I love
motivational books! I have a shelf devoted to them, and have given up reading novels
so that I can motivate myself. I
faithfully read something uplifting in the morning rather than making myself
miserable with the news. I try to
stretch. I dance in the kitchen to get
me in the mood to seize the day. I get regular email updates from my favourite
motivators and inhale them. A friend and I swap motivational books and have
rather a merry time discussing them. We
send each other cards with uplifting or interesting (or plain funny) slogans.
Usually, I
am so perky and enthusiastic that my neighbour’s puppy pales beside me. And he is enthusiastic all the time,
especially when he has something to chew.
So, I
should be a big player in world history, or run a multi-million pound company
that takes us all out of our triple-dip recession?
Not quite…
In fact…
Oh well,
just let’s say that money seems to avoid me like the plague, despite trying to visualise
myself rolling in it (not very soft, is it? Well, in my imagination, money is
as soft as a plump cushion and smells like trees in the evening sun!)
I also have
not managed to get up at 5am, and I doubt I ever will… My curtains are firmly
closed at that time of the night, despite the stern admonishment of Dave, or
was it George, that I could be classified a shirker. I leave the sun salute to a later time, hold
on, what sun salute?
Right now,
I feel a bit like a deflated bicycle tyre, maybe one with a very slow puncture.
Of course, I blame the government, the banks, the economy, but my motivational
books tell me, it is all up to me, and they do have a point. Usually that
works. Roll up your sleeves and enjoy
life! And I do enjoy life, especially the creative side of it. Can’t get enough
of it, in fact. But just recently…the motivation is fizzing out of me.
So, trying
to do something, to pump some air
into those tired tyres, I decided to get back to my first love – and no, I am
not going all romantic on you, my first love is writing - and write again. I
love words. I love words more than many other things, nearly as much as food, so
I wanted to write again. And what would be more appropriate than to write a
motivational book – to motivate myself!
I approached
my sister with the idea. After all, I
had bought her two of my favourite motivational books years ago, because I
thought she might enjoy them. I saw her
sniffing at the covers, and carefully perusing
the pages maybe an hour or so, but after that, the books started to gather dust
in the guest room. Maybe she just needed
to read another one, well, one written by me!
I told her
about the latest motivational book I was reading, and was just about to launch
into my new idea of writing one myself, when she exhaled and spoke with added
gravity:
I hate motivational books!
Shock,
horror! She what? Hates motivational books? Hates? Hates! Now, she’s not the
type to hate many things, so that threw me. ‘Really?’ I replied. ‘Actually, I was thinking
of writing one…’
I haven’t
started the book yet, but decided to test the waters with a blog first. A blog
to motivate myself and people out there, who started living their dream, but
who are a bit stuck now, well, like me.
My sister
inspired the title, but although I told her she might become famous, isn’t that
impressed by it. She hasn’t as yet disowned or disemboweled me, but I am under
strict orders not to write about her. What a shame! I wonder often if she hasn’t
sussed life better than I. After all, she doesn’t need motivational books …
