I went spinning last week. The first ten minutes are always tough. That’s when your legs are saying “what the heck are you doing to us?” and your heart is saying “slow down”. Last week’s instructor co-owns the studio, which is one of the best I’ve tried, and their classes are almost always full. But I digress.
Dana loves to exhort the group not just with instructions for adding more tension, doing pushups while pedalling madly, and altering our stance from pedalling seated to pedalling standing and back again, but also with instructions about life in general. How we should live a life of purpose, believe in ourselves, take time for family, dig deep to understand who we are and so on. If I feel like listening, I do, otherwise I think about the latest chapter I’m plotting or a troublesome character.
Last week I listened for a while and the bit I heard made me think of life’s journey that we’re all on. That in turn made me think of the ups and downs that I’ve experienced in life – no doubt you will all have your own version of ups and downs. At times life trends mainly up, at other times mainly down. At times life is flat. At times, we have no idea where we’re going.
As you dear readers will know, I don’t get philosophical very often, but ask yourself this: if you aren’t in charge of your life journey, if you aren’t making decisions of what to do or what to do differently, then who is? So rather than be on an endless roller coaster to nowhere, choose when to get off and what other ride will make a difference.
I think that’s what I did when I began to write ten years ago. And now, life is still a roller coaster but it has different ups and downs, curves, and thrilling loops. Thanks for listening.
FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION … and occasional personal posts … FOLLOW A WRITER OF HISTORY
M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.
6 Responses
Well, some people are very religious and have an entirely different view on such matters. I tend to think we are masters of our own ship to a certain extent although the bigger issues are outside our control.
You’re right about the bigger issues .. we just have to look around us right now to see that!
Thanks, Mary. I really needed that thought this morning. Cheers!
Always happy to help, Deborah! Best wishes ..
In Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Dr. Suess rhymed that life is up – until it’s not. Because that’s just how life is. But he also said that when things are down, you get up and get out of there. I don’t know anybody who has read that book and doesn’t love it.
So, yeah – what you said 😉
Thanks, Debbie. Wishing you well.