Sunday, June 27, 2010

I Want It All

In 1985 I worked in cubicle and on my desk I had a 3” flocked bear with a big grin that gripped a bright red balloon printed with the words “I Want it All.”

I wanted to be a manager. I wanted to have a stronger marriage, children, a side business, and solid friendships. I wanted to write.

I ended up being a manager for about 15 years. My marriage resulted in divorce and my children are now 23 and 17. There is no side business or solid relationships, but I do write.

Can you have it all? What will you bargain off to get what you need?

I’ve overanalyzed this enough to realize that overanalyzing isn’t achieving. Thinking isn’t doing. Committing a plan to paper isn’t a milestone. Post-it affirmations on the bathroom mirror and fridge aren’t contracts. Excusing yourself from the lack of it happening today because of _____ is simple laziness.

Writing does not have to steal every second of your life but it does require a promise to see it through, to get to the end, or at least far enough done so that you can continue on. You can’t start from nowhere.

I can be a writer and have a side business; I just have to seek out those with interests similar to mine and not waste time on activities or people who don’t enrich my life or contribute to my goals.

Yes, I think you can have it all; it just needs to be fanned out over time, over life. Since we cannot foretell how long that will be, we might as well just go for it. What can you lose?

3 comments:

Murees Dupè said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Murees Dupè said...

Hi

I really like your blog. I hope you don't mind, but I added you to my bloglist of blogs I follow.

I hope you keep writing because I enjoy reading your posts.

Nancy said...

Thank you, Murees for reading and following. I don't mind at all. I do plan on keeping up, at least once a week or so.