“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

The above quote reminded me of when I learned to sail while my husband and I were stationed in Hawaii. The group I joined was called the “Wet Hens.” That may not be politically correct today, but it did bring a smile to others when you mentioned it. This group of women had to learn how to tie nautical knots, how to tack, and how to solo in a nine-foot dingy. The Red Cross course was fun and challenging. Oh! It also helped if you could swim. One of the toughest things we had to do was to learn how to pull another person into the sailboat who may have fallen out. When you’re in the water and looking up, the edge of the sailboat looks a lot higher than it does from the shore. My sailing partner and I did it! Yes, I passed the sailing course, even took my husband out on the boat with a few pointers for him.

This made me think of a recent accomplishment. American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) held a Genesis Contest which has different categories for first-time writers who are unpublished. I made it into the semi-finals with a historical romance novella. Yay! For those of you who aren’t writers, a novella usually runs around 30,000 words. The story I submitted is about a young woman in the late 1800s who comes to stay with her father’s friends while she has a baby. No, she isn’t married, and society’s mores made it difficult for her to remain at home. The town sheriff where she is staying eventually takes a liking to her but has already sent for a mail-order bride. The title is “The Sheriff’s Dilemma.” The young woman’s struggle is not only with her predicament but with her faith in God.

So, what does sailing have to do with writing a book? You set yourself a goal and work toward it. My goal for sailing was to overcome the fear of the ocean, Thalassophobia. It worked…pretty much. Since then, I’ve been on cruise ships with twelve-foot waves and boogie boarded with five-foot waves. Although, I’m not sure what I would do if caught in a hurricane. The goal satisfied me and that is what counted.

My goal after retirement was to write and publish a book. Not quite there just yet, but I’m almost ready to self-publish “Dead Ringer Cowboy” as the beginning of a three-book series called The Cowboys of the High Desert. There are different steps involved when you do your own publishing, much like I learned different steps in sailing.

Set yourself some goals. They can be short or long-term or even just daily ones. Go for it! And SAIL ON!