Skip to main content

Good Karma

You don’t have to preach a sermon. You don’t have to quote twenty-five scripture verses. Just a few kind words can start the healing process for someone else. ~ Joel Osteen Ministries
The last few years, I have been doing a great deal of inner reflection, and have worked hard to be positive and to acknowledge the many blessings I have in my life. Being grateful has improved my outlook on life and the challenges I face.

But even riding a wave of gratefulness, I still get hit by rogue waves. Undertow can leave me breathless and sputtering for air.

The other night, right after reading a wonderful comment from a reader, I found an awful, negative review. It was by far, the harshest review yet. The earlier, warm glow of praise slid right off. I floundered in the waves and forgot how to swim.

This reviewer seemed angry and vengeful and went so far as to condemn the writing of my sequel. I understand my book will be judged by all who read it. And, I expect that some will not enjoy the story. A strong review either way, feels personal.

I allowed myself to get pulled out with the current, and like swallowing a mouthful of salty, sea water, I ingested her anger. It sat in my stomach, a big ball of acid, poisoning my blood and spreading through whole body. I literally felt sick.

Thankfully, I am blessed to be surrounded by good people: family, co-workers, friends and other writer acquaintances. They made me look at the reviewer from another perspective, one that made me feel less inclined to be hurt. And as if that weren't enough, I was blown away by readers who came forward to offer touching words of encouragement for my writing. I cannot begin to explain how restorative it is to have this kind of support. I'm not proud that I let this one review affect me so, but I am re-centered with my feet once again planted firmly in the sand.

Negativity breeds negativity. If you don't swim against the current you will be dragged out into a vast ocean of it. Surround yourself with positive, restorative people. People who will keep you from drifting out to sea. Likewise, be supportive to those around you.

Sea water has a terrible affect on the body, and rogue waves can hit when you least expect them. A good rule of thumb is to keep a few lifeguards nearby.

Peace.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Grief is love with nowhere to go

One year ago, as the morning started sunny and beautiful, capping the weekend of a family celebration, we received the news; you were no longer a part of our world.  We gathered in the room with you. You seemed so peaceful. Your body, though unmoving, curled comfortably in sleep, your hand under your chin, as if in the happiest of dreams. I remember kneeling at your side, my face pressed to yours, begging you to open your eyes. Please, please, open your eyes.  It was unimaginable that you could have moved on to a place beyond our sight and touch. Even now, it’s just as inconceivable that an entire year has passed without you in our lives.  I have been comforted by the fact that you left peacefully, just as you had asked God for. And I also take solace that despite not having the chance to hold your first great-grandchild, there were no umbrages left in your wake — no arguments or bad feelings, no should-haves, wish-I-would-haves, remaining between us. I’m certain you knew I loved you a

Heartbreaking and Heart-Rebuilding

It’s been a whirlwind six months for my family.  This past fall, my daughter surprised the family with the happy news that she was pregnant with our first grandchild—the first baby on my side of the family in twenty-something years! We immediately called my 89-year-old mother in Florida to share the news and let her know that her wish to become a great-grandmother was coming true!  Weeks later, the whole family reunited in New Jersey to celebrate my nephew’s wedding. That Saturday, we laughed and danced welcoming a lovely woman into our growing family. Mom was the only surviving grandparent at the wedding, and she got to see my daughter beautifully blossoming with pregnancy, cute baby bump and all. Mom, six months shy of 90, and usually spunky and talkative, wasn’t herself that day. She complained of being cold and shivered throughout the celebration. But it  was  fall in New Jersey, we reasoned, and Mom, after nearly 30 years in Florida, was unused to the chilly northern temps that di

Summer Read-a-Thon

I was invited to join the blog, Seasons of Reading's "High Summer Read-a-Thon." It's not a contest, but an inspiration to read. A quote from the event's organizer, Michelle, True Book Addict: "I hope you're ready to take a much needed break from your summer whirlwind, jump in the hammock and get some good reading in. I know I am!" The official dates are July 20th through the 26th. Sign up at the Seasons of Reading blog here: http://seasonsreading.blogspot.com/20... Hope you will join us, and read!  Up first on my TBR is " Ugly Love " by Colleen Hoover. This New Adult book is one of Hoover's newest and has gotten lots of love from readers. I enjoyed the last book I read by this author, "Maybe Someday." Hoover writes 3-D characters that her readers get emotionally invested in. I've read some negative reviews of Ugly Love, but they haven't deterred me. If anything, they've made more curious to read