I'm grateful already!

I heard a talk this week about "the law of attraction."

Basis premise? What you focus on gets bigger. So focus on what you want.

One question I have is if I focus on getting published - why am I not published!! Does this thing work? ;)

But the part that stuck out to me is that "gratitude" is a critical component of the law of attraction.
Not only being grateful for the small things, but especially being grateful for the obstacles and problems (ie crappy times, depressing times) you face with the understanding that it is a small piece to a larger puzzle.

So, I figure if I am really going to get published (2009 is my year), I'll try to find the GOOD in the BAD & UGLY of the publishing world.

So here I go... "In my writing - I am grateful for..." (Warning: some of these may seem crazy and surprise you)

1) getting under 100 rejections in my writing career (so far). (At least it is not over 100.)

2) getting 10 personal rejections instead of form letters. (Now I know editors and agents are actually real people not just computers spitting out form letters like lotto numbers until that lucky someone gets the winning book ticket!)

3) joining SCBWI and meeting great people at great conferences. (Amen!)

4) not getting my FIRST book published. (BTW - it is now under lock and key. Who knows when I hit JK Rowling heights, maybe it'll sell as a "what not to do book" :)

5) for being a struggling writer ( better than Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs as a garbage collector, chimney sweeper and road-kill cleaner).

6) not making any money (as a struggling write and someone who needs new jeans, this was a hard one, but I am trying to be grateful here people!)

6) getting to work from home with kiddos. (Bonus. I may complain when my precious little ones spill Hi-C on my papers, get dirty fingers on my laptop screen, or color on my rejection letters, but I secretly cherish their stickiness, dirtiness and creativity)

7) getting great ideas even if they come with dangling participles and comma splices. (All too common in my writing world)

8) having Bikram yoga to peace out my mind and get the creative ideas flowin' (Namaste)

9) having a laptop (thank the LORD! I don't see how you people write books in long hand. My current one is 40,000 words. No way!)

10) The fabulous function called "Cut and paste"!!!!!

11) Microsoft for creating Word that allows the fabulous function called "Cut and paste"!!!!!

12) My best friends - Mr. Thesaurus, Ms. Dictionary, Miss RhymeZone (http://www.rhymezone.com/) , and Senior OneLook (http://www.onelook.com/).

13) Verla Kay Forum (http://www.verlakay.com/) - (I am not alone in this crazy journey)

14) F1rst pages class (http://www.f1rstpages.com/) that is helping me make my book better (as well as helping me to practice my swear words as I cut and re-cut my beloved book)

15) my critique group - The Calliope Circle (a moment of silence please for the poor writers who have to listen to pages and pages of my HUGE YA book over and over and over again, when they only need me to read a small 400 word picture book. And when I say small - I purely mean in size. They are all giants in substance.)

16) my index fingers who take on the sole responsibility of typing (and who have also forgiven me for cheating on my high school typing exam. peck, peck)

17) Lindsey Leavitt (http://www.lindsey-leavitt.livejournal.com/) - who does not even know me and probably thinks I am a crazy blog stalker - which I am :)- for reigniting my flame and dwindling hope with her amazing story.

Last, but certainly, not least...

18) my hunk of a hubby - for giving me time to write, letting me go to conferences, keeping kiddos out of my office, supplying me with MMs, and listening to my huge YA book over and over and over again.

But most of all, for believing in me even when I doubt myself.

There!

Now, can i get published please?