Carpe Diem--Muse Style
Anybody besides me damn glad that today is the last day of 2010? Words alone cannot describe how much I am looking forward to a new year.
Why am I so excited about the new year? Well, for one thing it’s a symbol of new beginnings. What do I mean? Well, let’s put it this way—in 2010, my author had lots of ups and plenty of downs. It was a wild and crazy ride that apparently was hell bent on making her a better person. And yes, this is the part where her snarky voice pipes up to say, yeah right, learning that you’re mundane job is being eliminated after the first quarter of 2011 was by far the most pleasant way of opening my eyes to the path to betterment. At the time and to be totally honest, I can say that my author did not deal with this news well. But in hindsight, I’ve got to say that it just might be one of the best things that happened to her and her writing career.
First, let me say that the layoff she is facing isn’t because her job at the mundane workplace isn’t necessary. Far from it. The reason for the layoff is that the company who hired her was bought out in a pricey acquisition and as a result the two companies have had to merge groups and… well, her group was one of the departments that were slated for merging and trimming. To make it even more interesting, her particular skill set on the job is so highly focused on one aspect of the mundane work that it’s made it difficult to place her in a role with the new company where she can do more than what she’s been pigeon-holed to do. And I’ve got to tell you that when you compare her education and previous experience to what the job function is in this pigeon hole… it makes it even more challenging to figure out the best place for her—not only from the company’s perspective, but from hers as well.
Why is that? Because she is one of those ‘professional student’ types of people who loves to learn and… well, lol, let’s just say that it’s not uncommon for her to field a question during interviews that goes something like… how in the world did you go from working in a government physics lab, to researching cancer, to the IT field, and finally to research and development for vaccines?
Honestly, I never know how she is going to answer that question. But I absolutely loved it when, last week during an interview, she smiled and responded with a… What can I say, the opportunity presented itself and it sounded interesting, so I went with it.
That, my dear reader, was the answer that I’d been looking for. Because it gave me the opening I desperately needed to change my author’s point of view on something that has ticked me off for the past 16 years. My author’s perspective on her writing.
For some unknown reason (I’ll call it stubbornness infused with a healthy dose of idiocy), my lovely, intelligent, highly capable author viewed her pursuit of a professional writing career as anything but a viable career option. It was a hobby. A part-time job. A lark. A fun thing to do when she was bored with sitcoms.
Whatever, moron.
Bottom line is that my author was eff-ed up in her thinking and it was up to me—her wonderful, loving, incredibly supportive and always right muse—to knock her upside the head and open her eyes to her potential.
The knocking upside the head part was a good time (NOT) had by all. But it worked. She finally has her eyes opened and has caught on that there is a whole new world out there with a new paradigm shifting in the publishing industry that has opened up a myriad of opportunities. Which naturally forces me to remind her of her own words… What can I say, the opportunity presented itself and it sounded interesting, so I went with it.
So, my dear reader, I offer to you, on this last day of an unusual year, a token of wisdom from a muse who has gone a few rounds with an author (who has occasional moronic tendencies)… Carpe Diem.
Seize the day, the opportunity, the moment… and make it your own. For you never know when the opportunity may present itself to you again. Let the past lay in the past and open yourself up to your own potential. Be smart and savvy and learn to live with your eyes wide open. Trust your instincts and respect your writing process. Because, my dears, if you aren’t willing to respect your process, how can you ever expect anyone else to do it?
Take care and may your next year be one filled with blessings and insights that guide you to… the writing career you have earned and deserve.
Happy New Year!
~EK
Why am I so excited about the new year? Well, for one thing it’s a symbol of new beginnings. What do I mean? Well, let’s put it this way—in 2010, my author had lots of ups and plenty of downs. It was a wild and crazy ride that apparently was hell bent on making her a better person. And yes, this is the part where her snarky voice pipes up to say, yeah right, learning that you’re mundane job is being eliminated after the first quarter of 2011 was by far the most pleasant way of opening my eyes to the path to betterment. At the time and to be totally honest, I can say that my author did not deal with this news well. But in hindsight, I’ve got to say that it just might be one of the best things that happened to her and her writing career.
First, let me say that the layoff she is facing isn’t because her job at the mundane workplace isn’t necessary. Far from it. The reason for the layoff is that the company who hired her was bought out in a pricey acquisition and as a result the two companies have had to merge groups and… well, her group was one of the departments that were slated for merging and trimming. To make it even more interesting, her particular skill set on the job is so highly focused on one aspect of the mundane work that it’s made it difficult to place her in a role with the new company where she can do more than what she’s been pigeon-holed to do. And I’ve got to tell you that when you compare her education and previous experience to what the job function is in this pigeon hole… it makes it even more challenging to figure out the best place for her—not only from the company’s perspective, but from hers as well.
Why is that? Because she is one of those ‘professional student’ types of people who loves to learn and… well, lol, let’s just say that it’s not uncommon for her to field a question during interviews that goes something like… how in the world did you go from working in a government physics lab, to researching cancer, to the IT field, and finally to research and development for vaccines?
Honestly, I never know how she is going to answer that question. But I absolutely loved it when, last week during an interview, she smiled and responded with a… What can I say, the opportunity presented itself and it sounded interesting, so I went with it.
That, my dear reader, was the answer that I’d been looking for. Because it gave me the opening I desperately needed to change my author’s point of view on something that has ticked me off for the past 16 years. My author’s perspective on her writing.
For some unknown reason (I’ll call it stubbornness infused with a healthy dose of idiocy), my lovely, intelligent, highly capable author viewed her pursuit of a professional writing career as anything but a viable career option. It was a hobby. A part-time job. A lark. A fun thing to do when she was bored with sitcoms.
Whatever, moron.
Bottom line is that my author was eff-ed up in her thinking and it was up to me—her wonderful, loving, incredibly supportive and always right muse—to knock her upside the head and open her eyes to her potential.
The knocking upside the head part was a good time (NOT) had by all. But it worked. She finally has her eyes opened and has caught on that there is a whole new world out there with a new paradigm shifting in the publishing industry that has opened up a myriad of opportunities. Which naturally forces me to remind her of her own words… What can I say, the opportunity presented itself and it sounded interesting, so I went with it.
So, my dear reader, I offer to you, on this last day of an unusual year, a token of wisdom from a muse who has gone a few rounds with an author (who has occasional moronic tendencies)… Carpe Diem.
Seize the day, the opportunity, the moment… and make it your own. For you never know when the opportunity may present itself to you again. Let the past lay in the past and open yourself up to your own potential. Be smart and savvy and learn to live with your eyes wide open. Trust your instincts and respect your writing process. Because, my dears, if you aren’t willing to respect your process, how can you ever expect anyone else to do it?
Take care and may your next year be one filled with blessings and insights that guide you to… the writing career you have earned and deserve.
Happy New Year!
~EK
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