Amy M. Schaefer
  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
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From the Front Porch

I am an "accidental blogger". When I launched my writing career in March of 2014, one of the things that I decided to include was my journaling, which I have always found to be a comforting and therapeutic endeavor.  It was a big risk to open myself up in such a public forum, but it has taught me that, for the most part, we share far more experiences than we think. It's comforting to know I'm not alone!  (*the "Button Text" is the link to my first novel)
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Living The Dream

4/29/2014

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"Dream big. Work hard. Be nice!"

I put this message on the board every year as a guide for my students, not knowing it would also become a mantra for me. I have been thinking a lot about the depth of what this little phrase actually means. Is it enough to have big dreams? How does one work hard to attain them? And what, exactly, does it mean to be nice? Does it apply to everyone we meet, even if it may seem like they don't deserve our kindness or if being nice seems to get us nowhere? Is it true that "no good deed goes unpunished"?

I am a consummate dreamer. Sometimes my brain fills up with so many ideas I don't know where to put them all. They clutter up my gray matter to the point of becoming clogged, white noise and I must find an outlet for those thoughts, those dreams so that I can think straight again! Writing has been a great outlet for me, as well as an organizer for me to sort those thoughts according to their "do-ability" and prioritize them based on my own wants and needs. And let's be real...some dreams, like owning a stable full of winged horses or moving to a distant planet in space are just not feasible. I can, however, create those experiences in books. In that regard, I am only limited by my imagination! As for other dreams, ones more attainable in the fleshy world, the next step beyond the "thought" is to research what I want and then follow the road to actualizing those dreams.

This is where the "work hard" part comes into play, because any dream that is possible requires dedication and hard work that focuses on the fruition of said goal. Often that path to get "there" is fraught with frustration and obstacles. The truth is, if you really want something, you will find a way to attain it and if you don't, you'll make excuses as to why it's impossible. "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work."--Thomas Edison

As for being nice...that has less to do with attaining your dreams and more to do with filling up your own soul, your own spirit. It is easy to be kind to those who are kind in return, but it is important to be kind to those who aren't. Often, we don't know what burdens others are carrying, nor how those burdens manifest themselves, frequently projecting negatively onto others. What we ought to know, however, is that EVERYONE experiences burdens and carries their own sorrows, pains, and darkness. Perhaps in this way spreading our kindness to ALL helps shine light on those who are in darkness, and bolsters those who live in the light, making our world, and humanity a more fertile ground for growing dreams!

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    About The Author

    I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter.

    Since then, I have learned to reach well beyond what I ever dared to think was possible. I've learned not to allow fear to stop me from whatever future I want to create!

    What keeps me grounded? My Tribe! What provides the wind beneath my wings? A well of reserves filled with unstoppable passion!

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  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
  • Blog: From the Front Porch
  • Novels
  • Short Stories
    • Children's Books
  • About the Author
  • Contact
  • Photo & Art Gallery