Monday Inspiration

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

- Albert Einstein

I personally believe in miracles. I have seen miracles in my life. I am always in awe at how sometimes my hardest trials have also reaped the greatest blessings.

I hope I can always look for the miracles in my life, and keep my vision up, bright, and full of gratitude even when it's hard. Even when I don't know the why's or why not's.

How about you?

Monday Inspiration

Here's a great quote to start off this new week:

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will." - Vince Lombardi

I have oodles of will, so I should be good to go, right? How about you?

A little Shakespeare to start the week

This quote stuck with me when I read it, and thought it would be a good way to start off the week:


"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." -- William Shakespeare


Don't you just love Shakespeare? Doubts really can be stinkers, can't they? I know they can for me. Even with how much I love my new WIP, doubt is hanging in there every step of the way, with every word I write. "Is this actually a good idea?"... "Am I getting any better as an author?" ... "Does this actually totally and completely suck?" You know, minor stuff. Ha ha.

But I have to shove those doubts away, and keep on keeping on. I'm never going to "win any good" if I let my doubts drive me rather than my hopes, dreams, and ultimately my belief in myself. The ironic thing is that no matter how bad I think I may doing while I'm writing something, I inevitably realize it's much better than I thought when I go back to edit it later. Interesting, isn't it? Sometimes I think doubt is a type of self-sabotage to keep us from achieving something really amazing. Our worst doubts seem to attack at the moments when we are actually creating something that exceeds anything we have created before. Maybe it's because we have to stretch to do it--to get to that next level. So, what do you choose to believe in: the doubts? Or the belief that you ARE talented and worthy and able to create something beautiful/amazing/awe-inspiring/or that-at-least-doesn't-suck?

Doubt or belief, which one do you let drive you? What are your deep thoughts for this Monday morning?

Monday quote time!

Hey everyone, I hope you had a great weekend. I had such a fun time with the blogfest last week. Reading everyone's posts, seeing the comments on my husband's--and seeing how excited he was by all of your kind responses. He kept checking the blog to see if there were any new comments all weekend. That was a lot of fun.

So, here's a great quote to start our week:

"It is better to fall short of a high mark than to reach a low one." - H. C. Payne

Isn't that great? So what high marks are you trying to reach this week... or month... or year?

But of course it would be EVEN BETTER to reach that high mark. That's my goal anyway. :-)

Happy Monday!

Blogfest: being married to a writer in the words of SHH

When I asked SHH to write this post, I was expecting a tell-all piece on the trials of being married to a writer. (The messy house! The piles of clean--but unfolded--laundry! The bleary-eyed wife begging for him to take the kids for just two hours so she can finish this revision!) But instead, well... read for yourself.

At dinner for our 7th anniversary in September of 2010

Being married to a writer is like having a full time job in the elevator industry. Need I say it’s full of up’s and down’s? We eat, drink and sleep inside the elevator. Among the hundreds of floors, there is only one special floor we are looking for. At times we climb so fast to the top that our ears pop. When we reach what we think is the very top floor, we hold our breath to see what greets us on the other side of the doors. Is it the welcoming hand of a publisher? Is it another pass? The suspense at times is overwhelming. Only Sara and Hannah (her agent) hold the combination that will get us to the right floor. I can’t choose the numbers for them. All I can do is encourage her to continue to try.

At times the elevator plummets, seemingly uncontrollable. We have to hold the handrail to stay steady and try not to throw up. Our stomachs twist inside out and force their way into our throats. The bell dings. The door opens. We find ourselves face to face with a two-headed evil beast named Despair and Failure. Now I’ll be honest here. We’ve had a couple of lengthy conversations with this beast. As ugly as Despair and Failure are on the inside, they can come across as an old friend looking for someone to join them. We have to remind ourselves that to step off the elevator at this level would only bring discouragement. Lucky for me, I know Sara has the strength and incredible support group to resist the temptation of this evil beast.

We must stay on until we’ve made it. To believe is to achieve. I know you can do this Sara! I believe in you. You are amazing! You inspire me to be better. Thank you for this wonderful ride!

Love, Trav

Halloween 2010 (we dressed up for a party the week before, but not the night of)

Thank you so much for believing in me, and for writing this post. I am so lucky.