Hitting Pause by Cheryl Harper

There's got to be a word for knowing the right thing to do and then just...not doing it. Stubbornness, maybe? I'm not sure. We're word people. Somebody throw me the right word. Just don't even suggest to me it's PATIENCE. Is anyone else guilty of thinking that if a little hard work is good SO MUCH MORE is better? That's the track I've been on for a while now. I moved and I moved and I moved. I got a good job and then a better job and then a better one. I met a deadline and the one after that and, by the skin of my teeth, the one after that.

I wore myself out. I did. Nothing went right. I was too tired to worry much about it, you know?

My lesson: sometimes good things are not a matter of hard work, but of timing. Or I should say, not ONLY a matter of hard work, but also the right time. January has give me two really amazing weeks.

That job is about to become a new one, one where the interview included a question about the Oxford comma, something that pleased me to my soul.

Writing nothing new for MONTHS? That was scary. Now, in 2019 I've got new stories. I hope I remember how to tell them.

When I desperately needed it, my cabinets held a brownie mix. This is something you can't count on at my house, which makes the discovery so much sweeter. (Did you see what I did there?)

And so far in January, I've spent time beside a hospital bed which was scary but it going to turn out just fine and this weekend, I learned I'm going to be a great-aunt (which I am most certainly not old enough to be).

I don't like waiting. I don't like waiting when the circumstances are hard or confusing or painful. I wanted to change it all, even when it wore me out.

At some point, I'm going to learn to trust that something good is on the way, right? I really hope so. If, like me, your 2019 is already long on blessings and good news, let's make a pact to remind each other of how quickly things can bloom when it's the right time.

And if you're still waiting on the tide to turn, believe that good things are coming.

(That picture and quote? It's a little hint about the new series. I've got a contest running across my social media to guess the location.)

Comments

  1. I'm still waiting, but am glad for your good things. I wish you patience!

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  2. If you figure out the right word, let me know. There is probably a picture of me next to it, lol. I'm notorious for knowing what I should do, but not doing it. It sounds like you've been super busy this last year. Moving. New jobs. New books. I can't wait to find out about your new series!

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  3. Waiting sometimes allows you a respite that can be much needed. Hectic is often what can't be avoided, no matter how hard you try. But it sounds as if things are moving in a good direction for you and that is excellent.

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  4. I wish you patience, too, and the same for me. I know things are too hectic when some small thing sends me into a spiral--the still, small voice always whispers, "relax, just wait," and if I'm smart enough to listen, things settle down. Thanks for this post. Good luck with new projects!

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  5. I found this quote “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ― Corrie Ten Boom. Easy to say, hard to live by. I'm glad the hospital episode turned out okay, and I'd like to hear more about the Oxford comma. (I'm pro, BTW). May 2019 be a good year for you and for all of us.

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  6. I have an amazing capacity for hard work too and an underlying belief that it will pay off. I think the word you are looking for is cock-eyed optimism. Your head knows timing is important and audience is important, but your hear urges you not to wait, to simply charge on working evermore furiously trying to reach your goal. Best of luck with 2019. So far I'm just optimistically looking to the horizon for the next good thing to come my way.

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  7. It sounds like things are going really well! And I'm glad it's all coming together so perfectly!

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  8. Glad your time in the hospital wasn't too serious. Good things happening in 2019 - I'm cheering for that one.

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