Life Lessons
Never Quit on a Bad Day
There are some very important life lessons we should all learn, like be kind and treat others as you would like to be treated. But there are also those more subtle lessons that takes a while to get to. Some require us to have grown up, some present themselves early on, and some come to us when we’re reading a book. And some take another person to show you the road.
As a writer, I live everyday with insecurity and doubt. One day, I feel that my writing is making a difference and the words are flowing faster than I can type them. Other days I am riddled with self-doubt and decide to pack it in and move on to other endeavors. I usually get my body up and move around, change the place I’m sitting, or even treat myself with a day off or a new book. (Thus, my large library! Ha! Ha!)
When I read Teri M Brown’s newly released non-fiction book, 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure, I found so much more than I expected. I had heard the story of her and her late husband’s tandem bike trip across the United States to raise money for the Toys for Tots charity, (https://www.toysfortots.org/). It is very inspirational. But reading the many obstacles they overcame, the joys they shared, while relating it to my life made this book very special to me.
I suggest you read one rule a day at the most. You will want to savor each rule and think about how it applies to your life. Just the fact that two people of “a certain age” with not much training conquered this huge goal is enough to make you sit up and pay attention. But as you read, you will feel like you are along for the ride. Teri’s writing style puts you right there on the bike with her and Bruce. Their joy, tension, sweat and love flow through each of her words.
Some of my favorite rules are “Do Hard Things,'“ “Focus on Now,” and “Never Quit on a Bad Day.” It was if Teri spoke directly to me, and I filled pages in my journal, working through my own thoughts on each one. Teri’s own words:
“But we always went to sleep to “think on it” rather than act. …All of this to say Einstein was right: The rate at which time passes depends on your frame of reference. …The worst day in the world is never going to end, and it’s a distant memory supplanted by sunny skies and a row of black-eyes Susans. …Time has a way of changing everything, so never quit on a bad day.”
Most of my bad days lately have come from my writerly adventures. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but you still need a crew to ground you. Whenever I feel like I don’t have the writing skills or confidence to keep going, I take an hour, take a walk, or do something else. Yes, sometimes, I even cry. But my love of writing always wins, and I realize finally that I’m being stupid and human and I get back on my “bike” – my laptop. So be like Teri, and don’t quit on a bad day. Read her book and take your time. If you’re like me, you will not want it to end. It came too fast. A Double-Butted 5 Stars!
Don’t miss your chance to read and share this award-winning anthology about and written by other strong women. And remember Books Make the Best Gifts! Please check out “Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women.” My story “Junebug” starts on page 198. These twenty-three stories of everyday women making brave choices which change their lives will make you cry, laugh and turn the page. You can purchase the paperback or ebook on Amazon, BookBub, Kobo, and Barnes&Nobles. All profits are donated to the Scholarship Fund of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, (https://www.womensfictionwriters.org/) to benefit other women writers.
Writing IS so very solitary... I feel the same way some days. Which is why networks and critique partners are so important. They lift us up when we need it most!
So true, so vulnerable. I just read a quote this morning that your post brought back to me: "Your life is your message." How we show up...again and again. Loved this post!