Hello Readers, and welcome to the Happiness Project.  It’s been a particularly stressful day following a particularly stressful week involving closing my credit card because it was stolen and used fraudulently, driving sales day in and day out only to be pushed back in the negative sales plan by a blizzard preventing business, state budget protests, financial concerns, and zero time to write creatively or even read more than a few pages before falling asleep with the little LED booklight poking me in the eye.

But, Jess, you say, we come to you to provide us with the ever-positive, try again and try harder, funny outlook from a new writer!  All together now…”We shall overcome, we shall overcome…”

Right, right, we’ll kumbaya later.  So what is it that’s getting me through the end of the day this time?  A bologna sandwich and chardonnay.

My looming pile of books and writing ideas to get to, topped with the last few bites of my bologna and mustard sandwich and a cold glass of Chardonnay!

Time to make a manageable list, and I emphasize manageable.  Flashback to the store today, I think I spoke into the radio system something like: “Jess to Leadership Team, I’m stepping off the floor for a few minutes.  I just need to cry in a stockroom update the scoreboards.”

Pity party check in:  Me.  Check!  Junk food.  Check!  (I admit half a can of Pringles was downed before I made the sandwich.)  Looming deadline for two writing contests I’ve sworn to enter.  CHECK!  To Do List?  *rifles through some wine glass coaster papers, smooths out wrinkled edges*

1. Quit whining.
2. Take a sip.
3. Take time to journal 5  things to be grateful for today.
4. Get the bottle out of the fridge, swig!  No one’s watchin’.
5. Finish reading Pope Joan, 60 pages to go, and one upcoming book review from yours truly.
6. Designate time in your week’s schedule for writing devoted time to work on entry submissions.
7. Freewrite a new section of your story-in-progress.  Deadline:  Saturday.
8. Send out love, support, and kudos to your fellow writers!

How do you deal with meltdowns?  What sparks the creative juices in you when your life’s got you down?  What are your current happiness projects this week?

P.S.  Did I ever mention every Tuesday night is band practice at my house?  I find it strangely ironic that they’re learning Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” while I write about my crumbling grip on sanity.  You know what they say, you can’t make up real life.  Happy writing!