Distractions Abound

A by-product of staying on track is clarity and/or focus. Distractions these days are plentiful. I get it from every side with other things to do. From surfing the internet to social media to apps on my phone and computer, there’s no shortage of distractions. There’s also the rare incoming call. The return of one of my calls when a friend says they’ve got something for us, something we can do together.

Last night I got that particular call. A great, unheard of niche that will be lucrative. It’s happened several times since my accident. Another one from a fellow writer, one from a marketing guru, all within the last six weeks. The power of NO comes from having some clarity. By one definition, clarity means the quality of being coherent and intelligible. I couldn’t recall the definition of coherent right away, but when I did, it really makes more sense. Clarity means the quality of being logical and consistent. With that being said, although every opportunity sounds great, it’s not great for me.

This morning one of the children around my place was playing with newly born kittens. His intent was about the same as all kids his age, to play and have fun. But his actions could have harmed the kitten. That’s put me in a bad mood this morning. Kids are kids and they just don’t know. But my inability to command the local dialect, coupled with his mother’s inability to understand English led to some challenges in communication. My helper is here now and she’ll sort things out since she’s conversational in both languages, but it’s still been a distraction.

Sure I’m writing, but it’s a little later than I would have liked. Sure, my mood is a bit off and not my normal even keel. Sure, my hand is beginning to hurt and go numb once again, but the thing is, even with distractions, I must push forward. I have the quality of being logical and consistent. My history of bouncing from career to career, not just job to job, shows it doesn’t make sense to switch to something else. My history of being inconsistent shows that it doesn’t make sense to not write today. That’s my experience, yours maybe different, but mine shows that I am on the right path even though I’m unable to clearly see the finish line. I know the path I’m travelling will get me to my destination, but only if I don’t stop.

Today, Thursday, April 18, 2024, I am grateful that:

DC and I got a chance to catch up for a bit. It’s been a challenging journey for us both over the last few months. It was good to hear him in better spirits.

Writing has returned. It’s painful at times, but it feel normal to write. It’s part of who I am and what I do. I’ll evolve as I master my craft, but this is the foundation. Consistently writing during the work week and getting to a point, like my mentor, that my work week and my regular life will be daily, not confined to Monday through Friday. To do what I was created for will require more than a traditional work week. My purpose is not traditional. My work ethic has to become not traditional.

Alan responded to a message earlier. I’ve got tons of respect for the man. He once saved my life and stayed with me until I was not in peril. Until I draw

This is the first part of the entry.