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Blogs by Pamela C Labud
Sometimes you have to choose 3/31/2008 8:51:40 AM
What if you have to give something up to keep your dream alive? Hello, Gentle Readers!
I hope you all are having a good week so far, although I know it's only Monday, lol! Just four more days until the weekend, right?
It's been a rough couple of weeks for me. Work has been overwhelming lately and my kids are both going through some major things. My oldest child got her drivers license, and my youngest is now out of state on a huge class trip. Both of them are doing fantastic, mom, not always so well.
Add to that stresses of work and my drive to write, keeping a house, and did I remember to call my mom? As you can see we don't just live our lives these days, we are consumed by our lives.
Oh, and did I mention that my husband just started a new job? Ugh.
I came up against a situation at work where things have changed and I had to make a decision. The frustration and negativity surrounding me had climbed to an all time high and I came to that place where I had to make a decision. Step down or watch it take over my life.
We all get there, I suppose. Life has a way of doing that. So, I took a couple of days, considered all my options--because of my financial obligations and the needs of my household, there weren't that many options, btw. I decided to step down from my stressful job, away from basement level leadership, so to speak, and go back to being just a regular Joe, uh Jill.
Long story short--the job wanted more time from me and splitting my life between kids, husband, pets, family, and writing already, I just didn't see that was possible. I would have had to give something up.
You want to guess which thing would have been cut? If you guessed the writing, you've hit the nail squarely on the head.
Let's be honest about this. Other than fulfilling my dream of being an author, the writing gig just doesn't pay all that much. In fact, what I spend on writing organizations, conferences, research, computer stuff, and even postage isn't always covered by my writing income.
But, writing pays me in other ways. It recharges my soul. I can leave every day drudgery behind and lose myself in my stories. I can create worlds where there is true love and happy endings. Where justice isn't just an ideal, and my characters never die, (unless they're the bad guys, lol).
I have made so many friends since I started writing twelve years ago and learned so much, not only about the world around me, but the person inside me, it's just invaluable.
You can't put a dollar value on self worth, on creativity, and on that sense of accomplishment when you finally hold that book in your hand. The check may be not so big but the returns are incalculable.
Sometimes you have to choose. I did and although my ego took a hit when I had to admit I couldn't do the job, I've managed to refocus my efforts on what's really important. I will raise my family, I will pay my bills. I will continue to write until I draw my last breath. That's just the way it is.
On a final note, my latest book from Cobblestone Press, Ride A Cowboy, will be out May 23, 2008. It's a fast, sexy story and I hope you all have as much fun reading it as I did writing it!
The cover for the second book in the series: Back In The Saddle, Ride A Cowboy 2 is posted on my Authors Den page, in my Myspace pic's, and soon to be on my website at www.pamlabud.com. Check it out!
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of the week and Happy Reading! Pam.
P.S Is there anything you've had to give up or change in order to keep your dream alive? If so, leave me a comment. If not, what would you do?
