Thinking and Thanking

Being a Brit, Thanksgiving normally passes me by. It doesn’t
feature much in British life and we don’t really understand it much
apart from what we see in movies. It seems to us to be like a
mini-Christmas, a big celebratory meal with family and friends and,
from what I’ve seen in films, a stressful time too – a lot like
Christmas.

But this year, my daughter is studying an American 5th Grade
curriculum, to stretch her.  Incidentally, we’ve found the American
math and language arts far more challenging and useful than their
English curriculum counterparts and the sciences are amazing!
We’re also learning lots about American history and geography and
of course, Thanksgiving.

You know, I wish we had Thanksgiving in the UK. I think the idea of
taking a day to be thankful is a wonderful idea.

And whatever stage we are at in our writing career, we do have a
reason to give thanks.  We are doing, even if only as a hobby,
something that we love to do; something that inspires us, something
that fires us up with enthusiasm, something that is a passion for
us and something that hopefully will help to pay the bills.

I’ve been reading a book recommended to me by Cecily Mahoney
following my last editorial about reading positive books, called
“The Other 90%” by Robert K. Cooper.  This book, again aimed at
managers, is proving to be quite thought-provoking.  At least, it’s
certainly making me think.

For example, one thing that Cooper believes makes for happy human
beings is if they take time to indulge their passions at least a
little every day.  He believes that just by doing what we love to
do, just by writing, a little, every day, we are freeing up our
mind for happiness.  Not only that, but we are also, apparently,
boosting our immune system too!

So you see, that need to write that you’ve always had is actually
real!  It’s a real physical need! Own it and enjoy it.  If you need
to write, you are a writer!

But what about publication?  Isn’t it hard to get published these
days, what with new media and international competition? Sure, it
is hard to get published these days.

But then again, it has ALWAYS been hard to get published. The world
changes, publications spring up and die, magazines come and go and
websites blaze then fade. It is easy to get discouraged, to let
negativity win, to give in. But remember this, for every
publication that closes, another opportunity comes along.  There
are new media, new outlets, and new ways to earn a living from
writing.  In fact, there are now more ways to earn money from
writing than there have ever been before.  I currently write for
two businesses in Australia, one in Hong Kong and one in Ireland,
all thanks to the power of the Internet and the introduction of
social media.

We need to be more creative, not just with our words, but in how we
look for work and the type of work we do. This is, despite what all
the gloom merchants say, a good time to be a writer and I am
thankful that I live and write now.

– Dawn Copeman, Newsletter Editor

And a quick message from the Editor…

For those whom Thanksgiving doesn’t pass by (and those who
sometimes wish it would), remember – it’s not the turkey.  It’s not
even the pumpkin pie, though in my house, that’s pretty much an
essential.  It really IS the “thanks.”  I firmly believe that
“counting your blessings” actually frees your life to RECEIVE
blessings.  The more I see of folks who focus entirely on the
negative things in their lives (the “you won’t believe what an
awful day I’ve had!” sort of person), the more I get the feeling
that by focusing on negativity, one is INVITING it.  And remember -
here at Writing-World.com, we’re immensely thankful for all of YOU!

– Happy Thanksgiving, Moira Allen, Editor

This post was used with permission.

Writing World is a publication of Writing-World.com
http://www.writing-world.com
Editor and Publisher: MOIRA ALLEN (editors@writing-world.com)
Newsletter Editor: DAWN COPEMAN (editorial@writing-world.com)