Two weeks ago I took an impromptu vacation from my blogging commitments, because things suddenly got hot and steamy with the book I have been working on, like 15,000 words hot. I’ve been waiting on the next step in my relationship with this book for a long time, and you know what? It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it’s new.

It’s refreshing my soul in a way. Do any other writers or creatives out there get me?

If  you don’t feel that you are the creative type, then I think you might still know this feeling. It’s the moment when something finally goes right for once, an unexpected and usual breakthrough in an area of your life that you feel passionate about.

Maybe you got a new job? Maybe it was ‘the’ job you always wanted? Maybe it was the relief of quitting your job! Maybe you had an entrepreneurial and innovative new business idea? Maybe it was buying your first house. Booking the holiday? Getting on the plane? Making a big change in your life that you know is for the better.

There are loads of ways we harness this feeling of satisfaction and achievement, and many different ways we can utilize it in our lives to keep us going. But I’m not all unicorns and sunshine, not by any stretch. Truth is that its in the hard places and the dark places of life where we grow this success, this liberation. Sometimes we have to be buried under the crap of life in order to rise again. Seeds only grow when they have been planted in the darkness of the earth. There are some great allegories out there and they are all so true. For me there is a survival key for when it all gets messed up.

Keep seeking after the things that motivate you. Don’t let your life become stagnant. Keep pushing forward. If you are not sure what motivates you then maybe it is time to take a moment out of the busy day that you keep cluttering with things that simply fill your time, and actually pause to remember who you are.

What makes you, you? What makes you unique? What excites you about life?

And if that last one was too scary a question to ask, then what about the things you want to do in your life time? Those dreams you had when you allowed yourself to dream. Was it to write a book? Raise a child? Learn to paint? Travel the planet? Pursue that business idea? Take a course? Get a degree? Go ice fishing? Investigate the relationship between black holes and parallel universes?

Maybe it’s time to start looking into how you can make some of these dreams you had a reality? And don’t tell me it’s not worth it because your dream is too big or too small. If you think it is small and meaningless in the face of your reality, remember not to despise a small beginning. You might start off small, but if you don’t give it your best shot, you’ll never see your small dream become a big reality.

It is in the small things where we learn the gritty art of dedication and commitment. Has anyone heard of a B.H.A.G before? That’s a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. I learned about this recently, and it was through my choice of commitment to my story telling by setting myself a really scary goal that my book finally came to life once more. (Note; I’ve given myself the goal to have the first draft of my current work in progress finished in 90 days. It’s scary.)

For some, your Tuesday is about to kick off and you are going through the motions of getting ready for school or work, and I wish for you that it be an exciting and fresh look into the week ahead.

And for those of us who still have the night, well, we have just that. The night.

With love and darkness,

J R Manawa.

The cover art for this blog is the work of the brilliant Marlyn Bartolome, a talented lady whose choice to chase her passion for art recently has been part of the inspiration for this blog. There are also other people in my world, and you know who you are, who have had exciting opportunities and changes come up already this year out of the darkness of the mess they were dealing with last year. It’s good motivation for the rest of us to stay focused on the best yet to come. Check out Marlyn’s website, I happen to know that this particular painting “Remember” is also up for sale… let me know if you are interested ^_- (otherwise it’s coming home with me!)