Wednesday, May 19, 2010

If for Not

With full speed ahead I am continuing to write my book. Last week the proposal went off to two agents and today I registered the copyright. I have been working feverishly to stay on schedule dedicating hours each day to writing and organizing the book. Sometimes I get so lost in the project that time slips away and so do all the other things that exist in my life. Conversations and time spent with friends and family is selfishly guarded by me. I feel the crunch of time and the clock ticking away. I’m very good at setting goals and reaching them ahead of schedule. I learned this early in life as a young single mother putting myself through college. I always had to give myself room in case something happened at the last minute that needed my attention; like a sick child or a child’s school project. I’m happiest when I have a goal and am under the pressure to make a deadline. I’m selfish and greedy with my time. I can spend hours alone self absorbed. But what if all this work is for “not”? What if after it is all written and done nothing happens? This is the question I ask myself when I take the time to come up from the keyboard and breathe.


Then the phone rings and my daughter calls. I stop and take the time to listen. She asks me about the truth. What does it mean to be truthful? In a literal sense it means not to lie but the truth cannot be applied so easily as truth like everything else is relative. The one deciding factor is the truth should always be lived with two thoughts in mind; do no harm and always do what brings the greatest good for the many. Sometimes the sacrifice of one is best to preserve the whole.

I return to my writing. The truth looks me in the face. My book may not become a best seller but it will get published. The publishing arm is in place. It may or may not make any money but a few copies will be sold. When it is finished I will feel that sweet moment of accomplishment and then it will float away. Something new will take its place. May-be book number two? Whatever it is – the truth is- I love what I’m doing, I’m doing no harm and whatever the turnout when you’re happy you bring the greatest good to the many.

Doctor Lynn

Monday, May 10, 2010

No, No, Yes, Yes

Last week I felt the wrath of rejection. We’ve all felt that painful emotional low that comes from hearing the word, no. Rejection is so hard to take unless we can separate it from the personal and accept it as simply a step along the way to success.

Last week I receive two rejections. Not because my product and idea were not good but simply because it did not fit with the image, style or direction of the companies. One rejection came with an understanding and a bit of kindness and the other came with a harsh and cold, “no.” I did not take it to heart because I know that life is full of ups and downs. You just have to keep trying until you find the right fit. And if your first plan doesn’t work, make another plan until you find the one that fits.

Because of the rejections a doorway opened and in popped two acceptances! And then I met with a person who showed me another opportunity that I would never have seen had I been accepted by the first two and put my energy into fulfilling an obligation. A whole new opportunity and direction opened up to me because I got rejected!

Yoga teaches us that there are three basic fears in life. The fear of not being loved, the fear of death and the fear of being rejected or not accepted are the ultimate fears in life. Fear manifests itself in the body as an imbalance in the water element. In a state of fear a person sheds tears, sweats and loses control of the bladder. If fear creeps in, especially through rejection, sit on the floor with your legs crossed, lean forward and with your fists lightly pound the kidney area. Then sit up straight, close your eyes and visualize the sun inside your body behind your navel point. As you inhale the sun gets warmer and as you exhale the sun gets brighter.

So the moral of the story is; open yourself up to rejection and you might just find an opportunity!

Doctor Lynn

www.doctorlynn.com