I Am Blessed

Because of you!

Late last year, my stress levels hit an all time high. Because of nothing I could actually pinpoint, I had heart palpitations and vertigo that would last for weeks at a time. The extreme bouts of dizziness—having to hold on to the walls to walk, lying in bed with the room spinning, and feeling like I was on a small boat on a very rough sea—were a wake up call. I consider myself lucky. It could have been much worse. Needless to say, I needed to reduce stress in my life and began taking small steps to take care of myself.

While Christmas shopping, I stumbled on a small book called Calm the Chaos: Daily Practice for a More Peaceful Life by Nicola Ries Taggart. It gives small prompts for each day (or night) that focus on the positive things you’ve done, and the positive ways you want to feel tomorrow. Knowing I usually went to bed worrying about all the things I screwed up, and all the things I didn’t get done, I decided to give the book a chance.

I decided to start a mindful, positive practice to change my attitude.

A funny thing happened after completing the first journal. The vertigo stopped. I began to have a rosier view of life and the little things stopped getting me down. I bought three more journals.

Now, I’ve completed 2 Calm the Chaos journals and things are getting better every day. This morning I woke up thinking not about all the things I “have to get done,” but instead, seeing possibilities in the day ahead.

I am Blessed!

Here are a few of the reasons why.

1. Mike and I just celebrated 37 years of marriage.

2. I am a published author, and I’m launching my 4th book this summer.

3. I’m completing awesome edits for another paranormal thriller

4. I can choose to edit, write something new, draw, play the piano, or help my fellow authors.

5. It’s a beautiful day, and I am able bodied. I may choose to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

6. You are reading this post! And connecting with readers makes me very happy.

It amazes me how making small changes in my daily thinking—focusing on the positive rather than the negative, for one—can make such a difference in my point of view. I don’t have to have terrifying thrills in my life to write thriller. I don’t have to experience fear every day just to get it on the page. Although my characters must overcome obstacles, finesse threats from ‘bad guys,’ and eventually make things right again in their worlds, I’m not living that life.

Not hardly.

But as an author struggling to break through the agent ceiling, my new positive outlook is something to write home about. All those rejection letters? I chalk them up to feathers in my writing cap. Someday, I will get a publishing contract. Someday, I’ll tell the story of how it happened for me.

If anything I’m saying hits home to you, please reach out. I’d love to hear your story of how you overcame obstacles in your life.