Reliable as Rain Falling Down, Not Up

Does anyone punch holes in the top of large juice cans anymore? You know, with the "other side" of that old bottle cap opener, the pointy triangle end. As a child, it amazed me that to get the juice to pour out of the can nicely, rather than just a blub...blub...blub, a second hole had to be punched in the top of the can across from the first. There was a right way to do it and it worked wonders!

Today you buy coffee or a latte to go and the lid has a tiny hole across from where you sip. I usually don't give it much thought until I tip my cup and not much of that invigorating espresso with the yummy caramel flavor seems to hit my mouth. That's when I immediately inspect that teeny little hole to make sure it's open. It was certainly the right way to make those lids.

Know what makes it right? Because for every inflow there has to be an outflow, and vice versa. It is a law of physics - no less impacting than when Newton said, "what goes up, must come down."

I love to write. What writer doesn't? Then what in the world could possibly stop the flow of those beautifully orchestrated metaphors and lingering states of suspended disbelief I know I am so capable of? And yet, at times, the writer in me just does one of those blub...blub...blub's. That's when I inspect my teeny little hole to make sure it's open, and possibly even make it a bit larger.

If I want to receive anything I need in my life, I know I have to give. That's right. It's another one of those crazy physical laws like Newton's. I will need to get completely away from the narcissistic side of my personality that thinks what I'm currently doing is all important, and freely give. Albeit, this may seem to be a might difficult in this particular moment, since I'm right in the middle of confronting my own worst enemy: writer's block or, what's right block.

Actually, I have found this to be a perfect time to go to one of my social networks to see who's asking for an opinion, or perhaps initiate some new discussion, or maybe even let another artist know how much I enjoy their work. What a fantastic playground to relieve my stress and simply... give! Rather than visiting my writers' group for help, on this occasion I look for how I can help someone else. Usually this causes a far greater influx of writing possibilities than anything I ever give out.

Not only have I found my teeny little hole, but I cleared it, and even made the opening a bit larger. My writing flows just right. How? By freely giving. The Law of Giving stops the blub...blub...blub and is reliable as rain falling down, not up :~)

One Tiny Tweak

It only takes one tiny tweak to change the course of any life. If I am traveling a straight line and I veer off of it by even a fraction of a degree, at some point that new line I'm on will be miles away from the original. When constructing a building, veering would not be wise. That is one reason masons use string when laying brick. But when a person feels worn out, frustrated and is frequently complaining about life, it's definitely time for a tweak. And isn't it a great relief to realize it'll only take one. teeny. tiny. tweak. to change the direction of your life? to become who you dream of being?

The easiest change to make in all of our daily habits and routines, is to vary the order of just one thing, and the new line is drawn. Such a small adjustment to make. But we are creatures of habit, and to move a regular afternoon routine to the morning, for example, can be quite an undertaking. It's easier if looked at as a one-time adventure, keeping in mind that it's just the one. tiny. tweak. that will absolutely be worth more than any of the discomfort that is felt, when all is said and done.

I made just such a tweak one day last March. I did my grocery shopping on a completely different day than my usual Saturday, and in the morning instead of the afternoon. Many different and interesting little things happened that day, bringing about another tweak in April. I simply joined Facebook. But that's where I met a really cool friend who does a food blog and I became her copy editor. By August I believed I could do my own blog. So, now I'm finally back to writing... after nearly a 30 year break... joined a couple writers' groups, and have decided to write my first book. I am doing what I always dreamed of, and all I did was go to the grocery store at a different time than I usually went. Imagine that.

Perhaps, if you tell me about the one tiny tweak you're deciding to do - however small it may be - it will inspire others to do their own, and help me to tweak some more, too :~)