Bethany: Do What You Love Today

Today was one of those days.

Well, honestly, there have been weeks of “those days.” Where work takes over my life. I’m cranky. Or my kids or grumpy (or sickly). I have too many plates in the air and they all come crashing down at once. And then I wonder why parenting is so hard… and my writing even harder. And today didn’t make any of that go away, or better than it started. But, I did get an email that made me remember why I write. Or at least a reminder TO WRITE that hit home.

If you follow fellow author Holly Lisle you’ll know she’s been writing for a while. She’s got more books published than I can count and she publishes a slew of e-books for writers. Not to mention an awesome email list/newsletter thing… that literally saved my weary soul today. Here’s an excerpt:

Just because this is the thing I love even more than I love writing about writing, and I have been missing it, and not even realizing how much I’ve missed it. Fiction is the art I labored at for seven years, unpaid, in between bloody hours in the ER and heartbreaking hours in the ICU, while my kids took naps, while my life fell apart and then came back together. Even if I’d never gotten paid for it, I’d still be writing.

Never do for money what you would not do for love.

…<snip>…
Because I finally remembered that no matter how busy you are, and no matter how much fun you might be having with what you’re doing, you have to make time for what you love most.

Write something you love today, just because you can.

So, in a moment of motivation and dreaming, in between my next batch of work meetings, I decided to have my lunch away from my desk. And not only was that an achievement (I haven’t done it in over a month), I would be damned if I didn’t write for at least 15 minutes. Minutes, I’d waste staring into space while waiting for food to digest or my mind to fade from my to do list… This time, I’d write.

And that I did. It wasn’t my finest work. Or my most creative. But it was writing. A new idea. A spark. Thoughts on paper. Written in longhand that somehow meant something. Even if it was just that I embarked on a new book idea and finally committed to it. Over my lunch hour.

My challenge to you: do what you LOVE to do today.