New Year, New Blessings

Happy new year to YOU!
May this be the year your dreams come true . . .

I'm so excited about this year because soon I'll be releasing the third novel in my Robbin' Hearts Series, Sherwood's End, which ties up Robin's & Creek's adventures as they come full circle into healing, wholeness & lasting genuine love. (Look for Sherwood's End to debut on Amazon & Kindle shortly!) For me, this is a huge milestone & dream come true--I'll finally have finished a series! This event represents a big breakthrough for me. Why? Because writing books that are fresh, original, and yet deeply touch the soul is hard & requires the mental fortitude of a marathon runner. And this can be said of any big dream, right? When the going gets tough, and I feel like the end is nowhere in sight, I often have to remind myself that "Everything I want is on the other side of discipline."

And FAITH . . . 

Because to do anything beyond the ordinary "same old", you have to both envision the big picture & then take the small, often frustrating, baby steps each day to make it come true. Sometimes you have to contend with people who subtly hint that you can't achieve your goal--that you'll never be up to snuff. And sometimes (gulp) you have to confront the fact that you need to remove those influences from your life. Since I'm a group hug kind of gal, that's really hard (& often traumatic) for me. I naturally support others & love to see their dreams come to fruition! So I'm always shocked (& deeply rattled) when others don't want the same for me. But here's perhaps the toughest part about achieving what you want in life:

YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS HAPPEN.

Which means, YOU have to be the one to take the lid off & allow your dreams to fly.

Yep. As hard as it may be, there often comes a point where you have to stare for a long time in the mirror & say to yourself "Is it really other people or circumstances keeping the lid on my dreams, or is it ME? Do I have the guts to put my dreams first, despite setbacks, enormous labor, and the occasional ridicule of others? Can I love myself enough to truly listen to the whispers of my heart & make this happen?" 

Because I hate to say this, even to myself, but sometimes I realize that the resistance outside of me is actually reflecting the insecurity & doubt I have inside of me. And it's fascinating that whenever I drum up my courage, and make the unwavering, internal decision that "This is going to happen come hell or highwater," suddenly the naysayers start to disappear! A dear friend of mine likes to remind me that "Crazy finds the cracks." In other words, when I have cracks in my spiritual armor, such as doubt, insecurity & low self-esteem, strange people seem to come out of the woodwork to put me down or throw bizarre roadblocks my way. But when I shore myself up and decide within me that I deserve this dream as much as anyone, and to hell with what other people think, all at once crazy goes a runnin'. . . 

Yet what that sometimes requires is the courage to stand alone. 

For me, one of the most challenging obstacles I tend to have toward achieving my goals is the long-standing wish to fit in. Ouch.

Hello? It's not possible! Most people don't run around writing down the intimate conversations of their imaginary friends, Diane! On top of that, in terms of Myers-Briggs personality types, I'm an INFJ, which means I'm something akin to 1% of the total population & my mental processes are by far the least understood by the masses. I am, in a word, considered weird. Some of my dear friends even claim that in another lifetime I would have been burned at the stake (& the verdict is still out for this lifetime, too ; ). But probably because I'm a twin & come from a large family of 5 kids, I always hold out this hope in my heart that my group-hug idea of the world can come true. Yet as I get older, I've slowly learned to become more content with my oddness--and the price required to write thoughtful fiction, which is exactly this: You must to be willing to observe & say what others refuse to talk about. Because beyond the norms, traditions, and comfortable routines of our society lie the real yearnings of our souls--our ache to be loved & truly known--which most of us artfully suppress for fear of encountering derision. And to give voice to those heartbreaking whispers in the dark that we're reluctant to let others hear is at times the most revolutionary & original thing you can do. And it will most certainly make you be perceived as "different."

That's okay with me. Finally . . .

Because after all this time, I'd rather be different and real than fit in. And being authentic is the only way I know to achieve my dreams. Here's a little secret: your soul won't tolerate anything less. I honestly believe that your own soul will throw roadblocks into your life until you get back on track with the real YOU. Your heart yearns to travel the path that only it knows, not the well-worn path of others, so be grateful for its guidance. You may not have a lot of company on your route, but the colors will be brighter, the music purer, the friendships more true, and the dreams far more satisfying if you take the steps you know your soul is urging your towards.

So here's to a grand 2015! I pray you will listen to your heart & experience huge blessings & breakthroughs this year! And most of all, I pray that your dreams will always light the way toward your true spiritual home. 

LOVE, MAGIC & MIRACLES TO YOU IN 2015!

Photo credit note: All images on my blog are either my own or were gleaned from pictures in the public domains of popular social networks like tumblr, facebook or pinterest. If you own the copyright to any of these images & do NOT want them used publicly, please contact me & I will take them down immediately! : )