It's Not Really About the Lipstick

I read a bunch of blogs yesterday. Maybe it was because I was reading them through the filter of my own strange mood, but it seemed like a lot of people were feeling down. I found Robert fretting that his life is half over and wondering is this all there is? And J wrote about a run-in with his son, who told him to go to his stupid work and never come back. Katie's post of the day only had one exclamation point in it. Even sweet Penelope was fighting the winter blahs.

I have mostly snapped myself out of my own strange mood. And I did it by forcing myself to work even though I didn't want to. Yesterday I did some marketing and searched the freelance job sites looking for leads. And this morning I was looking for places to submit my work and I found a link to this writing contest sponsored by Glamour magazine. Something about the topic inspired me and I ended up writing a whole poem about my first kiss. I submitted an excerpt because it was longer than the 50-word limit. The prize is a $400 box of lipstick. Which is pretty funny if you know me.

Anyway, life goes on and the blahs and the bad moods come and go. You have good days and bad days. And Mondays. I guess you just have to keep working despite the fact that you're pretty sure you totally suck. Despite the feeling that your life is half over and you're not sure that you actually even have a life. Despite the fact that your kids seem to like the X-Box more than they like you. Despite the fact that another month has passed and you're not sure what you've done with it. Despite the winter blahs.

And the reward? The prize for keeping at it, even when you don't feel like it? It's that unexpected source of inspiration that leads to something that makes you feel good again. And if you don't keep working, if you don't keep at it, you might miss it.

Because you just never know where the next $400 box of lipstick is going to pop up.