What If...

I spend a good amount of time every day at home. Especially right now, without a working vehicle, and Abbi-girl keeping me company all summer, I really can't leave the house. That means I have a lot of time on my hands. Most of the time I find that as I'm sitting, or cleaning, or crafting, I stew. I stew on the fact that since I can't leave the house due to lack of transportation and help with Abbi, I am not able to do something right now to help our family financially, and we really REALLY need it. I feel like life is in a holding pattern, and I'm just waiting for the next big phase to move us forward, yet it is nowhere in sight. I stew about the bills that keep piling up, and the feeling of helplessness as I file them away, not knowing how they're going to get paid.

Obviously, just stewing isn't working for me. But the fact remains that the situation just is what it is. It stinks, but right now I can't do anything about it.

So, I got to thinking today. What CAN I do? What if I spent the time that i have here, doing something that might lead me to another phase eventually? There are lots of things that I enjoy doing. I have at least a dozen hobbies I could do something with. Some may be profitable. Some may be more for my own fun. I have plenty of supplies, ideas, and inspiration to keep me going.

(quote and image from Pintrest)

My mom went back to school when I was a teenager, because she saw time passing by and realized how much she wanted to reach her own goals, that seemed so very far away. She woke up one morning and realized that "time was passing anyway," as she told me, and decided to jump in with both feet, making the most of that time. She is now almost finished with her doctorate and is a professor of Sociology at the Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and is working on opening a charter school in Harlem. Oh the lessons mom continues to teach me even as a nearly-30-year-old woman.

What I thought I might do is focus on my writing goals. I worked for a writing and publishing company for 9 years, and would love to turn that experience into something that can work for me in the future as well. I have an opportunity right now to devote time to goals that I wouldn't have if I were working a traditional job, and as mom says, "time is passing anyway." Now is the time to take advantage of that, and strive to possibly even turn it into a full time job, someday. One can hope!

Do you ever think about what you could be doing today to better prepare yourself for the future you want? Do you have any lofty "someday" goals that you could be working toward?

What if you asked yourself, what if?