Life's challenges are not a new concept to humans. It's said that when a writer sits down we often imprint parts of ourselves onto the characters we birth. Expressing our hardships and challenges through our characters life brings them to life. Their flaws are relatable, because let's face it somewhere in the world someone is experiencing the same problem.
As is often the case we become drawn into the worlds we create; our readers are drawn into these worlds . The characters dance before our eyes, their life intertwining with our own. It becomes imperative that we find a balance, an escape. For a reader they can simply put the book down and walk away if they want, for a writer the words spin in a kaleidoscope of chaos until they hit the page, and even then the story never leaves us. Balance such a tricky thing. Whether it's finding balance or creating it in reality or in an alternate reality.
Christmas and New Years is often a festive time of year for so many, but for others it's the dreaded holiday season. Each person who dreads the festive season has a valid reason for dreading it. For me I both love and dread the festive season for various reasons, but this year I decided I would try for balance, for gratitude and to be present in the moment (and not in the kitchen being my normal control freak self). This allowed me to reflect on the message of Christmas and the insistence that we spread love far and wide, only to abandon it as soon as the 1st of January comes along. Perhaps it's not about spreading love and joy to those who don't want it, rather it's about being present and finding a balance where you can look after yourself and love yourself (in a non self-absorbed kind of way), then allow the gratitude and love to trickle over and on to others.
So this year I'm chucking in the towel on the New Years Resolution, and choosing to look after myself, to love myself and be present in the moment. Once I am able to find this balance I might be able to then hopefully allow it to trickle over and touch the lives of those I am connected to. Here's hoping you can too.
