“Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titantic who waved off the dessert cart.”
–Erma Bombeck

I awakened yesterday morning in a strange and anxious place. One that wasn’t comfortable, wasn’t unfamiliar, and certainly wasn’t welcome. But there I was, and worse, I knew exactly how I’d gotten there.
I’d scheduled heavily–my writing–because I’m eager to write two types of books. They are equally important to me. Both hold purpose that I think warrants the investment of my time–my life.

Yet I sorely need some time to rejuvenate, too. Time to just be. On occasion, I’ve felt the need and stolen away for a day–sometimes two. Sometimes I leave the house–just take off for what my daughter and I used to call “Lost Days,” where we left and ended up wherever we ended up. I enjoyed those adventures. Sometimes I get a dozen movies and watch them back-to-back–not for research or work. For fun.

But this was a trip my husband and I had planned. This trip was a week–count ’em–seven full days of nothing but music and tromping down trails and waterfalls and stuff. We intended to do a lot of stuff. Meandering through antique shops, sitting on the river bank and watching the water flow. You know, important stuff, when you’re doing stuff.

I haven’t done stuff in a very long time and I was REALLY looking forward to it. But then an opportunity arose. And then another.

I thought long and hard about whether or not to accept these gifts that had fallen into my proverbial plate, and soon the flood of memories of wishing and hoping and yearning for these type of opportunities invaded. I thought about what accepting and refusing would mean on all levels–physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And finally I got to the core of the matter.

What was I thinking? This didn’t have to be an either/or situation. It could be a win/win situation. One where I seized those elusive opportunities and did my stuff. With a little creative scheduling, which has now been done, I’m actually going to get three extra days to do my stuff, even if I have to wait a little longer to do it.

So now, rather than June, October is my time. It’s on the schedule and is not flexible, regardless of opportunities that may arise. I’ve given myself my word on that. And I don’t break my word.

The benefits have me giggling as I’m sitting here (not only because it took a lot of thinking to get to this point and should have taken two minutes but because I now have longer to anticipate something really good).

While it’s true that my Titanic could come before October, if it does at least I’ve had a lot of good stuff-dreams in the interim. And if it doesn’t, I have an extra three days.

The moral of this little story is that while you don’t want to always wave off the desert cart, when terrific opportunities you’ve wanted and wished would manifest in your life for a long time do manifest, it doesn’t hurt to park the puppy in the corner short-term.

Then you can have your cake and eat it too. 🙂

Vicki Hinze

“Trust is earned, one book at a time.”
–Vicki Hinze https://vickihinze.com

Note: I edit books and professional correspondence. But I do NOT edit email or this blog. This is chat time for me, so if the grammar is goofed or a word’s spelled wrong, please just breeze on past it. I’d appreciate it–and salute you with my coffee cup. 🙂

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Copyright 2005. VickiHinze
(https://www.vickihinze.com), is a multi-published author, who has a free library of her articles on writing–the craft, business and life.