When I ran across this jigsaw puzzle the other day, my first reaction was - UGH.
Growing older has come with a sinister side effect I had not expected.
Routine is king.
No longer do I thrill at the thought or the doing of new things. I am instead visited by anxiety’s awful whip. And occasionally, its cousin, the deadly cat o' nine tails used on the Reptilians in Part II of The Druids of Marduk.
It affects everything, even vacationing. Which, of course, makes travel more difficult. And the ongoing fears about Covid-19 have not helped.
But my BIG UGH was related to writing, marketing, and promoting my books. Each new task is a step outside my comfort zone. And even though I love learning new things, acting on them can be a massive, anxiety-ridden undertaking.
But the hardest of all?
Reaching out to people for help in getting my books into readers’ hands and hearts.
I dream of someone fabulous or famous (or both) reading my books, falling in love with them, and touting them to the world. But the steps to get there have eluded me, and the available paths are daunting.
But this.
This message from the universe says it all. In AA, I learned that if I keep doing that which I have always done, I will keep getting the same old, half-assed results.
It is clearly time to step up my game. Time to start doing new things. Because my old ways are not opening the doors that I seek.
What big UGHs have you stumbled across lately? What doors won't open to your old ways?
O. J. Barré is the author of the Awen Trilogy, a pre-apocalyptic urban fantasy set in 2042 Atlanta. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising, debuted July 2019. Book Two, Awen Storm, released May 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, is on preorder and will be released in late 2021. Each is (or will be) available in both paperback and ebook.
The Awen Prequel novelette, The Druids of Marduk, Part I, is available in ebook on Amazon or by signing up here for my newsletter. The Druids of Marduk, Part II, an ebook novella, is currently on preorder to be released on or before July 17th.
