This has been a great week and I plan to ride this inspiration for as long as possible. I have never been into astrology or similar concepts, but I could not ignore the fact that "mercury was in retrograde" at the end of August through the middle of September. This is supposed to throw lots of things off and I have to say that Mercury was kicking my ass. I had no computer, writer's bloc, opportunities were not manifesting as expected, I was constantly tired, etc. I tried not to buy into this belief too much, yet not ignore the suggestions for riding out this period of retrograde. I did not push myself too hard on any front and I took that time to just enjoy Ryan, get some rest and not worry too much.
Anyway, things began to look up over the past couple weeks as I gained more confidence and clarity. I began to focus on what I wanted and what it would take for me to get it. I put my energy into doing those things and trusting that the outcome would be as I envisioned. Lo and behold, within a couple week's time the stars began to align:
I secured my first writing gig, nothing that would keep me so occupied that I would not have time for my book and something that I could ride out for now and turn into something more substantial once the baby is born and I have taken some time to just concentrate on her.
A deal I had been waiting to close finally did and I was called to be part of the branding/marketing team. This is the same opportunity that I knew was perfect when I received it, but which my excitement led me to forget the rules I had put into place for myself. I confronted the issue and gained the respect needed to be called upon when the money was right.
Earlier this week, I wrote down my "January Expectations" and by Friday I had confirmation that all of them were on track to happen.
Great Inspiration
The most powerful thing that has occurred is that I have regained my inspiration, i.e., my "Muse-ness." This year has primarily been about learning the tough lessons and going inside myself to correct faults that had gone undetected for decades. This has been a difficult process to undergo. Focusing on my weaknesses really slowed me down, which was a necessary step to getting where I am today. I was moving so fast that I did not realize that I was letting life happen to me and not taking charge of my life and figuring out the path that I wanted to pursue. Though I am still in the midst of my war with fear, this new phase is about doing the work and I am falling in love with my journey all over again.
Progress
So, I have been writing a lot more and it feels wonderful. Though I have been cautioned against it, there are certain things that I want my book to have that have no basis in logic. For instance, I want 8 chapters. 8 is my favorite number, it is a round number, I was born on the 8th day of the 8th month of year, I tend to like the 8th track on all good albums, and it turns out that "The Tipping Point" has 8 chapters. When I wrote my basic outline in July I wrote it based on 8 chapters, although i only had 7 of the chapter titles figured out. This did not bother me because I knew that these were not going to be my final chapters, it was just something I needed to get out in order to move forward and to have my basic theory parsed out.
Anyway, as I said in my last post, I have finally found a synergy between the two parts of my book--the personal narrative and the theory. Well, this morning I woke up at 7:30 to use the bathroom and instead of going back to sleep, I decided to ride the wave of inspiration I have been feeling and take another stab at the flow of the book with my 8 chapters in mind. Fate would have it that the various phases of my life that I have been piecemeal writing about add up to 8 and within each phase a major tenent of my overall theory is illustrated. This is great news because today is September 25th and I want to have my detailed outline finished by the 30th. I can now take a break from free writing the meat of my book and get the basic structure completely worked out so that it is easier for me to complete in a systematic fashion.
Needless to say, I am thrilled. I had a good 2 hours or so of "deck time" last night and it was great to reflect on my life and see its purpose and how everything I have learned up until this point has prepared me to write this book. I look forward to completing this outline and spending next month working on and sending out my pitch packet. I expect to secure an agent before Riley is born so wish me luck!
-The Muse
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