Quotes to Inspire and Motivate When You're In Between

Week of March 18, 2012—LIVING AND WRITING IN BETWEEN

Monday, March 19, 2012—Quotes to Inspire and Motivate When You're In Between

A few weeks ago, I visited with my old friend, Bobbie Maloney, who was in Florida with her husband, Mike, for a little vacation from the winter in Missouri. When I was working in my first church staff position (long story) during seminary (even longer story), Bobbie was one of the volunteers who worked in the children's religious education programs I managed, staffed, and conducted. That was over thirty years ago, but Bobbie and I remain in contact. Bobbie always wants to be reassured of my spiritual condition, and I always want to make sure I can bring some of the old heathen out in her. We enjoy our visits.

Bobbie and I talk about things from thirty years ago, our lives today, our hopes and dreams, and more. Something I said during this visit caused Bobbie to reply, “I think you’re living in the in-between right now.” She went on to say she had been reading about those times in life that are in-between and how challenging those times can be. I’ve thought a lot about living in the in-between since then. Most of us are in between something.

In my critique groups I have two friends going through divorce—that’s certainly an in-between time in life. Another critique group member’s fiancé passed away recently. Others are in between jobs. One is dealing with her own medical issues and those of her son. We can be in between relationships, in between times of happiness, in between jobs, in between career paths, in between doing what we have to do and doing what we'd love to do, in between periods of health, and more.

As writers, we have lots of in-between times, too. We can be in between a completed project and the beginning of a new one, in between ideas, in between periods of inspiration, in between the time we send off a manuscript and the time we hear back, in between the time a manuscript is sold and the time a book is released, in between sales of books, in between agents, in between critique groups, and more.

This week, I’m exploring ways to live in the in-between times and how to move on to the next stage (whatever that might be). So today, I want to share some inspirational quotes. I hope they have as much meaning for you as they do for me.

Living involves tearing up one rough draft after another.

—Unknown

When you’re stuck in a spiral, to change all aspects of the spin you need only to change one thing.

—Christina Baldwin

The important thing is this: to be willing at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.

—Charles Du Bos

As important as “hanging on” is knowing when to let go.

—Sherri Dewitt

Dissatisfaction is the basis of progress.

When we become satisfied, we become obsolete.

—J. Willard Marriott, Jr.

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting; for in movement and change there is life.

—Alan Cohen

How will you know if your mission on earth is finished? If you’re alive, it isn’t.

—Richard Bach

My writing friend, no matter what you are in between today, be encouraged. And keep writing!