So I spent a couple hours writing a post on gratitude for this week for Thanksgiving, but honestly, it ended up getting a lot more personal than I was comfortable with for a public post. I still think the idea of a quick list of things I’ve thankful for is not a bad idea. Maybe it’s clichéd, but with all of the crazy in the world lately, it’s nice to have a reminder that there are things I’m blessed with in my life. Even if no one else bothers to read this post due to just how cliché it really is (LOL), I need to get this out on paper. Writing the other (1k plus in word count) post was cathartic as hell.
I guess I hope to challenge myself to keep a positive outlook for the next year. I actually had someone call me a Pollyanna earlier this year, but you know, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not a bad thing. I’m not saying I want to be so overly hopeful that I’m not realistic, but neither do I want to focus on all the things that could be going wrong either in my personal life, business life, or out in the world on a global scale. There’s too many things I can’t control, and getting hyper anxious over all of it will never help in the long run.
So, I want to focus on the good, starting with this quick post about the things I am so very thankful for:
My health: I’m in better shape with my migraines than I’ve been in many years, and I hope it can only get better. My weight is still an issue, but I’m making progress there, too. I just take it one day at a time at this point. As long as I’m improving little by little, I’ll be going in the right direction.
My family: Despite the normal tensions that every family has off and on, we’re in a good place right now. Plus, as an added bonus, I have four stinking adorable nieces to spoil as their Aunty Cait, and I’m definitely enjoying my responsibilities for that. They’re getting to the fun ages too, where I may be able to start taking them on museum and zoo type outings. I’m excited!
My relationship: I have an amazing man in my life, one better than I ever expected to find after my crappy track record. He’s the kind of supportive partner I never knew I really needed, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him. I decided I’m keeping him, and he hasn’t argued. ;)
My writing: Even though the early part of the year stressed me out, and I don’t have the book deal or agent I’d hoped to have by now, I do have a much better gage of how I’m going to move forward. After Pitch Wars, my sci-fi is in the best possible shape it can be, and I have a lot of new writer friends from the competition. I’m networking like crazy, and I’ve got another DFW Con coming up, as well as a writer retreat with the Herding Cats crew. Will I get an agent with this book? – I have no way of knowing that just yet. But I’m going to send out queries like crazy and just see what happens. Even if this book doesn’t go as far as I’d like, I have other books I’m writing. That will never stop, and having that fact in my head is a bonus all on its own.
My friends: From the Herding Cats creative writing group to the camping group I hang with out at Faire to my bestie from high school who is still my bestie now, I’ve got an awesome group of people to lean on if I need help in just about any segment of my life. It’s taken some time to find groups that my introvert self feels really comfortable with, but I’m enjoying the hell out of everyone. Even my online buddies are multiplying in number in the best of ways.
In general, life is definitely looking up. There’s no way to know what next year is going to bring, but I’m happy to hope it’ll be more of the good, even in the midst of any bad that might exist out in the world. I’ve come to realize it’s the only attitude I want to face the world with