Bob Dylan’s song, “The Times They are A-Changing,” pops into my head at times like these. My personal life is changing a great deal, and so is the landscape around me. When I imagined being a writer as a college student, it wasn’t like this. In my mind, I had a job with a large company, a husband, a couple of perfect kids and a house. My retirement account was full, and I was looking forward to retirement in about 15 years. Somehow, I landed in a Twilight Zone version of my dream that seems both positive and negative.
I don’t have a husband anymore. My kids are gone from home. I just sold my house, and I don’t really want to get another one. I have my own business rather than working for someone else. My retirement account is NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, full. I’m looking forward to retirement, but now I don’t see it as a particular year, and I probably will still work in retirement–because I want to.
The truth is, these departures from my vision could be stressful, but I’ve chosen to look at them as positive. The result is a rejuvenation I can hardly describe. Life is good. It’s the kind of attitude that comes through in the writing you do. Cultivate positive thoughts every day. Avoid people, things and situations that suck your energy away. Look for people, things and situations that make your heart leap.
Even if you are writing for someone else in a large corporation, this kind of intentional joy can take the messages you craft to a new depth of effectiveness because of the emotion that trails along with the words. Don’t be afraid of changing times. Look for new positives you can wring out of them.
