I wrote 4004 words for December. I still might have time to get in a few more, but my goal was 4000 this month. Woo-hoo for me! Whoa, damn. Stephen King writes 2,000 words a day. So let's see, tapping on my calculator shows about 129 words per day for me. Man, I suck. I'm way worse than Stephen King. Wait a second. Here's a Facebook post from someone who didn't write at all during December. I rock! I'm way better than them.

This cycle could go on forever, and it's incredibly damaging. I'm always going to be doing more than others, and I'm always going to be doing less than others. We're all living under different circumstances. My life doesn't look like anyone else's, and their life doesn't look like mine. My mind doesn't work like Stephen King's, so I can't write as well and as fast as him. But I'll bet he can't give a fabulous massage like me, or whip up healthy meals four times a week, take care of a feral cat colony, or do many of the other awesome things I do, as well as me. And he doesn't have to! That's not his life, so it's ridiculous to compare myself to him, like it's ridiculous to compare myself to anyone else.

Defeating the ugly Comparison Monster is my big goal for 2019.  I'd like to crank out three or four books a year, but if I can only do one or two, so be it. My real goal is to be happy, so I'm going to do what it takes to stay in that place. I enjoy challenges and pushing myself, and patting myself on the back when I do well, but I'm not going to make any plans because I feel the need to keep up with the latest trend or another author. If life changes, I'm going to adjust and not drive myself to exhaustion to reach an unrealistic goal, but I will recognize the difference between lame-ass excuses and good reasons.

Another goal, goodbye time wasters (sorry, Facebook and Netflix, we'll have to keep our moments together brief), hello BrainFM and Gaia.com (you guys keep me on track. Luv ya!). 

I'm sure I'll backslide now and then, but if I keep my eye on what's important, which is living every day the best I can, life will be good in 2019. I wish you peace, hope, prosperity, and a joyous start to the New Year!

I went into Books A Million to buy calendars (I only got one because, well, see the picture and story below), and at the checkout, the young clerk asked me if I wanted to... I figured he'd say "become a member" or "buy a bookmark or batteries", or some other sales pitch, which annoys the hell out of me, because I never do. I'm tired, I just want to buy my item and go home and take off my bra and put on sweatpants. But he asked me if I'd like to donate to the Florida Hospital for Children, and then he showed me a pile of books and toys that were going to the hospital if customers bought them. He said they'd pass them out to the kids who were there over Christmas.

Of course I said yes! It's crappy to be in the hospital when you're a kid, and double crappy to be there at Christmas. The clerk then told me that he was once in the hospital during the holidays when he was a teen, up North. Triple crappy, because it's cold and yuck outside. He said he was so happy when the book cart came around. I picked out at short YA paperback book about Aquaman to donate, with a picture of Jason Momoa on the cover, because I figured that would make some teen very happy. I know I'm happy whenever I see that big, handsome dude! Scroll down to see him in a delightful  skit on Saturday Night Live.

The Giveaway I'm in this month is called Christmas Is Where You Find It. My last eighteen Christmases have been subtropical, and I've learned to adjust. Being in a hospital would be a tough place to be; lots of adjustments. I hope I made someone's life brighter with a book, and that they find Christmas cheer, even there. And I hope wherever you are, love, peace, and joy come to you.

​Happy Holidays!