A person’s lifetime really can be measured as the blink of an eye when compared to the infinity of time. The sprouting of flowers in springtime, the briny air blowing in off the ocean as you walk along a warm sandy beach, and the freshness of a cool, crisp winter’s day remind us that the clock is ticking season by season, minute by minute, second by second, breath by breath.
We say we’ll learn to play the piano or take gourmet cooking lessons next year, or start traveling after the kids have moved out. But the time to do all those things is now.
The characters in the novels we write don’t wait. They lead exciting lives on approximately three-hundred and fifty pages. They meet, have that first passionate kiss, fall in love, and share their dreams. And the amazing thing is that this is occurring while they’re being shot at, dealing with a family illness, or battling otherworldly creatures. They find ways to overcome their conflicts and internal struggles.
We can all learn something from the characters we bring to life in print. Things like allowing our mistakes to make us stronger, taking chances, and most importantly letting go of the pains of the past. Pains that hold us down and keep us from believing the stars are even reachable.
Now, you might be saying wait a minute, my novel is fiction, real life is so much harder. I have all these obligations. Everyone is counting on me. There are only so many hours in a day. Well, you’re right. Life is a complicated thing. The key is not to let its headaches consume you to the point that the things that are important to you get lost in the fire. Learn to flow with time.
So I challenge you to search your heart to discover what’s important to you, then do something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Learn to paint breathtaking landscapes, make a pledge to yourself to walk more, or allow the serenity of yoga or meditation to soothe your inner spirit. Me, I’ve always wanted to do the Susan G. Koman 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk and have made a commitment to train so I can participate in 2010.
What would you like to do? Write and share it with me.
