A Couple of Thoughts On This Week

A couple of days ago I awoke to the news of Carrie Fisher’s passing.  Another beloved icon gone too soon – and you know in this Star Wars house this was a deep-felt loss.  And then, as if to add insult to injury, my email contained a message that my pilot would not be advancing in one of the contests I had submitted it to.

The feedback was, at least, somewhat encouraging:

The Demeter is set in an interesting world with a couple of well-drawn characters in Wyeth and Sadie. Actually, the voice of Zeta as a less obnoxious Siri is also a nice character. On the page, the script looks good, without blocky description or dialogue passages and is error-free (a rarity!). The biggest question at this point is probably trying to determine what the story will be about in future episodes. Will the entire series be about their attempt to return to earth? Some hint of where the series will go could add a lot to the overall value of the pilot.

It was one of those days that made me want to both crawl into bed and take the world by storm.

I did neither.

I chose to lose myself in my happy place – Dragon Age land.  A few hours achieving measurable goals with my dogs snuggled around me was comforting, but I’m still just sad.

Maybe the sadness is exacerbated by the fact that I am so far from where I want to be.  I resent my job and without just the teeniest bit of encouragement on the screenwriting front, I just feel as if I’m never going to leave my own mark.

Yes, I know this sounds a tad vain, but it’s my dream to have my writing immortalized via the silver screen.  Let’s be honest, we don’t follow the artist’s path to fade into obscurity, we want to be remembered.  Plain and simple.

The passing of yet another childhood favorite has only reiterated how precious our time is.  We have to make the most of the time given to us and continue to strive towards our goals, no matter where on the ladder towards that dream we find ourselves.

feel-good-2

Wishing you all the very best as we come to the end of another year!  Let’s start planning for a productive and successful new year!

*Thank you for being a part of our lives, Rebel Princess.  May the Force be with you!

Advertisement

Quote of the Week

Fear can have a powerful sway on our ability to do something.  I sometimes let fear have too much of a voice in my own life, and I don’t want to look back on my life and regret those things I wanted to do and didn’t because I was afraid of the outcome.

I may write about reincarnation, but in this life, we need to make it count!  That’s why I really want to make this week’s quote a part of my daily thought process.

adventurequote

Best wishes, my friends!  And let’s be brave!

Quote Monday

I’ve been in a state of avoidance.  Finding consolation in escapism.  And the only person that affects, the only person that suffers, is me.

I don’t know why exactly either.  Actually, I have a couple of theories.  Regardless, it’s about doing what you can with what you have in the hopes that you can keep moving forward.

2Choices.jpg

Here’s to starting off the new week on the right track!  Wishing you all the best!

 

Did You Miss Me?

Hi everyone!

What a couple of weeks we’ve had, right?!  Goodness.  I hope you’re all well and working harder towards your goals than ever in light of recent events.  Yet more reminders of how fragile life is and how unexpectedly things can change in the blink of an eye.

With that in mind, I’d like to kick off this week in my traditional way – with a quote.

There’s no reason not to follow your heart towards the goal you desire most.  Whatever it is, go after it!  Ignore the naysayers, and do what makes you happy.  Make the time.  Put in the effort.  Push yourself.  Dream big!

RiskForADream

Wishing you all the very best!

xx, Rach

Quote Monday

My mother has been visiting this week so my normal schedule is a little off, hence the lack of posts.  I’ll try to be better this week because I have lots to share.

Starting with this – a quote by Arthur Ashe:

ArthurAsheQuote

I was reminded of this idea recently.  Sometimes we wait for the perfect moment, the right conditions, more money, what-have-you, and the truth is, those are just excuses as to why we wait.

Carpe diem!  And best wishes!

Goal Setting

After coming to the realization that I had accomplished very little last year, I decided to make some changes.  Any time you want to do anything, you have to be ready for the change.  You have to commit.  Going in all willy-nilly only leads to failure and subsequent disappointment.

DisciplineI wanted to be…better, in all aspects of my life.  So, I decided to mix things up and create for myself a new schedule that would lead me to the things I wanted.  I wanted to get fit, so I’ve made it a goal to work out every other day.  So far, I’ve been pretty good about it, and I do feel better.  I wanted to read more, since last year I didn’t read a single book, and I’m close to finishing no#5.  I wanted to write more, and I’m on a third rewrite of my tv pilot, I’ve written more fanfic, and I’ve taken on more Writing Prompt Challenges.

