Personally, I’m a routine kinda gal. What about you? Love it or leave it?
routine
What Will You Do With Your Fresh Page?
A Fresh Slate
Happy New Year!
Ya’ll know that I’m not a big New Year’s resolutionist. And I’m not a huge fan of change, either. I tend to eat the same meals every week, go to bed at the same time every night (even on the weekends), and write from the same desk every day. I’m not one of those writers who can pick up my laptop and head to a coffee shop. Generally I prefer my quiet routine.
For twelve and a half years Bruiser, our golden retriever, shared it with me, but we lost our sweet baby around Halloween last year. The rascal had been my shadow for so long, the loss left me reeling.
Bruiser, my constant shadow, my faithful companion
No more stink eye when his food dish wasn’t filled on time. No more warning dinner guests not to leave a napkin on their lap because the sneak would circle the table in stealth mode, then swipe it or snag food from a hand, lightning-quick. No more huffs of frustration when we told him to go back to sleep, that it wasn’t time to wake up yet.
Bruiser grew up as a playmate to our two sons, then considered himself an only child when they moved on.
He was my fierce protector, yet the big lug cowered in our walk-in shower during thunderstorms and fireworks. Wherever we went, he wanted to go too, and two-thirds of the back seat belonged to him, didn’t matter if someone was already sitting in that spot. And elevators? Forget it! The first time he rode in one, he landed, belly on the floor, all four legs stretched out, and we never enticed him into another one. Bruiser was full of personality.
The fierce ache of loss hasn’t diminished and the tears still catch me off-guard. I just keep telling myself to cherish the memories and one day I’ll see that sweet, joyful, mischievous face again in heaven, and catch a whiff of his bad doggie breath. 🙂
But life marches on, doesn’t it? That flip to January on the calendar marks a new year, a fresh slate, a new beginning. It’s time to get back to writing. To carve out a new routine. But now, instead of my companion snoring softly behind me in the office, I’ll have to be content with the wildlife that meander across our back yard.
What changes will you make this year?
Happy New Year!
“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new beginning.” ~Carl Bard
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
It may come as a surprise to you, but I’m a routine kinda gal. I eat the same cereal for breakfast and wake up and go to bed every day about the same time. Wait staff from our favorite restaurants don’t bother asking for my order; they just confirm it. I write only from my quiet office, and I take breaks in regular intervals. Interruptions throw me off kilter, and it takes a while to regain my balance.
But being a writer is slowly eroding my routine. That, or my husband is. 🙂
He’s always encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone. He prodded me to write my first book, even when I doubted, and encouraged me to join a writers group. When our local librarian invited me to address their readers, hubby rattled off a list of possible topics and practically shoved me into the public speaking arena when I would have been perfectly content to hide out in the obscurity of my office, pecking away at my laptop. Eventually, readers would find my stories, right?
Now, he’s at it again. Prodding me to expand my horizons. Travel. Food. Where does it stop?
Three years ago, he convinced me that a European cruise was cheaper than some of our US vacations, and we’ve cruised there every year since. We’ve craned our necks to stare up at the Eiffel Tower, climbed the Colosseum in Rome, and explored ancient walled cities in Tuscany and volcanoes in Iceland. We devoured pizza in Belfast, gobbled down granitas and cannoli’s in Sicily, guzzled espresso in Barcelona, and tasted authentic fish and chips in London.
And you know what? I actually enjoyed it. Not necessarily every new meal or city, but the experience. He doesn’t have to sell me on it anymore. When he mentions a European cruise, I’m totally on board.
We all need someone like that, don’t we? A friend or spouse to push us to achieve more, to reach for our dreams, to fill a hole with something that we’re passionate about, or to force us to face our fears. For me, it was fear of the unknown.
What are you afraid of?
Embrace life. Surround yourself with people who love you enough to shove you out of your comfort zone. Give your dreams wings to become reality and discover yourself.
Just wait until he starts messing with my bedtime. Or leaving brochures for Antarctica on the kitchen counter…
“Risk, then, is not just part of life. It is life. The place between your comfort zone and your dream is where life takes place. It’s the high-anxiety zone, but it’s also where you discover who you are.” ~Nick Vujicic
Weaving a Legacy of Grace 