Tag Archives: motivation

Apologies… 

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…for the abnormal email blog post notification 

Humbly, I request that you might overlook the post I made on Wednesday evening, and then quickly deleted. I’m testing out some fresh approaches in marketing my next book. My efforts to load a video link into WordPress didn’t go as expected, yet the email went out. For those of you who received the email, you could view the video even though I deleted the post. 

The video is accurate. Twilight …the in-between will be available on December 2, 2025. You will find it at amazon.com/author/lindalflynn_words

My efforts to expand my marketing will continue, yet I anticipate they will be painless to you. Learning new technologies always comes with surprises. The goal is to energize and interest you in my next work.

Thank you for your interest in my writings.

Enjoy your day.

Why Do I Write?

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I write for freedom – freedom from expectations; to gain freedom or clarification about events that have happened.  I write when I’m happy or overjoyed about some happening or circumstance.  I write when I’m lonely and find comfort in visiting another place or time.  Sometimes I write because the words are overflowing in my mind and I need to sort them out.  Other times I write because something needs to be said to another that is too important to just say and then have it vanish into thin air. I write because words are important to me!

The following piece is something from 2009. Enjoy! And please share your reactions.

Closet Writer Breaks Out

The closet writer is on the loose. She could be anywhere! You may not recognize her for what she is. She appears as any woman you might pass on the street. She enjoys life and lives it to the fullest. She has a family, a day job and could be participating in any life experience. Yet, she’s the one who writes long descriptive letters to friends and family members. Sometimes it’s easier to put her thoughts down in words than to speak them.

Her secret dream is to be a writer. She won’t tell you she’s a writer even though she spends many hours of her day writing. She harbors some fear associated with sharing this, thinking others may judge her. Yet, you will find her busy at night scribbling in her journals, or sneaking away for a few minutes here and there with pen in hand or laptop in tow. The words quickly fill the page and the journals are tucked away.

The lock has broken. Her time has arrived. She has come out of the closet. Her words are no longer a secret – nor are they hers alone anymore. Be aware! She’s out there. She’s watching and she’s writing. She may innocently cross your path and her words may cause you to pause and rethink your position on something, or make you remember some forgotten memory. She may create the opportunity for you think beyond what you formerly held as truth. Or the story she wrote may sound like it’s yours. She could be anywhere. You have been warned. Should you have the opportunity to ask her why she writes, she would tell you, “I write because it sets me free. I have words overflowing in my mind and I need to sort them out. Other times I write because I have something to say to another that is too important to just say the words and have them vanish into thin air. I write because words are important to me.”

Habit or not…

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Away from home…

Habits creep in
Like stalkers at night
We awake and find them amongst us

So goes the way of the news

Read for interest to be informed
Look for more complete details
Shock value captivates attention
Research
Then repeat

And repeat
Peace disrupted
Habit revealed

I long to return to consuming news 
On a “need to know” basis

Question
How to be informed yet not addicted?

(I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on this topic)

Accomplishment minus Satisfaction

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In the midst of the current pandemic, we’ve found ourselves with more time at home. There has been a task at my house I’ve been saying “if I just had some uninterrupted time at home, I would get that done.”

So, due to the pandemic, I have time at home. I’ve found tackling the task difficult to do. Not because the task is so hard, I just lacked enthusiasm to start and stick with the project to completion.

It took me over a week to complete the project once I began. What’s interesting to me, is that I realize it was not a question time. The question proved to be motivation.

For whatever reason, I made cleaning my office/art room into something so daunting that I was avoiding even beginning.

Finally, desk space…

I can say it is complete. I’ve been waiting to start a project in the room until I completed the clean-up. Now I’m able to begin creating something I want to do. Why am I not filled with a sense of satisfaction for cleaning up my work space?

Do you have a project or task that you’ve been putting off and can’t seem to do it?

And why?

2019 Thoughts and Gratitude

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I have questions today.

Please leave a comment in response to any of the questions. Happy New Year!

Colorado National Monument

Do you read my blog because you too are a writer, or just interested in what I write about?


Either is good; I’m just curious.

If you write, do you have writing goals?

How to you track your goals and evaluate your progress?

Does this motivate you?

I use writing goals. It’s a process I’ve refined over the years. It started with generic lists for big projects that I seldom looked at and by the year’s end; I found I accomplished little. Not very satisfying!

My process evolved and suspect will continue to evolve.

It’s important for me to break down a project into tasks; this level of detail ensures things don’t fall through the cracks and provides a more accurate view of the work and time involved to accomplish the project. Making that simple change to my goals has allowed me to be more realistic in what I can accomplish.

As I contemplated 2019’s goals in creating my goals for 2020, I realized how frequently you, my followers have been part of the process. Thank you for taking time to read my posts, for choosing to “like them” or make comments. Those efforts encourage me, as a writer.

My hope for you is that as you reflect on 2019, you enjoy good memories.
I look forward to 2020 and hope my writing will bring a smile to your face,
or provide something for you to contemplate. 

