What do you do when life doesn't go your way? Do you get angry? Throw yourself a pity party? Revert into yourself and tell the world to back off? I've got a new way to deal with those nasty negative thoughts that creep into my brain and threaten to take me to a deep, dark place. I think of kittens and puppies and little, baby bunnies. I imagine right about now you're thinking I'm crazier than you thought I was before you read this post, and you're probably right. But you know what? It works. And, since I'm an eternal optimist, I believe whatever works to keep my thoughts positive and in line with who I say I am and the person I want to be, then that's what I'm going to do. So, I'm thinking about kittens and puppies and bunnies. And, I must admit, I'm feeling pretty damn happy right now.;-)How do you act when life serves you lemons, and what do you do to get yourself out of the funk?
IN OTHER NEWS...
I'm greatly looking forward to the BEA and Backspace Writers Conferences next week in NYC and to (finally!) meeting my friend, J (woo-hoo!). A wonderful agent by the name of Kae Tienstra has asked me to be her eyes and ears while in NYC and guest blog upon my return. Please check out her website and let her know of any writers conference experiences you've had as well.
34 comments:
I choose Eckhart Tolle and the Beatles when I'm in a bad place. Maybe the best of all, just being grateful for what I have works.
Chuckie, Yeah - being grateful for what is and for the people, good health, and love in your life is a good place to start.;-)
OMG! I helped out with this girl's uncle's recording business one summer at the Romance Writers of America Convention in New York. He was in charge of recording the sessions and I went into the rooms and turned the mics on. I don't read romance, but I got to meet a lot of authors who I recognized and knew the names of like Jennifer Cruise and Nora Roberts---but Nora was a total BITCH!! I wanted to get her autograph, but she walked away from me and went outside to smoke(she smokes ALL the time).
BUT--the guy at the hot dog stand I ate at hit on me, so I felt a little better about myself...tho he spoke only a little English :)
AND- WHen I'm upset I think of Jasmine Macaroon--She always loves me, and she gets excited when I come home-that makes me smile every time :)
I like your suggestion of thinking of puppies and kittens. The mind is a powerful tool!
And have fun in NYC for the conferences. I was really hoping that I would be done with my own book by then and make the trip, but it didn't work out that way. Keep us updated!
I believe I'm the eternal optimist. Despite anything that can and does go wrong, by god I'll figure out a way to smile at my day. As for getting myself out of a funk, well, lately I take pain pills. But usually, I avoid trigger music like the plague and go take a walk, and the mainstay, I'll write~ Of course, babies, in any form, will brighten my mood in about 2 seconds.....
Rebecca
Usually lemons means it's time to re-evaluate and fine tune the course before continuing on. Good luck at the conferences next week, looking forward to reading your insider's scoop.
Ever since I was little - it was Raggedy Ann and Andy for me. They take my mind off anything! HA! And when I bought my daughter her first Raggedy Ann many years ago, it scared the sh*t out of her. So, no more real Raggedy Ann's - just the ones in my head.
Did I really admit that?
Enjoy the conference!
Margaritas! Have fun at the conference!! :-)
PenPen, It's too bad some people are so full of themselves. Deep down, we're all the same. Hopefully, Nora will realize that at some point. As far as the comfort of cats? There's nothing better.;-)
MR, Next year will be your year! And, you're right - the mind is a very powerful tool. We need to remember to utilize it, especially when things start to go south.
Rebecca, You and I are alike in a lot of ways. I am almost always a very happy, upbeat person. And I also love to watch babies! In fact, before Chuck and I had kids, we'd walk around with our "baby radar" up, always noticing cute babies. If that doesn't put a smile on your face, nothing will. Just the other night we were at an Indian restaurant and there was a mom holding an adorable baby. I went up, said "hello," told her how cute her baby was, and held the baby's hand. That little touch was electrifying.;-)
Joanne, You couldn't be more right about lemons meaning it's time to reevaluate and fine-tune. I guess it's nature's way of telling us to take stock of what is and isn't working in our lives. You always have such deep things to say - I love that about you.;-)
Amy, I love your Raggedy Ann and Andy confession!!! I think it's hilarious that the dolls scared your daughter, although I totally get it. I was never much of a doll person myself. I'm glad you've still got the comfort of Ann and And in your mind whenever you need them. It's so important for us each to have a place to instantly go for comfort. (And I promise not to tell anyone your secret!!!)
Traci, You're a girl after my own heart! Although tequila and I don't always get along... I promise to soak in the conferences as best I can and come back and report my experiences. Thanks for being part of this wild ride.;-)
What do I do? Curl up on the floor with my pup and stare into her beautiful dark brown eyes. For whatever reason it seems to always get me out of whatever funk I'm in. I truly do strive to be the person my dog thinks I am. (Hugs)Indigo
Indigo, "I truly do strive to be the person my dog thinks I am." Beautifully put. Unfortunately for me, my cats know I'm an idiot. For some reason, they put up with me anyhow (probably due to the Purina cat chow!).
