The Forest for the Trees

TAYLOR’S TIPS for a more productive you…

Dear Friend,

Do you know that saying, “Can’t see the forest for the trees”?

It means that you are deeply involved in a situation, and perhaps focusing too much on individual details, and not enough on the situation as a whole.

And sometimes, as with what happened to me, it can be physically harmful:

I’m washing my face with a washcloth. I’m in a hurry, behind in my schedule for the day, and thinking about a project I’m working on. I bring the washcloth from my face down to my neck and then back up to the lower part of my face. I feel something scratchy, but I keep rubbing my face vigorously with the face cloth anyway. When I move the cloth away, I feel something drop down around my neck. It’s my necklace with a small one-inch gold cross. I look at my chin and see two scratches. One is three-quarters of an inch long and the other is a full inch. And they’re bleeding. Two bright red lines of blood stretch from just underneath my mouth on the left side toward the middle of my chin. 

What was I thinking?

Trouble was, I wasn’t. Thinking that is. I was in a hurry. And my mind wasn’t on the task at hand. Getting lost in my own thoughts was hazardous to my physical health.

Days later it still hurts when I wash my face. They’re still there, those pesky scratches, a reminder to pay attention to what I’m doing.

For me it was a wakeup call. I realized I had been so focused on my own world that I wasn’t paying any attention at all to the forest around me. A significant date had just passed and I missed it. A birthday card wasn’t sent because I forgot. What about being inattentive while driving? Have you ever missed an exit, almost ran a red light?

I don’t want to miss the special moments in life with a loved one because I’m caught up in a character’s latest tangled web, a plot point, or a turn of a page.

I don’t want to become so engrossed in my own world that I cause harm to myself again, or to others.

As I walk my path in life, I promise to look at those gorgeous trees sprouting up around me. They are my projects, my dreams. In fact, I will intently study them, admire them, bask in their glory and growth and work diligently. But I will not forget that even if I invest myself in that for a moment, there are bigger things God wants me to remember. The forest. The beautiful, ever-expansive, filled-with-opportunity forest. And it’s only when I take my eyes off the individual trees that I see it.

Thanks, God, for the reminder.

Happy writing and blessings on your work.

Follow your dreams…

B.J.

Sunny Side Up: Inspiring Stories for Dog & Cat Lovers is done and can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I’ve been working diligently on the dog book: Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love & Second Chances. It’s been a whirlwind of deadlines (for the manuscript, the back cover copy, the author bio, photos, cover copy, etc.).

SUNNY SIDE UP: Inspiring Stories for WOMEN and SUNNY SIDE UP: Inspiring Stories for TOUGH TIMES are available already, and so is the writer’s group book. And I’m working diligently on that third one, while keeping in mind the forest for the trees!

WOMEN on Kindle: http://amzn.to/tchBTI
WOMEN on Nook: http://bit.ly/uNwVSC

TOUGH TIMES on Kindle: http://amzn.to/oWyIIO
TOUGH TIMES on Nook: http://bit.ly/q7bNTG

If you have an e-reader–great. If not, you can still read e-books on your computer with Kindle for PC: http://amzn.to/dk8GIF

Also still available:
“The Complete Guide to Writers Groups That Work”
Kindle http://amzn.to/qDh28y
Nook http://bit.ly/qZTHIX
In Print through Amazon: http://amzn.to/n3wS5D

What’s Happening…

Drop me an email and let me know if you’re going to be at these wonderful events. I’d love to meet up with you there.

Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference March 30 – April 3, 2012. This premier conference has been geared for writers at all levels: freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. Rachel, the conference director, has made it easy to find just the right classes to help you to better your craft. Come to Mount Hermon to meet, to learn, to refresh, to pray. http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference 

Southern California’s BEST:

Antelope Valley Writers’ Conference May 4-5, 2012  Put this one on your calendar and plan to attend. Learn more than you thought possible about the writing world, mingle with others who share your passion, come away rejuvenated and refreshed. Join us. www.avwriters.com

Orange County Christian Writers Conference May 18-20, 2012 This conference has tons of learning opportunities, from intensive workshops, faculty panels, dining with faculty, consultations with those in-the-know, and much, much more. You get to meet these people up close and personal. They’ll share with you their knowledge and expertise. Come with an open mind and learn, learn, learn. www.occwf.org

Blog: www.bjtaylorblog.wordpress.com 
Website: www.bjtayloronline.com