One of the best things about winter is being trapped inside with a book.
Books take you places you've always wanted to go but never been. They take you far away, to lands never heard of. They rouse your emotions and remind of all that is worth living for. They sidetrack you from what you're supposed to be doing, and prepare you to start afresh.
Get trapped with a book. I highly recommend it.
You know that feeling when you get really excited about something? When you want to leap from your seat, and jump and dance and sing, no matter who is watching? Well. I'm feeling that right now. For a wide variety of reasons. And you should feel it sometime soon too, because it's wonderful. Let me see if I can help.
You. You are great. Yes, you. You were created by God for a purpose, and He loves you so much. No matter what you do, He will love you, and care for you, everywhere you go. And He will be your best friend. Just because He loves you.
You know how it feels when your dad gives you a huge hug? That's like how God's love feels. It feels great.
You know how it feels like when you come home from a long day of hard stuff, and your mom made you cookies? That's how God's love feels. It feels great.
God loves you.
It's great.
Sometimes the best things in the world are the things that don't come easy.
I'm supposed to be writing about charm. I can't do that right now. I'm not thinking about charm. I'm thinking about expertise. About picking a something, and becoming an expert at it, no matter what it is.
Then, once you're an expert at something, you should operate there. For instance, a business full of people operating at top capacity in their realm of expertise will be exponentially more successful than a group of people thrown together helter-skelter, willy-nilly.
Become an expert at something.
Then, do it!
Sometimes you sit down to write, and nothing comes out. You stare at the screen, feeling like you just ran the trash cans out to the street 3 minutes after pickup. Disappointed. Defeated.
Someone asked me what two words define my life. I settled on beauty and joy.
Beauty, because everything is beautiful. There is beauty in the slums, there is beauty in colorless places, there is some speck of beauty everywhere. I was people to see that beauty, and so see the God who made it.
Joy, because life is joy. Love is joy. God is joy. Many people don't realize this. I want them to. I want people to laugh, and to laugh hard, until the tears roll down their cheeks from sheer pure enjoyment. I want to see joy. Because joy is health. And wealth. And happiness.
What are your two words? Think about them. Define them. Live them.
It could make all the difference.
Sometimes all you need to do is cry. And cry. And cry. Then, once the tears are gone, everything becomes clear.
Tears help because sometimes, we just need to let go. And cry. And not worry about appearances. And cry.
Tears are cleansing. They're the first sign of healing, of feeling enough to let go, and beginning to recover.
The shedding of tears signifies the shedding of remorse, the shedding of pain, the shedding of hurt feelings.
Saltwater is cleansing. Tears are mingled with salt. They clean the heart to feel, the emotions to think, and the face to boot.
I don't cry very often. Maybe I should. Maybe you should cry sometimes too. It's a very helpful thing.
Rain beating the walls of my bedroom sings me to sleep some nights. The complete silence of snow brings peace. Crashes of thunder remind me of a God in control of the universe.
Eggs frying make me hungry. Coffee dripping into the pot reminds me of an early morning adventure. The scrape of spatula meeting griddle brings to mind a full house, family, and joy.
Laughter makes me happy. Crying makes me sad. Whispering makes me want to tell warm happy secrets.
God's given us ears for a reason, to hear His sounds.
Listening?
We all make them. Webster defines them as firm decisions to do or not do something. We promise that this year will be different, this year we will do what we have failed to accomplish in years past.
We will work out daily, read 24 constructive classics, visit 2 continents, and make better friends with the neighbors. To help ourselves, we make lists with bullet points, due dates, and rewards. We tell our friends what we're going to do, task them to hold us accountable, and jump in head first. Resolutions fixed upon, preparations made, moral support commissioned.
Sometimes, we even finish what we started.
Resolutions take work. Just like work takes work. Good stuff doesn't come easy. Make your resolutions. Write down goals. Shoot big. Aim high. And do them.
Cause good stuff is worth the work it takes to get there.
I've been writing for 6 hours, with few breaks. Only, I haven't really been writing. I've been editing. And editing. And re-editing. Reshaping my thoughts, re-wording my phrases, and re-saying every little thing.
Honestly, I don't feel like I've done much. But comparing the first paper and the final product, they're barely the same thing. No surprise, the finished product is volumes better.
Edit.
Rewrite.
Restate.
Reshape.
Improve.
Condense.
Reword.
Redraft.
It pays off.