2010 New Decade; New Rules

Whoever coined the phrase "Time flies while you're having fun" was only partly right. I think the phrase should really read: "Time flies, period." In the words of Freddie Mercury, "Time waits for nobody".

So, we must do the best we can with every moment and never stop dreaming. At least, that is my motto for this decade. Our Pastor at church said that what we do this year will determine the next ten years of our lives. I don't know about you, but I don't want life to look the same ten years from now.

Someone asked me about my dreams and proceeded to tell me why they couldn't happen. I think that is one thing that is wrong with this world. We have lost our ability to believe the impossible, dream the impossible and live the impossible. Lewis Carroll had a very firm grip on this sad reality. In the little dialogue below that he penned in Alice in Wonderland he gives us the clue.

"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." (emphasis, my own).

Instead of making New Year's Resolutions this year, I decided to dream of more impossible futures than I had anticipated for myself. It's amazing what you can achieve when you let determination become your compass. And, of course, having people around you that encourage and lift you up is just as invaluable. Besides, without the persistent prodding of those close to me to publish my book I would never have done the research and found that achieving that "impossible" task was a lot easier than I imagined.

I encourage you to ask yourself, "Where do I see myself in ten years?" and then take at least one day of each week to assess your dreams and to see if you can find little footprints that might lead you in the direction of making them a reality. It might only be a few footsteps at a time, but a forest can only begin by planting a tree. Do everything with your future in mind.

Now, some of you might ask me where God features in all this. I believe that when you live a life of intimacy with God you will seek ways to bring glory to Him through your life. I also believe that He created each of us for a very specific purpose. What I have found is that when I live in harmony with Him His will has become my will. I also begin to identify the talents and strengths in my life and I seek to develop those that I can use them in the world to bring Him glory through my life.

Beyond the "Publish Now" Button

It has been anything but dull in the last few months since I last wrote. In December my husband and I traveled to South Africa for a Christmas vacation with my family and the proverbial "fun in the sun".

In January of this year my husband and I became very active in the promotion and sale of my book. I mentioned before that my book would soon be available through Amazon as well and I am proud to announce that my book IS now available through Amazon at this link.

My husband has also been very actively promoting my accomplishment and product at his place of work and the orders have been almost flowing steadily. Word-of-Mouth is not dead!

I decided to buy ten or fifteen books at a time and then sell them as I get orders; however, the way it has been going I can hardly keep any in stock. I have already created a tab in my spreadsheet called "reservations" just so I can keep track! I have even sent copies across the Atlantic to some friends in South Africa.

The business in the grand scheme of things might be minuscule at the moment, but every small step counts. After all, the forest had to begin with a few trees. The point is that my book is out there now. People are reading it and deciding for themselves what they think about it. Will you be next?