Additionally, I’m working on the show bible and making headway into the many writing books I’ve had on my shelf for years to determine which are truly useful.  The only “new thing” I wanted by now was a different job.  I’m still working on it.  Of course there are plenty of other things I’d like to do this year, but you know, one step at a time.

I’m not sure where I found this three step system, but I thought I would share it with you in the hopes that you can achieve your goals, writing or otherwise.

  1. Identify your big picture – brainstorm all the things you’d like to see yourself accomplishing and then streamline them into one overall phrase: “I want to…
  2. Outline the steps you need to take to accomplish the goal.
  3. Set benchmarks – create accountability and assess forward movement.  Set dates.

set and reach goal concept

Because of the job situation, which has lead to monetary issues, I am unable to enter any writing contests this year, which is disappointing.  Instead of looking at it as a negative, I’m trying to think of it as a gift – I have a year to get my writing “show” ready.

I printed out monthly calendars in order to set those benchmarks, dates when I want to have certain projects completed.  I’m working with only three months at a time, so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.  I’ve tacked the calendars to the wall next to my computer to use as motivation.  I’m a big advocate for visually identifying deadlines.  Just holding on to the idea of a deadline somehow makes it feel less relevant.  Seeing that April 15th (let’s just say) date circled, highlighted, marked in red, or what-have-you gives it more weight, makes it feel more real and impending, and sometimes we need that pressure to get things done.

WhereFocusGoesLife gets busy.  It’s easy to get sidetracked.  Sometimes it’s comforting to get lost in TV and gaming, I should know, but in order to reach our goals and follow our dreams, we have to be relentless in that pursuit.

Not every step toward our goal needs to be a big one, even the small ones get us a little closer each day!

As you know, I love a good quote, so here are a few to keep you motivated:

And remember, it only takes a couple of weeks to create a new habit. 😉

Wishing you all the very best!

Quote Monday

I just finished reading The Giver by Lois Lowry.  It was a book The Sis had recommended I read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Quick premise: The story is about a society where people’s choices have become extinct.  In an effort to make everyone the same, the community has instilled rules and methods that maintain a norm that no one questions, except for Jonas, after being chosen to be the Receiver of Memory.

It’s a Newbery Medal winner and it’s one of those novels that makes you reflect upon your own life.  It makes you wonder if having your elders choose for you, both your career and your mate, is not better.  When given our own lives to govern, how often do we make the wrong choices?  It’s the difference between free will and the greater good, so to speak.

I’ve been encouraged to do something I really don’t want to do, in part because it holds no true value or long term security, and yet, it’s still being offered up as the right choice.  Left with few other alternatives, it’s quickly becoming the only choice, and I resent it.  How did this happen?  I feel, sometimes, like I lost myself along the way.  Not in my writing life, but in my “real” life.

I need the wise words of a mentor.  If you’re out there, please find me! 😉

RemindOurselves

This week’s quote seems rather apropos in light of my current circumstance.  As creatives, we’re already marching to the beat of our own drummer.  Now we only have to be brave enough to see where it leads.

Best wishes!

Quote Monday

My birthday was sort of a bust this year so I’ve decided to indulge, wherever and whenever I can, until the end of the month.  Yes, this is a forewarning that my blog may be transformed into a steady stream of my favorite things for at least 7 more days.  😉

Exhibit A: this week’s quote.  I used it on my university graduation announcements, and it’s something I need to remind myself of, often.

GoConfidently

Have a wonderful week, my friends!

Quote Monday

I’ve heard people say they are afraid of accomplishing their goals, of getting what they’ve worked so hard for.  It seems an odd thing to fear, but sometimes we struggle for so long that the struggle, in itself, becomes comforting.  Like anything, good or bad, we grow accustomed to what we’re used to and anything else, such as change, is cause for fear.

We all tell ourselves something – something that makes us feel better, something that lessens the regret, something that keeps us stationary – it’s a habit we need to break.

TheOnlyThingStandingBetweenYou&YourGoals

Reach for those goals and embrace the good that will come!

Wishing you all the best in your endeavors!