This is kind of a follow-up to my post about shedding… and the one about writing (or rewriting) your third act.
So, here’s what’s happening. In just a few days, I’ll find out if I’m receiving a writing fellowship… aka a grant… aka someone possibly giving me money to do one of the things I actually enjoy. This is the FIRST time I’ve ever applied for a grant for ME.
I’ve written plenty of grants for other people. I’ve helped other folks get their dreams get funded. But this time? I finally looked at myself and said, “Okay girl… what about your dream?”
I also entered my very first screenplay competition. Fortunately, I was able to accomplish this before I started punching the clock again. (40 years later.)
Yes. My first. (And only 12 screenplays later.)
Now, I might be slightly delusional, but I truly believe some good news is headed my way. Because I believed in myself enough to apply. Enough to enter. Enough to silence the doubts and fears long enough to hit that magical button:
SUBMIT.
I stepped outside my comfort zone again. It’s been a while. The last time I did that was in 2018 when I put my show on the stage. That was scary, but we must all do some things that scare us; to get to the other side of fear.
And here’s the part I’m most proud of: I dedicated a few weeks of mornings to me. Just me. No capes. No rescuing. No running around making everyone else’s life work.
So how did I find the time?
Spoiler alert: well they damn sure did not add extra hours to the day. I made the time by doing just a little less for others… and choosing myself. I did it by hanging up my superhero cape for just one hour a day. (Sometimes I would only have 30 minutes to spare!)
First and foremost, let me say this AGAIN. We are ALL creative and every day we are creating our life and our future. Each day you (And I) have a choice to either keep living the life script you’ve written so far… or you can do what every good writer does and edit the S#*T out of the mess.
Most of us are walking around in a first draft. And if your life were a movie right now, you might be thinking, “Why is this scene still in here? Who approved this subplot? And why do I keep giving this character so much screen time?”
Our lives are basically an in-progress screenplay, and the good news is you are both the main character and the editor. You get to look at what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to be cut.
As you evolve, you don’t have to keep accepting the script you wrote when you were younger, more confused, unaware, and thought toxic people were just “challenging supporting characters.” NOPE! You can rewrite. Write their asses out of your script entirely.
In all honesty, I’m struggling in my attempts to rewrite Act Three. Editing real life isn’t as easy as deleting a line of text. If it were, we’d all be hitting the hell out of the backspace key on emotional baggage, purchases, and that one relationship we should’ve ended in Season One.
Some things take time to edit out, like unhealthy relationships, draining habits, obligations that make you tired just thinking about them. But when you start cutting what isn’t working, you feel lighter. Like you finally cleaned out the closet of your soul and stopped keeping things that “spark zero joy!” You can Marie Kondo the s#*t out of your life, not just your junk drawer!
Editing your life can look like:
- Dropping activities that stress you out
- Distancing yourself from energy vampires
- Letting go of baggage you’ve been dragging around like an overpacked carry-on
To begin, reflect on your experiences; the good, the bad, the ugly, and the “why did I say yes to that?” moments. When you realize something no longer serves you, give yourself permission to remove it. There is no perfect timeline. A good rewrite might take a little time.
Then ask yourself: what has brought you real bliss? What makes you feel alive? And how can you write more of that into your story now? As much as I didn’t want to, I have to set the alarm thirty minutes earlier so that I can still have time to write in the AM. Make no mistake, the snooze button is tempting as hell.
With a little editing, you can clear out what isn’t working and make room for more happiness, love, wisdom, and fewer unnecessary plot twists.
Because you deserve a life that feels less like a rough draft…
…and more like a bestseller.