Posts Tagged by Janet Jackson

Remember that song, “What have you done for me lately?” by Janet Jackson. My take on that is “What have you done for yourself lately?”

It’s all about personal responsibility when it boils down to it. Don’t get me wrong. I love it that my husband spoils me rotten, calls and texts me a dozen times a day, and supports me 100% in everything I do. But always looking outside of ourselves for what we need in life leads to disappointment. It’s important to nurture our own dreams and take care of our own needs on some level.

I can guarantee you that I’d have that angry look on my face like Janet Jackson does in the video if my husband started ignoring me, but the core of my world would not collapse. Personal responsibility builds personal resiliency. And we all need personal resiliency to get us through the tough times whether in a relationship, business downturn, or just a bad mood.

So what have I done for myself lately? This weekend I pulled out one of my old manuscripts and decided to get serious about it. Bet you didn’t know that I’m a closet fiction writer! Yep! I’ve had all the well-known reasons for ignoring my hobby for years. Busy raising kids, two jobs, poor health…I could go on, but that’s not my point.

It’s a sad thing when you let a busy life bury your fun. And that IS my point. You have to take that responsibility to fit time in for what you love to do. I’m still very busy, but I shifted things a bit to include a few minutes of writing every day.

Here’s how my old thinking worked. I’m so tired…I have too much to do for the family…I’ll never finish much less publish it…why waste the time…

Here’s how my thinking has shifted as I’ve taken more responsibility for my own happiness. I feel more energetic when I write…you can make your own sandwich, honey…finishing is not the goal, enjoying the writing is the goal…taking time for my version of fun is an essential way to spend my time…

Take the time to look at some of those hobbies or dreams you’ve put aside. Adding them back into your life just might create the energy you need for other successes in your life.

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