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Looking in the Rearview Mirror by Sara Humphreys

Last week I was on my way home from Albany, New York after a long and successful day of training. For those of you who don't know, in addition to writing romance, I own a business called Taney Speaker Training that runs corporate workshops in public speaking, leadership, communication skills, team building and more.

At any rate, during the two and a half hour drive home, I got a call from my dad. My mom saw a post on Facebook about the video trailer of UNCLAIMED being featured on USA Today--which was super fun--and in typical Dad fashion, he wanted to call and congratulate me. He then proceeded to ask me about the training and how business is going for TST. I then launched into the litany of things coming down the pipeline. Even though I'd just completed a fantastic day of training and got booked for another before the day was through, I was already thinking about what I had to do next.



My dad then did the best thing anyone could have done for me in that moment. He interrupted me and said, "Hang on. Don't just jump right back on that hamster wheel. Give yourself a break. Think about where you were four years ago. How badly you wanted to quit your day job so that you could write and do the training full time....and now here you are. Tomorrow, take some time to simply appreciate what you've accomplished."

Once again....my father was right.

After we hung up, I spent the rest of the drive thinking about what he said. Life gets so busy and it's easy to forget to take a moment to appreciate how far we've traveled. I looked in the rearview mirror of life and smiled....it's been a long winding road full of hills and valleys...but damn...what a ride!




In the spirit of appreciation and gratitude, I'm giving away a $10 amazon gift card. To enter just leave a comment here and tell us about a goal you've achieved.


Comments

  1. Goals accomplished recovering from open heart surgery...age 30. Recently graduated with an Associates of Applied Science in Visual Communications...and now on to a Bachelor's Degree in Project Management.

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    1. Rock on, Marci!!!! Open heart surgery? My goodness...I'm especially glad to hear that is in the rearview :) Best of luck with your next degree. Go get 'em!

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  2. Thanks for making me look in the rear view mirror this morning. WOW! You are so right. It has been a helluva ride! Someday we'll find a corner and I'll tell you what I saw in that mirror but today I'll just say that raised on the wrong side of the tracks by a single mother when divorce was whispered, never said out loud, all the way to NYT Bestselling Author...yes, ma'am, it's been a roller coaster of a ride.

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    1. Miz Carolyn....I'm gonna corner you the next time I see you so I can hear more about it. I love your stories--in books and in person xx

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  3. Buying and owning my first home was the greatest goal I had. Now I own my own home, it is not much but it is mine. My next goal is to find one a bit bigger to be more comfortable. Thanks for this opportunity dear. Love being on your street team too. Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Congrats on being a homeowner, Lisa! It is a great feeling indeed and btw... I love having you on my team xx

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  4. Your dad is soooo right! I went to the zoo yesterday to have fun with the animals and to recharge my batteries. :) Sometimes it truly is time to take a breath and see the world around us that's not just part of the world we create. Great post, Sara!

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    1. I love days like that and I love the pics you post later of your visits with the wolves xx

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  5. I quit smoking! It was my New Year's resolution.

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  6. I'm working my goal now decided I want to be in better shape so I'm doing the T25 Focus Workout program. This is week three for me and some days it was hard to PUSH PLAY but guess what I'm focused and I did it. YES

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  7. Thanks for the reminder to stop for a moment. You're lucky to still have your Dad, Sara. Frazzled with deadlines and family issues, my DH was the one to remind me that I'd become a bestselling Amazon author this year with all 4 of my Irish Westerns - it was a wild six-month ride. How could I have forgotten that?

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    1. You have had a hell of a year, Colleen...and it's just the beginning!

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  8. I quit smoking. It has been 5 months since I quit. :)

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  9. Your dad sounds like a very wise man! I have nothing in particular as far as goals but I've been really trying to stop worrying about everything - I come from a long line of worriers. It's a mindset that is hard to change but logically I know staying up at night to worry isn't helping anything and only makes me tense. My resolution for this year was to read more which is the best way I know to stop worrying :)

    catslady5@aol.com

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    1. That's a great goal! Worrying isn't good for the body or the mind.

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  10. Wow! That is great advice. I should do the same once in a while. It's so easy to get caught up in going going going.

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  11. cleaning my bookshelves

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  12. I have finally went back to school to get my Bachelor degree! jendgrimm@gmail.com

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  13. I have finally begun to add onto my house!

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  14. Smart man, your dad! Congrats on acheiving so much! For me, I got the job I always wanted, getting to do the things I love and getting paid for it :)

    ahui89 at hotmail dot com

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  15. Quitting the nursing job was an amazing milestone for me. Still can't believe I actually did it!

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  16. My goal this year is to eat healthier and take better care of myself! Taking care of my family is easy, I tend to forget about myself in the process. Congrats on your many achievements, you deserve to take a break and slow down, Sara!!

    thebigbluewall77(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. It's hard to not jump back on that hamster wheel when you have been going and going and you know you have so much yet to do. :) My goal is to slow down and enjoy my kids while they are young.
    lattebooks at hotmail dot com

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  18. What a great post. I decided to pursue something that allowed me to indulge in my love of reading and in addition to being able to read and review tons of books, I have worked at becoming an editor so that I can actually improve the quality of some of the works I have complained about for years. I never imagined that I would ever have reason to be dismayed at the number of books I have to read but what a wonderful problem to have!

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