, I'll stare at your beautiful photo and daydream.
ReplyDeleteTotally understand that, Jill. :) Happy daydreaming!
DeleteI, too, have always wanted to visit Ireland and Scotland. I guess with a name like Forsythe, that's kind of a given.
ReplyDeleteIt most certainly is!! :) Hope you make it, Patricia!
DeleteThere's a 'family' of paddle-wheels that stop in Astoria on their way north to Alaska or South (not sure how far) but Ron and I have always talked about taking that trip. Ron loves boats of any kind, me - not so much. But I think I could be happy on one that stays on the river or close to shore. I'm going to find a photo of a paddle wheel right now and post it on the fridge to give life to the dream. Thanks for this post. I'm usually happy in my little corner when I can't go anywhere, but who knows what might happen if I applied myself to the dream. You do sound as though you come from the land of fairies and sprites.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Muriel. I think the fairies and sprites are definitely in my blood. :) Glad I could inspire you about the paddle wheel!! <3
DeleteStill thinking, but I love this post...
ReplyDelete<3
Delete