Finding the Positives in a Tough Year

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Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann at Pixabay.com

Can you believe it? The end of 2020 is almost here! What an odd year it has been, too.

As we prepare to turn the calendar page to a new year, I hope you will take some time to reflect on the positives of the past year. I know, I know, it's a year where everyone on social media has focused on the negatives. We did have more than our fair share of negatives, but what about the positives? I challenge you to find at least five positives from 2020.

1. My leading positive would be signing with Chris Kennedy and New Mythology Press. Thanks to that experience, I finally realized a lifelong dream of getting THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH published. I can't hate 2020 when something that big happened. And the next two books will be released in early 2021! How cool is that?

2. Closely related to the first one would be that I attended one conference prior to the Covid-19 shutdowns. In early March, Falstaff Publishing ran the SAGA conference as scheduled in Charlotte, NC. At this conference I met my publisher but also got to see many of my writing friends and make quite a few new ones. That experience carried me through the first few months of quarantine.

3. On the homefront, I learned that I can manage to have the grandkids home 24/7 without going bonkers every day. Was it easy? No. Being a mother was never my first priority growing up. It was finding fulfillment in my career, which I did. I love my grandchildren and am glad I can be there for them, but I really never wanted the whole fulltime mother gig. Still, it's nice to discover I can do it.

4. In my working life, training transferred easily to the virtual world. I do a lot of in-person training, but I've been recording online training courses for several years too. Making the switch to all virtual training had very few bumps for me. Added bonus? I've had trouble with my feet for years because of doing stand-up training. My feet got a chance to heal during this period.

5. As for people, I've seen many find ways to support each other through very tough times. We have experienced some tough times, I'm not discounting that. What impressed me more is the people who found ways to be there for others during loss, heartache, and depression. It reminded me that the human spirit still thrives within each of us, and we are capable of good in spite of difficulties. You never know who you really are until you face trials and crises.

6. A bonus look at 2021: Fiction Addiction, a local independent book store, is hosting me in a virtual author discussion about THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH on Jan. 5, 2021 at 6 pm. Registration is free, but you must register. You can, also, purchase a signed copy of the book. I hope you'll join me there!

What about you? I would love for you to share your positives in the comments.

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