Sometimes, you find a missing link that you never imagine existed. Sometimes, you get that one tiny piece of information that makes sense of everything else. Today, someone told me something that helped me wipe away the clouds of doubt in a confusing situation. Clarity arrived. And I smiled. The future is bright.
Tag: future
In the pause: Authors, the marketing of your book is on you
Publishers tell authors they need a platform. Here’s what they really mean: the marketing and promotion of your book rests with you. That care and concern can’t be farmed out. No matter who you hire or who publishes the book, you must be your own advocate, cheerleader, and agent. Being an author is a business; thank goodness I have an MBA.
I let myself feel disappointed by this fact for about 5 minutes. It was a rough 5 minutes. And then I picked myself up and went to work executing against the plan I had laid out months ago. It’s a grind and I have to give it everything I have in this last stretch before the November 1st release. I wrote and sent 43 pitches in 36 hours, most of them in the very weeeee hours of the morning.
I also had to come to the frustrating conclusion that the act of writing the second book has to take a backseat while I promote the first book that comes out in November, especially in these last few months before it’s released.
And with every query I just couldn’t get this quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald out of my mind: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Today, what we can dream about for the future rests firmly in our ability to manage what’s already been done.
In the pause: You can change your life today
“You’re always one decision away from a totally different life.” ~Mark Betterson
Being stuck is a state of mind. We can make decision to let things go that don’t serve us. We can decide to smile more, love more, and worry less. We can choose to see beauty in us and around us. We can stop beating ourselves up for things that are out of our control. We can take a deep breath. We can be grateful for what and who we have rather than mourning what’s no longer ours or was never ours to begin with. We can believe in magic. We can be the light, for ourselves and for others.
We have more power than we think we do. Change your mind, and you change your life.
In the pause: Hey, wonderful you over there
“How cool is it that the same God who created mountains and oceans and galaxies looked at you and thought the world needed one of you, too.” ~Unknown
Whether or not we believe in God or any kind of greater mover and shaker of the Universe, we can appreciate that the mountain, oceans, and galaxies are pretty damn marvelous. Just to share their existence, be in their presence, and appreciate their beauty is a wonder. And so are you. How fortunate we are to just be here, to be an integral part of something so miraculous. Let that idea of your own magical nature guide your weekend. See where it takes you.
In the pause: Every storms passes; you go on
“You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” ~Timber Hawkeye
One day this week tapped into my prime stressors. I had a too-packed schedule, my blood sugar started dropping because I forgot to eat, subway delays abounded and made me late to my final meeting, and I had an unexpected discussion about my apartment building fire that threw me into some uncomfortable flashbacks. All of it was manageable, but together in a short span of time those stressors added up into a palpable storm.
As I stood in the subway on my way home, I closed my ways halfway, focused on my breath, and reminded myself that despite all of these circumstances, I was okay. I got through the schedule, I grabbed something to eat, everyone understands the subway issue, and I had survived the fire. Slowly the stress seeped away into the street below my feet as I made my way home. By the time I reached my apartment, I was back on solid ground.
Letting go of our troubles isn’t a one and done deal; it’s a continual process. Smiling helps. Breathing helps. Gratitude helps. Friends help. My dog helps. If you’re facing a storm now, of any proportion, give yourself a break. You’re doing the best that you can. Eventually, every storm breaks. You will go on. Believe.
In the pause: Let the Universe reveal your path
Plant the seeds of your dreams and see what grows. Some of that growth is out of our control. Some of it has to do with our actions. Your way will find you if you continue to do your part. Show up. Work hard. Be kind. Let the Universe take care of the rest.
In the pause: Magic plus action = dreams realized
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ~Roald Dahl
This weekend, I decided I was going to spend this week doing two things:
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- Believing something magical would happen with my job search
- Working my tail off to make said magic happen
I believe in the power of articulating our dreams. I believe that wondrous things can blossom from good intentions. I believe that commitment makes meaning. And…I think that belief is not enough. We have to work—diligently, consistently, and over a long period of time—to make our work work. Our magic isn’t separate and apart from our actions; action is the highway that magic rides upon. Without action, we’re just wishing and waiting. We can do better than that, for ourselves and for each other.
In the pause: You already believe in miracles
“We live on a blue planet that circles around a ball of fire next to a moon that moves the sea, and you don’t believe in miracles?” ~Anonymous
You already believe in the miracle that is this planet so why not believe in the miracle that is you? Your strength and ability to rise is infinite. Don’t shrink. Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t let anyone or anything steal your light. Glow, and spread it around.
In the pause: Advice for surviving tough times
I talked to a neighbor this weekend and learned that she’s also a yogi. She’s had a rough couple of months. She’s working hard to clear out her life and restore peace. There are remedies for surviving a tough time.
Give it space.
Give it time.
Talk it out.
Walk it out.
Read it out.
Celebrate small victories.
Understand that this is all temporary. Everything. All there is, in the end, is change. The shifts won’t always be comfortable or quick, but let them happen. Something better is falling into place.
In the pause: How to reorder life’s messy moments
“It’s all messy: The hair. The bed. The words. The heart. Life…” ~William Leal
Sometimes this is how life feels—messy. We want everything in order, in place, fixed, neat, perfect. I get this in moments, but overall life seems to trend much more toward messy. It’s nature. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that there is a natural tendency of any isolated system to degenerate into a more disordered state. In other words, entropy naturally increases unless there are outside influences that restore or re-balance the system.
If we apply thermodynamics to our very illogical, emotional human lives, those outside influences are critical to prevent the systems of our lives from disintegrating. Friends, family members, passion projects, exercise, eating well, hobbies, art, books, spending time outside. All of these forces help to re-balance our messy lives. They help us restore some sense of order, peace, and equilibrium. Life will always tend to entropy. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help to put it back together. We can only fight entropy together.
Christa Avampato 