Awww, I love puppies and kittens and sweet lil bunnies!
If I feel bad, I'll get kisses from my kids. (unless they are the reason I'm ticked :) Then I might have some chocolate!
Have fun in NY!
Life is always in my way. I've learned to glare at it, scream a little, then laugh. Sometimes that's all you can do. Thanks for a great post!
Puppies are cute but this is coming from someone that is dealing with a 3 month old puppy that is tearing up everything in sight, including my shoes.
I also enjoy baby watching. They never fail to put smiles on my face.
I love to sing at the top of my lungs, whatever comes to mind! Then, for whatever reason, I feel better.
Kelly, Hugs and kisses from my kids are also at the top of my list unless they're the reason I'm ticked, too! And chocolate. I'm sure NYC will be a whirlwind! I'll keep you posted. (Pun intended!)
If it's something that really hits me, I tend to withdraw. I'd rather not subject anyone else to the misery that I might be feeling, so I just retreat until I can regain my footing. If it's just feeling down-in-the-dumps, I know that it is only a passing feeling. I'm happy with where I'm at in life, I'm happy with Ken, and I have a great family. Feeling blue never lasts long for me, and I always find my equilibrium. XO Beth
Michelle, I've done a lot of glaring and screaming lately. I need to increase the laughter part. I guess that's called "life." I'm glad you like the post.;-)
CCD, Sorry about the puppy, but I'm sure he/she's cute enough to get away with it! I'd sure love to see you dancing at the top of your lungs!!!
Beth, I think I'm similar to you in that I also withdraw to a certain degree. However, I'm definitely a "wear your heart on your sleeve" kind of person, and I tend to do better expressing what's wrong in order to get through it quicker.
BTW: You and your honey are adorable. I have a feeling we'd all have a blast together! (At least I know the music and political conversation would be amazing!!)
Kae just sent me a rejection lol! I'm jealous You're going to the BEA have loads of fun. I went last year and it was a blast. BTW, your picture of the sweet baby animals made me all warm and fuzzy inside... ;)
T. Anne, Welcome aboard! It's so nice to have you. Sorry about Kae... she's got a partial of mine that I still haven't heard back on. Don't you just love the waiting part? It's loads of fun (not!!!).
Anything you want to share about BEA would be great. What did you think of the pitch slam? I heard some people were actually in tears last year. I hope that won't be me!!!
And, yeah, that pic of the baby animals is about as sweet as it gets. ;-)
It is hard to say ... the first thing that comes up when I find myself in a slump, is to fight back harder. Once I realize that I am in a 'mood', the next thought is of something to get out of that mood, straight away! It can be about left hooks, or it could be about chocolate chip cookies ... it could be cutting 30 seconds off my run time, or it could be thankful that it isn't worse than another time when it was bad.
That is about it, if that isn't enough!!
Mark, First of all, your gift card is in the mail! Secondly, yup - guys tend to get physical when something's wrong. I'm glad to see you also go the chocolate chip cookie route. Much more Zen-like! At least for me. (When I eat chocolate I tend to be one with the universe!)
Debra, Great reading, as always, and so funny. I can see how the baby bunnies would help, baby anything, even my almost-teen kids. But I have to admit, I do like to drop into the funk, at least temporarily, one day. When I wake up, it's all about the new day. Of course, that's easier to do in the spring. Not so easy with a foot of snow.
PS Still gearing up for NY. Got my shoes. Got my hotel room. Taking the whole family. While they're doing a Ferris Bueller, we'll be rocking the agents.
Judith, Yeah, baby! If you want, we can plan a place to meet Wednesday morning before the whole thing gets going. If you're interested, e-mail me and I'll give you my cell #.;-)
Music. Specifically, Van Halen. For some reason, Diamond Dave's golden lungs cheer me up. Provence and anything to do with the south of France. Most importantly, my daughter's happy smile. :)
Val, Really? You've got a thing for Dave? I never would have guessed! I've never been to France - it's a dream I'm praying will one day come true... Children's smiles? Nothing better.;-)
It's been CWAYZEE the last few weeks for me, and I'm just getting back to bloggyworld... sounds like you are doing well, and good luck with your conference in NYC!!! Sounds like fun and how inspiring it will be too.
When life hands me lemons, I usually tough it out that particular day, and by the time I wake up the next day, I'm ready to tackle whatever it might be, head-on!! Like Chuck, I always try to be grateful for what I DO have, instead of dwelling on what I may not have, and in the long run, may not be as important anyway!
Wow. That's pretty awesome.
I generally just complain to my bf and we sh*t talk whomever or whatever caused me pain and after some snarky jokes I'm all better. I can also always count on my NY friends for some cynical humor.
It's our own brand of optimism :)
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