For two months, I haven’t been as active as usual because of minor surgery. During that time, I gained 10 pounds. It wasn’t merely the inactivity. It was the comfort I found with Hershey’s Kisses.
Oh, yeah . . . Just unwrap one, plop it on my tongue, and let it melt . . . Heaven on Earth.
Then, I discovered these amazing chocolate chip cookies at work . . . I could hear them call to me. Really, I’m the victim. A couple of times a week.
Actually, no, I’m not a victim. That sort of thinking will get you nowhere. Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, wrote an interesting blog post about being a victim or seeing the opportunity in every situation.
Recently, an agent gave me feedback on the first twenty pages of my novel. He noticed an issue. I’d thought I had some type of problem but couldn’t put my finger on it until I received his notes.
Though he didn’t wish to go forward with me, I took his notes and am doing the work. The direct path to my goal was blocked. My choices were to ignore the good advice and stubbornly move forward, or listen to a professional who’s pointing out an issue that your gut says exists and correct it.
I was turned down, but I received invaluable feedback. That’s the opportunity within the situation. Recognizing them and taking them is the key.
As far the weight issue goes, I reduced my chocolate consumption and ignore the calling of the chocolate chip cookies, which reduces my calorie intake. Slowly, I’m resuming my normal activities. By the end of the month, I expect to be back to normal. I’ll be golfing and mowing the yard again.
I’m an author living in northern Virginia with a wife and a cat. In the late ’80s, I worked on the International Space Station project. I recently retired from managing a group of software engineers to focus on writing science fiction and speculative fiction. Learn more.