Stress -- It's a Killer

by G.Parker

Anyone who knows me picks up on the fact that I am an avid movie watcher. I don't usually see the movies in the theaters as I'm frugal, but I watch them on DVD all the time. My kids love to quote the movies we see, and we can have hilarious moments just quoting an apropos line from a movie.

The title of today's blog is from Anastasia, the Don Bluth movie from 1997. The line in particular was related to physical health, but I find that it applies to creative outlets as well. My life has been rather stressful of late, and I find that I don't have the time or inclination to write as I'd planned in my 'non resolution' blog. I even had to skip on my blog for last week, the first time (I believe) since I'd become a weekly contributor.

All of us at the Writer's Blogck have families and a few of us have grandchildren. We all have jobs, households to maintain, families to spend time with -- in short, we have lives. We find many times during our lives that reality interferes with our dreams and creative desires. Sometimes this is because things are wonderful and crazy, while at other times because they are stressed and chaotic. The challenge is finding the time to balance everything with what we need to do each day -- write.

Recently many of us were able to attend a free seminar at BYU on writing, and you've already benefited from the information gained there. I had fully intended to go -- it's not often that workshops are free to those of us who write or illustrate -- and I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. But, life got in the way. This past two weeks have been an illustration in chaos and frustration. My husband hurt his back and was laid flat wording kind of sounds a little funny here…-- throwing the responsibility for everything on my shoulders. It hasn't been that big of a challenge, but I've felt it keenly.

I've noticed it in my lack of time to write as well as my lack of creative thoughts. I haven't been able to get much down on paper, let alone on my own personal blog. I'm not sure why that is exactly, except for the feelings of stress. This feeling seems to rob me of will or desire to accomplish -- I feel chained or frozen in the attitude of despair as I think of what needs to be accomplished and the impossibility of it.

But then the light shines, the Lord blesses and my burdens ease. He always blesses when I most need it -- it's amazing. So -- I am writing, I will not let other forces get in my way. Once again I am back among the blogging to send my voice out to the masses and try to encourage those who desire to write and seek advice. Thanks for sticking with me.