Three D's Of Success for Dog Days of Summer & Life's Interruptions

I love this picture..... this statement. This little quote that talks about how us nobodies can actually become somebodies no matter what time of year it is or what you're facing and right now, folks are facing a lot.

Dog days of summer... the lot o' youse are familiar with the phrase, I'm sure.

High heat, high humidity, scorching sun, pop-up thunderstorms that bring no relief, only more moisture into already moisture-laden air.

Dog Days of Summer... Here in the north we love summer, but most of us are northerners for a reason.  

1. We can't afford to move

2. We love snow

3. We are stick-in-the-mud folks

4. We are tied to business, family, faith and community. 

But Dog Days of Summer aren't a Northern thing. They're an everywhere thing. It's when heat indexes rise all over this great land, cicadas drone, Katydids clatter night after night, grasshoppers spread their funny little grasshopper wings and go from plant to plant, eating, munching, laying eggs... and the pavement seems to sizzle. 

It's hard to get motivated in the heat. I've often wondered how people in desert areas do it because they don't get my fall/winter reprieve. Now I understand that some folks like heat. 

I am not one of them. 

Even being in really good shape, I'm not one of them. Can we dish here?

I hate it. I really, really, really dislike anything over 82 degrees and humidity should be declared an enemy of the people and my hair, but I digress... this isn't about me. For once. This is about you and how you can push through times of struggle, heat, holidays, tempest, problems, etc. because that's one of the things all authors need to figure out. When life hands you curves, how can you best navigate them and still be productive?

(Then the question bears asking, how productive do you want to be? Are you satisfied with where you are and what you're doing? That's an important benchmark right there.) 

That last part is up to you, but here's some advice worth talking about:

1. Devotion: Think of Mary, standing by Jesus all those years.

     Mary sets the bar high for people, but particularly for women because despite the problems that they encounter, she never leaves her son's side. Through it all she stands strong and tall, helping, loving, her presence a beautiful thing. Be like Mary.

2. Determination: Take a page from Jessica Long's book and hold it tight.

Born to Russian parents in 1992, Jessica had a condition which meant her legs would have to be amputated below the knee. The lower structures in her legs hadn't developed properly. She came to America, to her adoptive parents at 18 months of age and has become a national hero for perseverance, choices, determination and guts. Here's a quote from the winner of over 50 championship gold medals, Para-Olympian Jessica Long: 

"I didn’t just wake up one day and become a Paralympic Games gold medalist. Dedication, hard work, and passion are hugely important to achieving your goals. That’s my big advice to kids: Find something to be passionate about, be confident in your abilities, and really go for it."

Be like Jessica.

3. Dedication: Model yourself after Mother Teresa.

In 1946 the young nun felt/heard a calling during a train ride. A calling to help the poor, the lowly, the sick, the ones who never hear about Jesus's healing love. After two years of being instructed and tested in her resolve, Mother Teresa was given permission to begin her own hands-on charity. Taking to the streets of Calcutta, this small woman nursed and nurtured the sick, the lame, the dying, the mentally ill and at the time of her death had over 4,000 people working in similar fashion around the world. From one calling, a calling she heeded, much good has come and I thought of this as we faced a pandemic and church leaders of all denominations kind of hid in their rooms/homes/rectories... because fear of the virus was stronger than dedication to the flock. 

We can learn a lot from one woman's courage and dedication, how one woman's hands made such a difference to so many.

Be like Teresa.

It is easy for us to make excuses, particularly in first-world countries where we have so much, so much is freely given and taken, and we are surrounded by a store after store of choices and goods and options and Amazon sending everything and anything you need 24/7/365.

But to tackle those difficult times in working, those Dog Days, or funerals, divorce, illness, anger, separation, sorrow, and yes, even joy because joy can be a detractor... Three D's. 

Devotion, Determination and Dedication.

In the end, getting through anything that comes our way isn't up to "them", the detractors or doubters or downers of life.

It's up to us.

And actually, friends:

It's up to you.

Jump into the conversation below and Ruthy will tuck your name into the candy dish alongside some really tasty Hershey's Kisses for a chance to win Ruthy's newest mystery

"Prescription for Mystery" from Guideposts Books! 

Somewhat bossy and very productive author Ruth Logan Herne is blessed to be living her dream of being a published author and having worked with numerous publishers including Waterfall, Waterbrook, Harper Collins, Love Inspired, Guideposts and Amazon, she knows that these three "D's" are crucial to your success as an author... So go for it! She loves to hear from readers and writers. You can email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com friend her on Facebook (always an interesting place, isn't it?) or swing by her website ruthloganherne.com. You won't find her on Twitter because there are too many angry folks over there... and Ruthy can't abide all that negativity, which isn't a surprise because Pollyanna is one of her all-time favorite movies.