One week of the new year is nearly behind us, and I’m still working on “the plan”—or what I envision my life to look like over the next 12 months.  In the meantime, yesterday I received a dose of reality when I ran into a former colleague of mine after nearly a year of no contact.  “I finished!”  I called as we neared each other (meaning my degree requirements). 

“Congratulations,” she said (thankfully, knowing what I was talking about). 

“Are you still going to school?” I asked.

“No, and I’m not going back,” she said. 

Before I could ask why, she continued.  “I just signed with an agent!”

With those six little words, I felt the proverbial wind go right out from my sails, yet I kept the smile plastered on my face.  It wasn’t hard to do because I like this woman, and I was—and am—genuinely  happy for her.  And I shouldn’t be surprised at her accomplishment because when we worked together before, she had told me she was writing a book.  Of course, I’ve started many of these so-called books, too, but to hear that she actually finished it, and recently signed a three-book contract with an agent, was nothing less than amazing to me.  While I was going to school, she was living my dream. 

I have to admit that the remainder of the day found me in a funk; albeit, a funk of my own making.  For me, I believe the problem lies in something else my colleague said that really hit home: “If your butt isn’t in your chair, then you’re not writing.”  So from this day forward whenever I’m tempted to say, “I should be writing, but…,” I need to ask myself the question: “Where is my but(t)?” ~ cs