“Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do. I do acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in my life, and that your take your job seriously. Apparently your job is to induce complete panic whenever I’m about to do anything interesting – and, may I say, you are superb at your job. So by all means, keep doing your job, if you feel you must. But I will also be doing my job on this road trip, which is to work hard and stay focused. And Creativity will be doing its job, which is to remain stimulating and inspiring. There’s plenty of room in this vehicle for all of us, so make yourself at home, but understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way. I recognize and respect that you are part of this family, and I will never exclude you from our activities, but still – your suggestions will never be followed. You’re allowed to have a seat, and you’re allowed to have a voice, but you are not allowed to have a vote. You’re not allowed to touch the road maps; you’re not allowed to suggest detours; you’re not allowed to fiddle with the temperature. Dude, you’re not even allowed to touch the radio. But above all else, my dear old familiar friend, you are absolutely forbidden to drive.”
– from Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Fear. When I read the above in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic, I realized that not only has fear ruled much of the last month, it has ruled a significant portion of my life . . . fear of not being enough, having enough, giving enough, living enough, fear of what’s ahead, fear of making the right decisions.

Enough is enough! Fear, my dear old familiar friend, you are absolutely forbidden to drive!

Fear aside, the addition of a new puppy to the household has impacted my schedule. Koda, now four and a half months old and weighing in at 55 lbs, came to me as a Valentine’s Day gift. He is a Maremma Bermese Mountain dog mix. Despite the significant time that puppy training has required, I have managed to make some progress on my list – I have tried some new wines, managed to keep up with the $55/week saving, visited my daughter, witnessed amazing northern lights April 24 while stargazing, and finished another book.

I have several books that have made more than one move with me. I am going to do my best to work through those before I make any more purchases. Next up . . . The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F@ck by Mark Manson. Take that Fear!