Dear Me

Entry for

SURVEY

Dear Me: Official WDC Contest  (E) What are *your* goals for the new year? Think it over, write a letter and win big prizes! #597313 by Writing.Com Support

Dear Me,

Myself and I want to, first off, commend you on following through to write more in 2018. Over 130 short stories and poems, a novel and twenty-four newsletters is a far cry from your 2017 total of thirty-two pieces. Well done! The Me side of things with the writing has made the advances we knew you were capable of producing.

Moving forward. One thing that Myself and I believe is that you need to focus on is that it takes all three of us to provide a stable platform for your writing. With any two of us, we cannot balance; it takes the three legs to achieve balance. Just like a milking stool has three legs to allow it to sit flat on uneven terrain, life, as I know you have learned, is rarely free of bumps or potholes. Never stumbling blocks; always stepping stones! Remember this during the coming year.

We understand that Me has been very ill for the past month or so. We get that. We know you are feeling buried because you are behind on many projects. But stressing yourself out over it won't help you and could land you flat on your back again and that won't do anyone any good at all. We totally ‘get’ that you haven’t let on, even to your best friends, just how dicey things got. We understand that there was nothing that they could do and that you didn’t want to worry them. If you didn’t feel guilty about that then, kind of a waste of time to worry about telling them now. They love you. Bottom line.

You need to take things one day at a time and work as you can each day without feeling as if you need to catch up on six weeks of life all in a week or two. You are good, dearest Me, but no one is that good! Even writing this letter, we felt you procrastinating and shoving it off because you felt guilty taking time for you to do something you felt was important for you away from the other projects.

Balance above all is necessary. You haven’t let anyone down: given how sick you’ve been, you are doing quite well in your recovery. Remember what your doctor told you. (She is the expert, after all!!!) It will possibly take you another six weeks to be back to ‘typical’ you. She also said that over-doing things is not good for you and to take things slowly.

You know it. We can feel you relaxing as you write this because it helps you to focus on the upcoming days and what you need to do and how to prioritize what you need and want to accomplish. Everything will get finished. It is okay to be slower, to give yourself time to get back into ‘Fyn’ mode where you can squeeze two days’ worth of work into one. Give yourself that leeway, give yourself that permission to not work yourself into the ground—Where would Myself and I be if you did that? We are only the voices in your head guiding you. It is up to you, dear, dear Me, to implement the things we advise you to do.

Work-wise, you need to do what you can when you can. It is perfectly fine to be as picky as you are as you want the books your company puts out to be as close to perfect as possible; just remember that this process takes time and you must allow yourself that time if you (and your authors) are going to be happy with the final products. These things simply cannot be rushed: it is too important to you and them. Trust us, the world will not end if a book comes out a few months after a projected date. Nothing has been set in stone. And we all know that good old Murphy has his way of rearing that ugly head of his to muck things up in the best of circumstances. You need to relax and get the thrill out of each part of the process just as you always have. You and the books will be better for it.

On the home front, at least, you are doing well. Ten years married is no small accomplishment. You have a man who ‘gets’ you, who understands both the work and the writing side of you. Keep on appreciating how amazing he is, how lucky you are and things will continue as good as they have been. Remember, he, too, is concerned about your overdoing things in your headlong rush to ‘get back to normal.’ To quote your grandmother, “Normal is as normal does.” Don’t worry about anyone else’s idea of ‘normal.’ Do you.

Last year was rough on you losing so many friends and family and we know their being gone has left holes in your heart. Fill those holes with the good memories you all shared and they won’t seem quite as unreachable. There is nothing that even the diehard ‘fixer’ in you can fix. Acceptance in what you cannot change will let life seem easier. You’ve always believed that those on the other side of the veil know what’s going on on this side. How would they react if they could? (We see you nodding.) They’d thwap you a good one, they would. Let them go and just treasure the amazing adventures you had together.

This is going to be a good year. You will get caught up. You need to get working on ‘Gardens of Grace’ if you want it out late Spring. You have the whole book in your head; you must spit it out onto your keyboard. Late Spring was the plan, but if it isn’t until Autumn strolls around, then so be it. Quit worrying about it being as good as the first three. Remember how you stressed over the third book? And what happened? Folks liked it the best of the three thus far. You can’t get away with that sort of mind games this time around. We won’t let you. Besides, you love being in the mid-book mindset! Don’t forget you have ideas about at least four other books once you get this series finished and on the shelf!

In the meantime, get yourself back into loving what you do! You have no secrets from us. We hear everything. Just like we heard you telling your new author how your job isn’t really a job because you love every part of the process. Which you do, of course. Let yourself get back into that mindset. Perhaps you won’t move as fast as in the past, but that is okay. Don’t waste your time or your energy on things you can do nothing about!

You might be feeling as if Myself and I are really jumping on you. You know we are not. You know you respond best to our being blunt. You know we care or we wouldn’t bother. We are just along for the ride, after all. We just prefer it when you are riding high! You weren’t selected as the fifth top publisher in Michigan because you don’t do a good job. You were chosen because you put your heart and soul into everything you do. If the beat of your drum is a little bit slower, if your pace is not at a dead run, you will still get to your numerous finish lines. That is more than a lot of people will achieve.

We could go on, but we’ve said our piece. We’ve been sick too, you know, and we are tired. Consider this letter both an encouraging pat on the back and a swift kick in the backside. We know that you know what you need to do. We have faith in you and are looking forward to one heck of a ride!

We love you, Me.

Myself and I


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