Baby stepping to success

I'm spending some of my down time right now thinking about what do I do if this eye thing is permanent.  And the fatigue thing.  How do I manage to be happy & creative within these limitations?  And one of the things that is helping me right now is a blogger/writer named James Clear.  More about him in a few paragraphs. 

One of the other things that is resonating in my head is this quote:

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, 

Your thoughts become your words, 

Your words become your actions, 

Your actions become your habits, 

Your habits become your values, 

Your values become your destiny.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

And then there was the movie "What about Bob?" which introduced the phrase "baby steps" into our family.  

What about Bob?

I've long found the baby steps approach to work.  Just keep plugging and you'll get there.  And certainly, both my career as a software developer and my years as a quilter have shown that persistence pays off.

How do I apply these now is my current question.  And James Clear's most recent blog post has some excellent information and ideas about how to create change and keep it.  Identity Based Habits discusses how to make sure the changes stick by starting with changing how you view yourself.  And do it in a small way so that it's easier to be successful.  See how the quote above and the movie connect in?    I think I'm heading in the right direction as I am changing my definition of myself as an artist from one who creates lots of work and exhibits it often to someone who regularly creates work that matters.  But it's going to take time to see how this plays out.  In the meantime, I'll just keep on baby stepping...

Miss Zukas tidies my brain

I discovered a couple of decades ago that I turn to mysteries for reading material when I'm feeling overwhelmed by life.  Given the current & ongoing ankle and eye medical problems, it's not surprising that I recently started reading the Miss Zukas series again. 

There are multiple appeals to this series by Jo Dereske.  Miss Zukas is a professional librarian who is amusingly precise in her manner.  The series is set in the fictional town of BelleHaven which bears a certain resemblance to Bellingham:  on the bay off the San Juan Islands.  Now that we live here, it adds another dimension to reading the descriptions.  The series was written in the mid to late 90's so there is also a lovely layer of nostalgia.  And the writing is perfect for a cozy mystery. 

I'm about halfway through the series (a dozen in total) but the one pictured above is my favorite of the ones I've read so far.  Miss Zukas grew up in Michigan and her uncle made her a wooden canoe.  I grew up in Indianapolis and my family had a fiberglass canoe.  And I spent my teen years going canoeing on the White River with my best friend on the weekends.  It's the top thing on my list of things I was supposed to do in Washington but haven't yet.  So I really enjoy Miss Zukas canoeing in the Snow to Surf relay race in this book. 

I recommend the series if you're looking for some nice scenic mystery reading.  No gore, interesting characters (I especially like her BFF Ruth, a very tall artist with unruly hair), and writing that occasionally takes a gentle poke at society or otherwise steps outside the genre's expectations.    I am certainly finding this series a refreshing break from reality that is recharging my sorely depleted energy.