I Woke Up This Morning

I woke up this morning. It's going to be a good day.

Yesterday, well, it wasn't such a good day. I've been upset with how things have been going at work. The last couple of weeks have been very stressful, challenging, to say the least. I usually can put stuff like that aside and keep on going, but for some reason, it's not working. I left work last night very upset, my mind racing and full of stuff turning over and over in my head. I was distracted to say the least. Not good to jump into your car when you are in that state, but I wanted to get home. Put that night behind me. I should have taken a moment and assessed things, taken a deep breath, and let it go. I didn't. Instead, I got the hell out of there.

As I travelled down Highway 10, I was happy to be heading to home. I was between Ramsey and Elk River, when I heard my inner voice say, "You need to get gas." Just then, I looked down and my gas gauge was reading "E".

Crap!! I thought, "The next gas station is right up here, I'll pull in and get gas there."

**Cough, cough, sputter, sputter**
Crap!!!

I had to pull over to the side of the highway. Stupid, stupid, stupid!! I put gas in the other day, and I only have been going to work (gas prices have gone up, so I didn't have as much in my tank as I thought), ... Crap!!

I got out my cell phone and called AAA. They would send someone out right away to put gas in my tank. Then I looked out and it was starting to snow. Great. Fabulous. I was getting cold and I was hoping someone would come soon.

About 20 minutes later, a police car pulled behind me with his lights on. It was an officer from the Elk River Police Department. I handed him my license and showed him my AAA card and let him know I was just out of gas and waiting for the tow driver from Collins Brothers. He said he would wait behind me until the tow showed up. "I just passed a Collins Brothers tow driver on 169, so he's probably on his way." I thanked him, and waited. I was ready to cry, but I didn't.

The tow arrived about 15 minutes later. He took my AAA card, then put gas in my tank. He was a nice young man, I didn't see his name on his jacket, but I told him how much I appreciated him getting to me as quick as he could. He gave me my card back, and then he got into his truck after I started my car and left. I signaled and got back on Highway 10 and made it to the gas station. I looked and the police officer was behind me and once I got into the turn lane for the gas station, he passed by me.

Thank God for AAA, and for Officer Morgan of the Elk River Police Department and for Collins Brothers Towing in Elk River. But Thanks to God I woke up this morning in my nice, warm bed, and have the opportunity to turn the last two weeks around.

Lessons learned: Make sure you have a full tank of gas at all times. Especially in the winter.

Also, don't get behind the wheel of a car when you are upset or distracted. Turn off the damn cell phones and drive!

Don't forget your AAA card, and if you don't have one, get one.

And most importantly, let go whatever has your head in a spin. Just take a deep breath, and let it go.

If you can't change it or control it, let it go. It's not worth sitting out in the cold by the side of the highway in the snow. It's not worth your life.

Taking My Own Advice

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine yesterday.

She is currently "between jobs" and has been interviewed for two very promising positions.

One is a job that would allow her more flexibility, the kind of work that would be able to let her skills shine and it doesn't pay much, but it does have potential.

The other, is a job that has a long commute, but the hours are regular, and the money is significant. She wouldn't have the flexibility she would have with the first position, and she would be coming home later, and miss some of the activities that her children participate in, but she would still have the weekends off with both positions.

The dilemma is this, does she go for the job that would feed her soul or go for the money and the steady paycheck?

Logic would say to take the 2nd job, it would be a regular schedule, a regular paycheck, and it would be a sucky commute (she would have to buy a car to save on gas), but with the bills to pay and the kids to feed...well, it's tempting to go that route.

I told her that money isn't everything. You can make a million dollars a year, but if you don't enjoy what you're doing and you're missing out on your kids growing up, what's the point?

She said she would like to get the 2nd job, get chosen for it knowing that she is qualified and able to get a position like that with good pay and then...turn them down and take the first job. But she admitted with the money, it would be really hard to turn that down.

I then realized that I need to take my own advice. I keep thinking that someplace out there is a great job with great pay that will pay the bills and let me afford some luxuries, but when I start thinking of interviewing, commutes, office politics, and having to kiss ass everyday, well, my stomach turns. It just feels wrong for so many reasons. Mainly, it's not what I want anymore.

This last year has been about me pursuing my writing dream. Getting the experience, writing and sending out articles to be published, writing books, finding a wonderful coach (Beth Ann Erickson) to help and guide me, and to invest all of that time and energy and money in writing for a living and then to just put that all aside for a job with money makes what I've done a waste.

I thought this over last night when I was at work (my factory job that pays the bills right now), and realized I need to feed my soul as much as I need to feed the family. I need to take my own advice and really go for this writing career I've dreamed of because nothing else right now feels right.

Don't worry, I'm not quitting the factory just yet. The bills still need to be paid, but once the writing is paying the bills and then some, bye-bye factory!

I also realized I forgot to tell my friend the most important thing I've learned this year: When you love what you're doing it's not work, and the money will follow. I have been truly blessed in my life, especially this last year to find the coach I needed, the books I needed to read, the inspiration from other people and other writers to keep me sitting at the keyboard everyday. But most of all, when I start to worry about money, the money doesn't come. When I do what I love to do, and don't think about the money, it shows up, time and time again. Once I made the decision to pursue my writing career, wonderful things started to happen and I can't ignore that, nor can I ignore my instincts. This is, without a doubt, the right path for me.

Life is too short to be miserable doing something you hate just for a paycheck. I decided last year that I wanted something more, and I need to reach those goals: doing what I love by writing, working at home, working the hours I want, helping people with my gifts and skills, teaching and holding workshops, and have the life I envisioned.

I have to get back to writing now. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Writing for Gas Money

As writers, it is sometimes a challenge to find reasons to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, and the daunting goal of writing the "Great American Novel" can be overwhelming and keep you sitting in a corner muttering to yourself, or suddenly, the dishes are the most important thing to do "Right Now!" Well, I have come up with a new inspiration for my creations. Thanks to the government and the oil barons, I have decided that I am going to set my sights on writing for gas money!

You read that right! Gas here in the great state of Minnesota has been $3.29 a gallon. Remember when $5.00 would at least give you about a half of a tank or more and $10.00 was just about full? $15.00 will hardly give me a quarter of a tank of gas now. It's a good thing I gave up smoking or I would be in trouble! And to make this situation even more unbearable, the Minnesota Legislature is considering passing a "Gas Tax" that would increase the cost of each gallon of gasoline by as much as 5 cents per gallon. (As of this writing, I am not sure if it passed or not, and if our great governor, Tim Pawlenty, vetoed it as he said he would.)

Drastic times call for drastic measures and I really don't want to go out and work a second job dressed as a taco (OLA!). But I have to be able to drive. I have to be able to get around, and since I haven't written or sold my "Great American Novel" I have to use my God-given talent for good, the good of my family and my financial future. That, and I enjoy writing in my jammies until 11 am., OK?

Here's my plan. If I can write 2 articles a day, with 2 queries to go with them, send the queries off to various magazines and publications, and if I can do that for one year, that would be 730 articles sold (2 articles x 365 days per year). If I can get paid an average of $100 per article (give or take) then I would make $73,000.00 per year! I wouldn't have to drive! I could stay home and make money in my jammies! I could be home to cook and clean the house, to hold garage sales, to tutor young writers in the craft, to babysit my nephew, to...well, you get the idea!

So, instead of complaining about the gas prices, I have decided to turn this into an incentive to get on my butt and write my way into the next tax bracket!

Oh, darn! I didn't think of that! Oh, well, it's going to be a lot of fun to see if I can actually do it! Now, how much are stamps again??