The past year has been one of the hardest in my life. I’ve felt tested in almost every way – financially, professionally, emotionally, spiritually. I’ve done more soul searching in the past few months than I’ve done in my whole life, asking hard questions, writing my way through personal storms – words that raged and searched and are utterly unsuitable for publication. (So you can relax. This isn’t that kind of blog.)
But at some point, not all that long ago, I decided I had to stop thinking so much and just start doing. It started with Obama’s campaign – volunteering at the campaign office, answering phones, walking precincts – and it spread. I took up yoga, started this blog, joined two hiking groups, said yes to a professional project I had no idea if I could do. I changed my workout, my diet, started filtering my water (instead of buying bottled). I painted three walls, completed the revision of my first novel and started the second.
Not everything I’ve done has worked out the way I planned. I committed to being an editor, for instance, creating a website and encouraging referrals, only to realize I really, really don’t want to be a full-time editor. For a while I struggled with that realization and then I decided to DO something. I took down the site (which immediately made me feel better). I’m finishing the redesign now, and I’m totally excited about the new improved Scribe Girl, a site for writers and readers, with a blog about writing, and book recommendations, and news about the publishing industry, and… who knows what all it might have when it’s live (hopefully at the end of the month).
To be honest, I don’t know where all this DOING will lead me, but I’m moving – getting healthy, busy, motivated, hopeful. On Tuesday, President Obama told the nation that it was time to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America. I’m thinking maybe this is where it starts. Each of us, in our own way, figuring ourselves out, getting up and DOING.
doing is believing and believing leads to doing
like you said, first hope, then believe, then do.
cmw
I am learning so much from you!
Let 2009 be the Year of Action!!!
thank you for sharing – and for being such an inspiration. 2009 is gonna be fine! let’s go! :-)
thank you for commenting!!! seriously, whenever i veer off into personal territory, i’m certain people will just stop reading, politics being, on the whole, much more interesting than i am. so thank you for bearing with me.
and yes! 2009 – new president, new era, new hope.
I disagree. I encourage you to write the personal AND the political. You write so well… funny, biting, truthful, raw, and with clarity. Whatever you write, I’ll be in the audience.
poeticgrin, that’s huge. thanks.
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