The Power of Positive Thinking

I spent Sunday sniffling and sneezing and shoving tissues up my nose. The antibiotics I'm on for the Strep throat I had earlier in the week don't do a dang bit of good for the cold I got ON TOP of it.

But I'm not here to complain about feeling crappy all weekend. In fact, I'm here to try to do the opposite and put a positive spin on it. Why?

Well, the upside of being too sick to go anywhere on Sunday, and too hopped up on cold medicine and penicillin to think coherently enough to actually get some writing done, was that I decided to stretch out in bed and READ.

Egads! I must be sick. I NEVER have time to read anymore. Granted my TBR pile is spilling out of the closet, but in true bibliophile form, I had to read a new book that just came via UPS.

My SIL made me buy it. She didn't hold a gun to my head, but she was sooo enthusiastic about it when I saw her last weekend that I figured I'd better get in on what all the hype was about, so I bought it.

The Secret, edited by Rhonda Byrne

This little book percolates a wide range of teachings by some well known, and some more obscure teachers and visionaries down to a very simple principle by which all things can be accomplished in life. In essence it touts the power of positive thinking.

Now, that's a very simplified explanation and if you really want to understant what The Secret is, read the book, or buy the video, which is also available and equally praised by my sister-in-law.

I read the whole book and I enjoyed it for the most part - there are a few paragraphs that tend to scream in CRAYON - meaning they talk way down to readers which I don't like, but for the most part the message is clear and consistent and one that I can't dispute.

If you can visualize something, you can achieve it. I've felt that way for a long time. I also feel the reverse is true and that negative feelings and thoughts beget negative circumstances.

I think this is an important lesson for everyone, but it hits home even harder for writers because so many of us deal with the negative impact of our choices every day. People tend to think the desire to write a book is a silly pursuit. It's a pipe dream, it's frivolous and should only be undertaken as a hobby, IF you have absolutely nothing more important to do with your time.
So many of the writers I've talked to have dealt with opposition from their family, their spouses, and their co-workers, and romance writers [not to mention Erotic Romance writers] have it even worse. I don't want to belabor the sore points that we all know, the passive agressive questions, "When are you going to write a real book?" "How come you're not rich yet? I thought you had a book published?" "Why would you want to waste your time writing a book?" I could go on, but I won't.

All I'm going to say is, The Secret is one we should all take to heart when it comes to our dreams. See it, believe it, and you can do it. And if it helps, shove a tissue up your nose.