6/30/19 RMB Pursuit of the Solution

6/30/19 RMB Pursuit of the Solution

Dear Rita Mae Brown,

My bookshelf overflows with titles promising the answers to problems that persist.

They are:

The Big Thing: How to Complete your Creative Project… by Phyllis Korkki

21 Secrets of Million Dollar Sellers by Stephen J. Harvill

Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of being Productive… by Charles Duhigg

Better than Before: Mastering the Habits… by Gretchen Rubin

A People’s Guide to Publishing by Joe Biel

Leap of Perception by Penney Peirce

Listful Thinking by Paula Rizzo         

And for fun, distraction and the study of fiction, depending on the day, I also have:

The Purrfect Murder by the one and only Rita Mae Brown

Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station by Dorothy Gilman

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Some are audio books in my car for the daily commute, others are audio books on my phone for long walks, or ebooks for when I wait in line at the bank and during my lunch breaks. Others are actual, physical, page turning books. Most are from the wonderful San Diego County Library.

Here is the thing. Friends will point out that I have the skills I seek to learn, the list making, goal setting, life improvement, and writing skills. Yet my frustration remains in the differences of who I am and who I’d like to be. My friends understand this part. Many of us face this quandary.

It seems having the knowledge and ability, is not the solution to getting from here to there. Yet, in my pursuit of that solution, I feel the books draw me nearer to it, as does at times, the whisper of the trees, the beauty of the sunset, and the companionship of the dog.

Someplace in between the lines, drifting above the surface of my moments, close enough to reach for, but thus far just out of my grasp, are the answers I crave. And in searching for them I am coming to know that the pursuit is in part, for me anyway, as important as the discovery of those answers.

Enjoying the first week of summer,

Loraine

6/23/19 RMB Hello Summer

6/23/19 RMB Hello Summer

Dear Rita Mae Brown,

Summer has arrived. The air is a dryer, at least here in Southern California that’s the case. The deserts are heating up to triple digits. The days of daylight stretching into the evening hours have reached their peak. Dusk will join us a bit earlier from here on into fall.

I’d like to say that I spent the time since my last letter finalizing my novel, or finally fixing up that spare room, or on making headway on some giant goal. Alas, there were wonderful adventures, like viewing the Ramona play in Hemet, celebrating its 96^th season, and the recent family reunion in Seacrest, Florida. However, the vast majority of moments were simply lived.

Our Writers Circle met last night and our ten minute writing theme was “Lost dog”, which I shortened to “Lost” and wrote:

Lost days mount up. All that I could do or would do remains undone, and a challenge for my future self. That future self will be more efficient and accomplish so much more than present me, who’s highest priority is to watch the last few shows of Alias, season 4.

Future self can juggle writing that novel, work, home repairs, mastering tarot card readings, and, of course, watch season 5 of Alias. Yes, future self will get it all done, or at least that is what present me believes, so that I can put off to tomorrow what I don’t feel moved to do today.

This is a Universal quandary, not mine alone. That brings some comfort. Still, I don’t look forward to the talk with my future self about all that is still left undone when the time of doing anything ends.

It has been a good few months, not really “lost” in a sad sense, just gone with little progress on “my list”. And now we move onward to make the next few months better, starting with this RMB letter and a this inspirational note from Jean Trebek’s website www.insidewink.com.

Today begins it.

Today is the fresh start.
Today is the new year.
Today is the joy.
Do it.
The one thing.
Today.

– Alison Martin

Found on:

https://www.insidewink.com/2019/06/20/you-have-to-start-somewhere-do-it-today/

Enjoy today,

Loraine