Words to live by

Happy Thursday, friends.

Ever since writer Doris Lessing's recent death, I haven't been able to get one of her most famous quotes out of my mind:

"Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible."

For me, these truly are words to live by. We can all come up with excuses not to follow our dreams right now: I'm too old. I'm too young. I'll wait until the kids are out on their own. I don't have time.... But as Lessing said, we're always going to face obstacles when it comes to doing whatever it is we're meant to be doing. There's never going to be a perfect time. The only time is now.

I feel like I'm finally doing what I need to do to make my own dreams come true. How about you? Are you doing what you're meant to do?

Wishing you all a wonderful Thursday. ☺

K is for Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway"

Happy Friday, and welcome to Day "K" of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

Today's inspiration comes from Kelly Clarkson and her 2004 hit song, "Breakaway." I don't know much about Clarkson's recent work, but I've always felt inspired by this song about growing up, moving on, and having the courage to follow dreams. Although Clarkson didn't write the song, she has said that she can relate to its story and as a child always felt that there was something else out there for her. In the video—as in real life—we see Clarkson, the first winner of American Idol, following her dream, and I think that's very inspiring. ☺


Lyrics here.

Also, just a reminder that my daily haiku is up at the Pulitzer Remix site. You can find it here. Many thanks to everyone reading and commenting. Your support means so much!


Wishing you all an inspiring Friday. ☺

Sunday inspiration

Happy Sunday!

I have two videos to share with you today. The first one is about the power of words:




The second video is Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway." It's not a new song, but it has an inspiring message, particularly for people who are trying to follow their dreams:



Lyrics here.


Have an inspiring Sunday!

I'm back!

I decided this morning that I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo after all. :)

To all of you who offered encouragement in response to yesterday's post: thank you. I had been feeling pretty dejected about NaNo after I was told by someone close to me that my passion for writing is "stupid," but I felt better--and determined--after I read your encouraging responses. I wrote a response of my own this morning, where I tried to explain the reason that this person's lack of support hurt so much. (You can find my response here.)

What I learned from this experience is that although writing is a solitary activity, it's still necessary for me to feel supported by others and to have a sense that what I'm doing is important. Yes, I can write for me (and I do), but to know that someone is out there encouraging me and cheering me on reminds me that my passion is as important as anyone else's and following my dream is worthwhile.

I don't know how NaNo will go for me this year. I'm hoping that I'll make or exceed the word goal, as I did the two other years I participated. I think that this year my success will likely depend on my ability to find time to write around the distractions of my two very young children, which might prove difficult without family support. No matter what, though, I know that I have friends I can count on when the going gets tough. Thank you!

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday's post about the pressure I feel as I try to balance my dream of becoming a published writer and my life as a mom. I was feeling pretty low when I wrote that blog entry. I honestly didn't see much point in my continuing to strive for a goal that seems so impossible. Through your encouragement, however, I've seen that it would be wrong for me to give up on my dreams--wrong for both me and my children. (What kind of example would I be setting?) I truly appreciate your comments. I've taken them all to heart and will respond to each of them in the next few days.

Thank you all again.