Home and Writing Routines…

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I’ve been back in Colorado about a month now. After a few days, I adjusted to the time differences, the altitude, the night stars and different lifestyles. Remaining were the routine things around the house that needed attention, civic responsibilities and reconnecting with friends on this side of the Atlantic. It looks like it might take us the rest of the year to connect with family and friends we haven’t seen in a while.

While in Ireland, I established a “more” regular writing routine than I had previously practiced. For me, that meant at least three or four dedicated times of writing, or writing related activities per week. It seems like I fell out of step with those practices quickly after landing back in the states. My first goal is to return my Irish writing routine.

Writing Location

I’m okay with you checking in to see my progress. That’s accountability.

 

Review & Looking forward to 2017

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I reviewed my 2016 writing goals and set goals for 2017. I enjoyed some victories and accomplishments last year. My first novella – Dream Glasses is available as a Kindle Book. I’m still working on the print version.

I met three other woman dedicated to their writing. Their friendship and support as we met together has blessed me. It is my hope we will continue to meet together.

This last year’s writing experiences taught me some things.

I recognize I had too many divergent goals, which caused me to loose focus and sometimes I did nothing. This translated to tasks not accomplished.

2017 goals are not so broad and open-ended. I have specific goals related to specific writing projects.

I found my ‘writing location’ within the house where I can sit and write. Later in the year, I wrote more regularly.

I analyzed what worked with writing Dream Glasses and what things slowed me down. I’ve learned much about formatting, styles, sections and images.

I transitioned my writing to Scrivener to allow me to keep all related writing, research, and character lists related to a piece in one place, while fully expecting the final work may still take place in MS WORD.

I’m excited about what 2017 brings.

I expect the print version of Dream Glasses to be available soon. (For those of you following this blog site, last year I thought the name of my book would be The Madeleine. That changed to Dream Glasses.)

I’ve started working on the sequel. No name yet.

I’ve got more research ahead of me to make the story locations as real as Paris has been to my readers.

I’m working on a collection of short stories and still working on a children’s book.

Have you set your writing goals for the new year? …and are you willing to share them?

 

Haiti – Lesson 1: Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear!

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simple fishing boat
simple fishing boat

The Sunday I felt God calling me to go on this Haiti trip with Poured-Out left me filled with many fears. Previously, I would have used all those ‘fears’ as the reason to just stuff the thoughts and go on with life. I was just finishing up a Bible study with an amazing group of women on discerning the voice of God. We were on the lesson about God’s expectations when you hear from Him. Simply OBEY. Yikes! Knowing the truth and not complying is sin.

I asked a friend if she would go with me. She said yes. So with much fear, I signed up for the trip and started praying about the adventure and what God would have.

Without going into tons of details, it is safe to say my list of fears was long. Some of the issues were:

  • all the necessary shots and drugs I would need to take for this trip
  • having to ask people to partner with me on this adventure, both financially and in prayer
  • how my personal health would fare in this hot humid environment
  • the bugs in Haiti
  • and the list goes on

What I found was one at a time, as I turned to God in prayer I was able to see my fears listed on a sheet of paper and each one was slowly being erased from the list.

In Haiti, I realized as I had turned my thoughts to Jesus and what He was asking me to prepare for and focusing on those aspects of the upcoming trip – He was working to take care of each of those issues.

  • Before I had even started my partnering letter, a friend ask me to make sure she got a copy because she wanted to help support me on the trip. Her gesture was huge in giving me the confidence to write my letter and contact others. The generosity of those partnering with me was also huge and I’m grateful and have been greatly blessed.
  • The shots and drugs were taken with no adverse affects.
  • Though I was in an extremely hot, humid environment – and I know there was mold present as I could see it even on some of the plants at the compound where we stayed, I experienced no impact to my respiratory system.
  • Yes, I used insect repellent and sunscreen and was only mildly bitten by the bugs there.

When Jesus is the focus and you are worshipping Him and focusing on what He wants you to do, there is no room for fear.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

It is my prayer, that God our Father will continue to work His love in my life. May He do so for you also!

Go. Learn. Love. HAITI — The Short Story

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I arrived home about 4 am today.

It was an amazing week! I’m still sorting through all the different thoughts and emotions involved in experiencing something so totally different from my life routines.

Market Day
Market Day

Rural Farm House eager for their filter install.
Rural Farm House eager for their filter install.

There were 14 team members, 3 team leaders, and 3 translators working together in the Torbeck area, Okay Region of Haiti.

We installed 50 filters.

Yes! 50 filters.

What does that mean?

Each filter can process approximately 20 gallons of water a day.

That creates a potential of 1,000 additional gallons of safe drinking water available each day to improve the quality of life for the people of this area.

Lovely Haitian Girls
Lovely Haitian Girls

More info and photos to follow…

Could we make the world a better place…..

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Could we make the world a little better if we thought of others and spoke of them in the following way?

Today someone asked me if I liked you. I laughed, and I said, “Ha! That’s funny!! I absolutely LOVE that woman!! She’s funny, caring, crazy as heck, sweet, beautiful, she’s reading this right now & I love her!!”

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, “Oh Crap, She’s up!”

“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” -C.S. Lewis

This is another message I have received from several sources. It made me feel good and smile. I share it, hoping the ideas might motivate you to think about how you speak of others.