P is for Possibility by Lorilee Guenter

 Prose, poetry, passion, project and prayer. I have bounced between these word possibilities for a month or more. Some words have been added, others discarded before they made the list. Every time I think I have chosen the theme for this month, a new idea or possibility presents itself. Even as I write this, possibilities play calling for my attention.

I have many unfinished projects because my tendency to procrastinate kicks in as soon as the ideas start to accumulate. I don't want to lose an idea so I make a few notes, or a concerted start, then I move on to the next. This year I challenged myself to kick the procrastination habit and finish some projects. It is my hope that this will open space mentally and physically to pursue some new project ideas without shelving more partial pieces. I plan to start next week, or the week after, because I have a new piece of poetry to polish. While at times it is fun to poke at my procrastination and the chasing after every possibility, I find it in fact hinders my opportunity to pursue those ideas. The more passionate I am about my current work the easier it is to follow through. However, my brain never seems to stay still. 

I am working on curbing my procrastination this year. It is a hard habit to break. Like all change, the key to progress is prayer. I am not doing this on my own. I never have to work on my own. This fact gives me encouragement. It renews my strength the days nothing seems to go the way I expect. Some days it would be easier to package up all my pens and gift them to someone who could make better use of them. Those days procrastination and mental mess obscure the possibility inherent in every day.

The more I work on consistency and following through on the ideas I am passionate about, the more I recognise that prayer and possibility are partners. I know this. I have known this. Somehow that knowing grows as I work. I am a writer who doesn't have the words to describe the phenomenon of ever increasing certainty that comes as I soak in a truth.

It is my hope for all of us that we, through prayer, will recognise the possibilities that God has prepared for us along the path He leads. I pray that we continue to let Him guide our thought as we sit, pen in hand, ready to tell His story. He is the author of every good possibility. He has promised to partner with us as we follow Him.

How Do You Measure Your Life? by Bob Jones

Clayton M. Christensen is a big deal when it comes to innovation. Steve Jobs credited him with life changing insights. Christensen gave a powerful speech to the Harvard Business School's graduating class of 2010. The speech was memorable because it came at a time of intense personal reflection. He had just overcome the same type of cancer that had taken his father's life. As he struggled with the disease, the question "How do you measure your life?" became more urgent and poignant. The speech morphed into a bestselling book, “How Will You Measure Your Life?”

 

How do you measure your life? What is your measure of success? Or progress? Are you hard on yourself? Are your expectations in line with what God wants for you?

 

To start the new year, I looked at seven familiar units of measure that can shape a measured perspective on life.

 

Inch

Inch is one of the few units of measure that we have turned into a verb, in this case meaning “to move or progress very slowly.”

 

When I feel overwhelmed by a major project, I remind myself that, “Inch by inch it’s a cinch.”

 

Ounce

When someone asks you if you have “an ounce of common sense,” the measurement system doesn’t matter. They are using the word simply to mean “a minimal amount.”

 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Make space in 2024 to care for your wellbeing. Come apart before you come apart. Take a break. Go for a walk. Dance in your kitchen. Sing in the shower.

 

Fathom

In Old English, fæthm referred to the length of one’s outstretched arms. As a verb, to fathom originally meant to encircle something with the arms as if for measuring as well as to measure depth. Now the verb is used as a reference to this literal getting to the bottom of something.

 

Can you fathom the depth of God’s love for you? In this world, all we know is limited supply. Eventually, we will run to the end of everything: money, time, resources, energy, pleasure, satisfaction, peace, safety, health, life. We have this life and all eternity to plumb the depths of God’s love. You are loved.

 

Watt

Did you know the watt is named for James Watt (1736-1819), known for inventing the Watt steam engine? though his namesake unit of measure probably makes you think of light bulbs.

 

Is there a 100 watt light bulb over your head illuminating a breakthrough idea for 2024?

 

Meter

The base unit of measurement in the metric system, so basic that it derives from the Greek word for “measure” (metron). For a musician, the meter is the regular background rhythm, or 4/4 time.

