Monday, October 18, 2010

Distractions Change Destiny

Ever since an epic motorcycle tour of western Canada and Northwest USA with my husband in July, I’ve experienced one interruption after another colliding with my running and writing. Ever notice how very few windows in life line up perfectly?

Today’s run: Great! I grabbed a jacket and hit the road, timing school zones perfectly. I enjoyed fall colors tinting leaves and returned before the sun rose. Best of all, I conquered all interruptions—including a whining knee—getting those windows of opportunity nicely lined up.

Writing: A few weeks ago I read something that made me pause and think, and it occurred to me that distractions change destiny. Not all changes are disastrous—some are improvements—but there is still some type of change. I took a look at some noisy distractions in my life and noticed they were derailing me completely—knocking me way off course. Unless I changed things fast I’d never reach my desired destination, or I’d end up at a second choice (possibly second-rate destination), pretending it's where I intended going, or trying to make the best of the outcome.

Since that revelation I've taken some time to evaluate where I really want to end up, and what kinds of roads I need to travel to get there. Here are my quotes—I made them up over the course of a few days—but of course, they’re nothing earth-shatteringly new or profound, just my way of stringing a few wise thoughts together with words:

Distractions change destiny.

Distractions create detours and delays.

Back to running in my happy little village: I've turned a few corners and found orange cones blocking my way. Sometimes it’s fun searching out an alternate route, but other times—not so much. Always as I run I chart a course that finishes on my doorstep, even if I try out a new path along the way. So far I've succeeded. If that’s a sampling of life, I can finish that final edit and query. Without distractions. Because publishing is my destiny.

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