2024 – The Year to DO More or to BE More?

 

You’ve probably heard the phrase that we are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. In 2024, one of my goals is to separate the good from the best. I can get so busy as I involve myself in GOOD things, that I don’t have time to do the BEST things. The only way I can choose the BEST activities is to focus more on “Being” and less on “Doing.”

We had a difficult year as my son went through a divorce he did not want or expect. It stunned all of us. My 5- and 8-year-old grandkids are still reeling with their emotions, trying to figure out what’s going on as they spend one week at Dad’s new house and the next at Mom’s new place.

I had plenty of “good” things I needed to get done the weeks the grandkids were here. (Daniel just now found a house because he waited until the divorce was final. He kept working toward reconciliation, but it didn’t happen, so he lived with us from January-Dec., and we also had the kids here every other week.) But, rather than filling my time with “good” activities, I quickly saw the “best” way to spend my time was playing and interacting with Noah and Claire, making the most of the opportunities I had with them while they were living with us. I learned that the “good” can be the enemy of the “best.”

I hope to continue distinguishing between the good and the best  in 2024. It’s the only way I know to be a human being who loves others fully, the way I desire to.

– Some of the best activities will be time with my hubby, Mark – not just the occasional times we’re together, but also to have some “planned” time – date nights!

-Time with the grandkids when I can is also high on my BEST list, loving on them with all the nurturing I can provide.

-Of course, I believe my writing is one of the best ways to spend the remaining time I have. A new book 3 of the Ancient Elements series should come out by the end of January. Watch for its announcement on my Facebook or Instagram. After that, I will revise the final book of the series, and have my illustrator create a new cover for The Silver Coin. Stay tuned! I also began a new endeavor – writing an Aeneid Jr. book. More on that later (you can also get a glimpse of what’s coming on my webpage.)

-A best activity I’ve committed to is leading our Family-Friendly Fiction Writers group. We are scheduled to attend several homeschool conferences this year, including one in Ohio, and one in Missouri.

-A good commitment I made is to provide leadership for the SCBWI North Texas writing group (Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators). I enjoy encouraging other writers, and this is a good way to do it. I’m continuing to pray I get good volunteers to help with the workload!

Have you prioritized any goals for 2024? I’d love to hear about them!

 

 

 

Marie