 

What is your rhythm of writing? Of living?

 

Furlong

A furlong refers to a distance equal to 220 yards (or one-eighth of a mile), but in olden times it was defined less precisely as length of a furrow in a cultivated field. The furrow made up the long side of what we now call an acre, originally regarded as the amount of arable land that could be plowed by a yoke of oxen in a day.

 

Writers measure a day’s work in words. Some try for 500 words a day. Others lean into a 1000. What amount of words do you plow in a day?

 

Milestone

A milestone is a stone used to mark a milepost, which designates a point located a certain number of miles to or from another designated point. Metaphorically, it’s a significant point or accomplishment in any journey.

 

Carve out 45 minutes this month to reflect on significant milestones in your writing journey. You will no doubt be amazed at how far you have come.

 

How will you measure your life?

Happy New Year! All the best to you on 2024.

 

Thank you for reading. And for commenting.

 

You can follow Bob's writing at REVwords.com

Celebrate Each Step Forward by Nina Faye Morey

“Breaking big dreams into small steps is the way to move forward.”

~ Sheryl Sandberg

I was in my early fifties when I seriously began my writing journey. Writing was a life-long dream, but doubts lingered. What if I don’t have what it takes? What if I’m not good enough?

As a teenager, I had some poems and stories published in the Western Producer’s “Young Cooperators Club.” But before long, I became preoccupied with other things and didn’t pursue my passion again until midlife. My first query letter went to the “Farmlife” editor of Grainews. To my astonishment, she called to encourage me to send in my story. I worked hard on it for several weeks and submitted it before the deadline. She accepted it for publication! Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music!

Since then, I’ve progressed step by step in my writing, publishing articles, short stories, and poems in various publications. I’ve received writing awards and the Barnabas Fellowship from InScribe, published stories in two of their anthologies, presented workshops at their conferences, and served as the columns editor and editor-in-chief of their FellowScript magazine. Two novels and a collection of my published writing are current works in progress.

Thomas Carlyle said, “Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.” Each small step taken in my writing journey boosts my courage, and each successful step forward earns me the right to celebrate. So I give myself permission to do my little victory dance! It’s something I’d highly recommend. But if you have two left feet, here are a few other ways to celebrate success:

Celebrate your success with a commemoration. Commemorate your published work, positive reviews, and writing awards in some way. Frame that book cover or writing award and hang it on your wall; print out that admiring email from a fan and keep it in your journal; place that favourable review alongside your piece in your writing portfolio and post it on your website. These commemorations remind you of your successes and boost your confidence whenever you become discouraged or feel like a failure.

Celebrate your success with others. Share your success stories with family, friends, and the larger writing community. Call or email them, post announcements on your website, or share the news with your followers on social media or through newsletters. Don’t forget to thank those who’ve supported you along the way. Take them out for dinner or throw a celebration party.

Celebrate your success with someone else’s creation. Replenish your creative energy by enjoying someone else’s creation. Read a favourite author’s novel, watch a favourite movie, or gorge on a favourite bakery’s confection. Go ahead, don’t feel guilty. You’ve earned it!

Celebrate your success with a present to yourself. Gift yourself with anything your little heart desires, but you might want to consider something that provides physical benefits as ours is a sedentary profession. It doesn’t have to be expensive—a good pair of running shoes, a few free weights, an exercise band, or registering for a Zumba class. A special treat might be a visit to a spa or a massage for your aching back.

Celebrate your success with God. Remember to thank God for every blessing: a friend’s email that encouraged you not to quit when you were feeling discouraged, the devotional that lifted you up when you were feeling down, or the Bible verse that helped you speak to the hearts of both saints and sinners. No matter how small each day’s gift, keep a gratitude journal and write it down. This practice helps you maintain a positive attitude and demonstrates your faith and trust in God’s plan for your life.

Celebrating your success will refresh you mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually and provide fresh perspectives to help spur you on to even greater success.