Tag: Mexican Dichos

Encouragement, Goals, Gratitude, Latino culture

Why Looking Ahead is Better than Falling Behind

Mona Alvarado Frazier

Make a new ending

I woke to sunlight creeping through my bathroom windows.

Unusual, since the last month has been grey days of coastal overcast. More unusual since June in our parts is called June Gloom.

It dawned on me (no pun intended) we are quickly approaching the middle of the year. Almost half of 2015 is gone.

Yikes. This got me thinking.

Did I follow my intentions for the year? Did I complete what I intended to complete or experience?

That attitude created pressure, anxiousness.

Bummer feelings for the first minutes of a new day. Especially since sunlight shone through my windows.

I took a deep breath and thanked God for a beautiful sunlit morning.

The oxygen and gratitude flipped my attitude.

More important, did I enjoy the past six months. Did I find pleasure in my family, friends, work and new experiences? 

I answered yes and felt invigorated.

If you can answer yes to the last question, all is well.

If you answer no, the good news is half of 2015 is ahead.

To quote a Mexican dicho:

“El que adelante no mira, atrás se queda

He who does not look ahead falls behind.”

There is still time.

Inspiration, Latino culture, Wisdom, Writing

Mexican Dichos and #Writing

Mona Alvarado Frazier
Mexican dicho on writing
Mexican dicho on writing

 

Many bloggers are also writers and authors. I’m one of those blogueras who love to write for the sake of writing, an adventure to places unknown and familiar.

A familiar place I’ve visited, during writing a novel, is the wisdom of the Mexican dicho. Loosely translated a dicho is a proverb, a popular saying.

I came across this pearl of wisdom:

“El mal escribano le echa la culpa a la pluma.”

Substitute escritor (writer) for escribano (clerk/bookkeeper) and the dicho becomes:

“The poor writer blames the pen.” 

If you find yourself blaming the pen for poor writing, use the wisdom of the proverb to explore your feelings.

Perhaps you have a fear. This isn’t news, EVERY writer has fears: Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver, Judy Blume, (insert name here).

Fear has us looking at the past or worried about the future so much that we forget to remain focused and present for our work.

Sometimes we don’t want to go ‘deep’ in our writing, which makes for superficial writing which is poor writing. I’ve been guilty of that one.

It’s scary looking under the rocks and it’s hard translating the feelings to paper, putting a piece of your heart and soul out there on a piece of paper for someone to see.

But do it. Write your heart and no blaming or shaming yourself or the pen.

Just keep writing, because:

No hay rosas sin espinas. There are no roses without thorns.