Dear :

Here we are on the Ides of March. Beware they say, but I'm grateful. 

Last year on March 15th, Ed was two days out from double-bypass, open-heart surgery. He'd come off the ventilator unable to swallow and they put in a nasal feeding tube. A few days later, the hospital locked down. He spent another week there while I stayed home, self-isolating, waiting for his phone calls. The rest of the world shut down.

I'd been sick on and off since late December with a weird "flu" the main symptom of which was a hard, dry cough that wouldn't subside. I was still coughing when he called to say the hospital was closed. 

That week, I missed him terribly. I was concerned and lonely. But I also slept hard, napped often, walked the pupperina (Scarlet, our yellow Labrador), and rested. Our neighbors and running friends sent food (Ed's the chef in our house) and I slept and ate. By the time Ed came home, unable to stand unassisted, in pain, and with a gastric feeding tube that required more care than either of us could have imagined, the coughing spells that had plagued me since before New Year's were nearly gone.

At the time, not being able to be with him at the hospital seemed like a "bad" thing. But the rest and healing I managed that week turned out to be a "great" thing since his care for the next few months would take all of my energy.

Ed recovered and is thriving. Two weeks after his second COVID19 vaccination he tires more easily, but still takes regular walks, lifts weights, and (WHEW) is back at his helm in the kitchen.

How many of us have judged an experience as "bad" that turned out either positive or not as horrible as we thought? Most of us go through our days in this "good/bad" dynamic. Yes, unpleasant things happen. 2020 showed us that. But adding an additional layer of judgment doesn't help.

The next time you're tempted to think something is "bad," remember my forced respite while Ed was in the hospital. I too will try to remember it when I'm tempted to judge.
 

I wrote a thing and they published it:

Surf Those Emotional Waves and Ride

If you don't subscribe to Medium, use this link.
 

Wellness/Mindfulness Tip

Zoom Fatigue? Yep. Here are four causes and some solutions.
 

Movement/Running

Last night on Twitter, #RunChat asked:

When you struggle with running, what do you change to try and make it better?

I answered:

I'll try anything! It's usually a mental struggle. "It's too hard. You'll be cold. You'll be hot. You'll be bored." I'm a goldilocks runner. But I can't recall once regretting a run. I just have to get out there!

And then, I realized I hadn't answered the question. So, I replied again:

I sneak up on the run. "Just put on your gear." or "Just put on your watch." Then, "Just leash up the dog." And finally, "Now just go outside. Just stand there." Once I'm outside, I can't just stand there. What will the neighbors think! 

Check out all the fabulous answers here. Many of these suggestions apply to nearly any task in life.

How's the whole movement thing going for you? 
 

Make Your Review Count Twice or More!

If you left a positive review for either book on any of the sites, you can simply copy and paste it to another site to make it go further! Every positive review or rating on ANY SITE counts.

Those of you who have left a positive review for Depression Hates a Moving Target and You Should Be Writing are THE BEST! I can't thank you enough. If you enjoyed either book and haven't had a chance to, please leave a review. Even one sentence means so much.

These direct links to Amazon make reviews easier:
YSBW - Paperback
YSBW - ebook
DHAMT - Paperback
DHAMT - ebook
DHAMT - Audiobook

Don't have your copy yet? Purchase Nita's books here!
 

Events & Classes

For the foreseeable future, all my events and classes are online. No matter where you live, you can join:

3/31/21 (1:30pm PT/4:30pm ET) Heart Wisdom Panel - Save the Date

4/13/21 (11am PT/2pm ET): A Daily Dose of Now - Meditation - Save the Date

4/23 to 4/25 - Ohioana Book Festival - Save the Dates

4/27/21 (noon to 1pm ET) - Dayton Bar Association CLE talk

8/8/21 (2pm to 5pm ET) - Writing from the Inside Out

SEE ALL EVENTS ON MY WEBSITE.

Did You Know You Can Hire Me?

Stuck in your writing process? Not sure what steps to take?

Whether you're a new writer, already published, or somewhere in between, chances are I've faced what you're up against. I'd love to help.

We'll hop on zoom or that phone thingie. You'll tell me your quandary, and I'll share my expertise with you, one-on-one. I have a ton of resources, and decades of experience heading people in the right direction.

"I wasn’t sure where to start. Your ideas provided a path, 'a heads-up here’s where you need to go' path. The biggest challenges with new authors are the deep-dive editing surprise, the author platform, and the publishing world. It was helpful to know what to expect."—Susan

Email me at nita@nitasweeney.com to discuss this service.
 

Please Take Care

If I can help in some other way, please ask. Email is always the best way to reach me.

Take care and be well.

About Nita:
Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink and co-creator of the writing journal, You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving. A long-time meditator, three-time marathoner, and former assistant to writing practice originator Natalie Goldberg, Nita founded the Facebook group Mind, Mood, and Movement to support mental well-being through meditation, exercise, and writing practice. She also publishes the monthly email newsletter, Write Now Columbus. Nita lives in central Ohio with her husband, Ed, and their yellow Labrador retriever, Scarlet. Follow her on you favorite social media channel!