Recovering from disappointment
In this Edition:
Note: This post was supposed to go out on June 28, 2022.
Quote
Update.
Motivate: Outlook
New Onyx Podcast: Special guest interview: John DeDakis
Book discussion: Review of MEANT TO BE
Final thoughts
Update:
We’re back from the beach!
As you’ve probably already guessed, the publishing business is all about patience. My 3rd book is being looked at by editors, and this could take weeks to months. I’ll let you know if anything exciting occurs. Until then, I’ll continue to work on my novel. I’m making progress.
In a few weeks, I might actually have a complete first draft. It’ll take time to polish up the manuscript, but down the road (the foreseeable future), I’ll ask for beta readers (test readers) for this new book. I’m not there yet, but think about it for when the time comes.
Motivate:
What do you do when things don’t go according to plan?
Do you ever have your heart set on something only for it not to happen? It ruins everything, doesn’t it? Your mood, your outlook, etc.
When Stephen and I planned our beach trip, we took many things into consideration. I’m picky about my vacations. I’d rather not take one than have it go sour.
Well, our Florida trip this time around didn’t go as planned. I won’t bring you down with all the disappointing details, but on Wednesday morning, I found myself sitting in a beach chair on the overcrowded sand, staring at the back of someone else’s chair and crying.
Nothing had gone as I’d planned in my head, and we’d just been chewed out by the umbrella guy because we tried to open our own umbrella. Big mistake.
My expectations were unfulfilled, and one too many sharp disappointments popped my positivity.
I was in a bad mood. All that hard-earned money “down the drain.”
I didn’t let the girls see me cry. I mean, they couldn’t. Someone else’s beach chair was blocking their view of me and vice versa. I wanted to go home. I wasn’t having fun. Stephen and I were both in a funk for about an hour, scowling into the distance until the children came near and then we put on false cheer.
Even in the moment, we told each other that we needed to salvage what we could, and we attempted to shake off the bad moods.
Later that day, when we went back to the beach after dinner, we had a glorious evening.
When I look back on the trip, I’ll briefly think about the irritations because I’ll use them to aid in making future, better choices. I learned from our errors, so even the bad parts gave me something.
But the bottom line, I will cling to the moments that were spectacular. If we’d held onto the frustrations, if we’d harbored ill will, we would’ve missed out of the best part of our trip.
Now, when I look back, I’ll be proud that we overcame. We weren’t perfect. I cried like a toddler (and I don’t cry often) on the beach. But we let go and moved on.
I’ll remember making my sea turtle in the sand, watching the girls play as the sun set over the ocean and Stephen napped on a towel. I’ll remember bouncing Amorette up and down in the waves and her telling me not to be afraid when I tried to return to shore after feeling a creature at my feet. I’ll remember Aerie saying, “Look Mama!” and pointing to her sand sculptures.
I will take away the good, and refuse to let the bad influence me any longer.
Final thoughts below.
New Onyx Podcast: Special Edition, John DeDakis
I am very excited to announce a new, special Onyx podcast! Listen to J. W. and me interview John DeDakis, award-winning novelist, writing coach and editor, and former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer."
It was an honor and so much fun getting to interview John!
John and I met at Killer Nashville, a writer’s conference for mystery/suspense/thriller writers. I was working on CONSUMED, my psychological suspense at that time. I love this genre and plan to return to this novel to make it it’s best at some point, but for now, women’s fiction/romance is what I am most successful at.
I encourage you check out this interview and hear a snippet from John’s newest novel FAKE, narrated by Meredith Lyons.
I haven’t finished the novel yet, but at 20% in, I can already say that it’s an enjoyable and interesting read. Ironically, this story fits into the theme of letting go of what you can’t control. You can’t control other people’s actions or beliefs, some times you have to find a way to live with them or live without them.
Book review:
MEANT TO BE by Emily Giffin
Category: Romance
I picked this book because it came recommended by a NYT bestselling author on Instagram (she read it twice), but she’s not the only one out there recommending it. It has excellent reviews.
I hate to say it, but it didn’t capture me as I’d hoped. It was intriguing enough for me to finish it, but I wasn’t sad when it was over. For me, it was a fine read, but in the end, I’d prefer something else.
If the summary below captures you, consider giving it a try, maybe you’ll be like everyone else who really enjoyed this book and want to read it twice!
Goodreads summary:
The Kingsley family is practically American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. When Joseph S. Kingsley III is born in 1960, he inherits the weight of that legacy. Growing up with all the Kingsley looks and charisma, Joe should have no problem taking up the mantle after his father’s untimely death. But he is also a little bit reckless, and can’t seem to figure out how to channel the expectations of an entire country.
No one ever expected anything of Cate, on the other hand. She, too, grew up in a single-parent household—just her and her mom scraping by in their small apartment. As a teenager, though, Cate is discovered for her looks. Modeling may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, her face is everywhere, though she is always aware that she’d be a pariah in her social circles if anyone knew her true story.
When Joe and Cate’s paths cross, their connection is instant. What remains to be seen is whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight that follows Joe everywhere. And just as they find themselves in the make-or-break moment, the tragedy that seems to run in Joe’s family right alongside all that privilege will repeat itself.
In a beautifully written novel that recaptures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells a story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it... and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.
Final thoughts:
What you choose to let go of and what you choose to hold onto shapes your future.
Holding onto injustice, hurts, frustrations, irritations, etc simply aren’t worth it, and they stand to ruin future moments in addition to the past ones.
Let go and focus on the things that make you a happier person. Clear the air so you can better see the new opportunities ahead.
Have a great week!
Until next time, much glitter,
Melissa
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