More Weekend Inspiration

I had a much better week this week than last, and managed to make it through without falling on anything, or getting into any altercations with angry stinging insects.  It was also a much more productive week, and I felt like I actually made some progress on various writing-related matters. It's kind of amazing how just a small amount of progress can make you feel like you're finally getting yourself back on track. 

I didn't have a great deal of time to devote to the A to Z Visitors Hop this week, but I did make it to a few sites. Of the sites I did visit, the majority were either shut down or hadn't been updated in months, so I didn't really find any new blogs to highlight on this week's hop.

This made me think of my own blogging experience though, and the fact that I am more than a little amazed that I am still blogging on a regular basis. To say that I have a history of trying things only to quit before I even gave them a chance is an understatement. And I admit, when I was first blogging back in January and February, there were plenty of times I thought, this is not for me, I'm not comfortable with this, I hate it, etc.  

Quitting would have been a familiar and all too easy choice, and I can't say enough how glad I am that I didn't revert to my usual pattern. Seven months in, and I can't imagine giving up the blog. I'm thrilled that I have met so many great people and learned so much along the way, and I now look forward to opening up my dashboard (when Google is cooperating!) and checking in to see what's new with my blogging buddies.  

For the record, I do not mean this to be critical of any of the blogs I came upon that had not been updated or were defunct. Hopping through them just made me think about my own blogging experience, and how many times I thought about taking the blog down. I couldn't help but relate this experience to my writing journey as well. There have been plenty of times I've thought I should quit that, in spite of the fact that I've barely started it. 

I'm glad that I haven't done that, and I don't intend to any time soon. As I thought about the week, I was reminded of this quote from one of my favorite books, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up. ~ Anne Lamott

Whatever you're hoping and waiting for, whether or not it is writing-related, I hope you don't give up.