Imagine Magazine Question For 11/29

[Comicality]

It's almost the end of another year, and I have to admit that it crept up on me pretty fast! Yikes! I remember thinking, "Damn! Once this 2020 pandemic is under control, I am going to truly celebrate 2021 every single day and appreciate the freedom it brings!" Hehehe, and...well...let's just say that every other day was just...another day. That's the way it goes, isn't it?

BUT...what if it wasn't? I mean, what happens if we take all of those self promises, those new year resolutions, those challenging goals...and really STUCK to them this time around? Every new year gives an excuse to hit the reset button on our lives and reach for the stars. But do we really take advantage of those opportunities? Or do we give up by the end of the first month and slip back into old habits?

Maybe you want to lose weight, maybe you want to stop smoking or drinking, maybe you want to find a boyfriend/girlfriend, maybe you want to get a new job, maybe you want to come out to a few friends or your parents...what's stopping you...other than 'you'? if you want to be more assertive, if you want to learn a new language, if you want to travel, if you want to write a story or record a song or go after that big acting role...you can do it. I'm not saying that it'll be easy...I'm just letting you know that it's not impossible.

Right now, think of all you've accomplished so far in your life. It doesn't have to be anything major or life altering or worthy of fortune or fame. Just the things that bring you comfort and joy when you need it. Now...think of how much MORE you could have if you started reaching for bigger and better goals in the foreseeable future. What do you want to do? What do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish? And what do you think is stopping you? Is it time? Is it money? Is it family commitments? Why not take a shot? Start tomorrow. Start TODAY if you can.

It might make you a bit uncomfortable at first, it might be exhausting, it might be scary...but like I said...the only thing stopping you is 'you'. So feel free to talk about what you'd like your goals to be this year, and what you want to do to make those dreams come true for yourself. I'd LOVE to hear what you have to say!

[Page Scrawler]

I've always talked up a big game about contributing stories to Gay Authors, but...there just never seems to be a right time to write. Or, if I have free time available, I usually spend it cooking, reading, cleaning the house, or catching up on TV shows that I've recorded. Add a nine-year-old kid into the mix, and the opportunities (or desire) to write grow even smaller. Why do I do this to myself? Do I REALLY have no time to write, or am I just inventing excuses to get out of it? I'm afraid that if I start writing something on GA, it will feel as if I've made a commitment. If I make a commitment, I'll feel obligated to continue writing within a certain deadline or time frame. And I don't want to feel beholden to anyone, you know? To make things more complicated, I've also been thinking about applying for a loan to open a business. Nothing fancy, just a little bakery/deli to serve sandwiches and cookies. Figuring out how to get a business off the ground, while raising a kid...it definitely wouldn't be easy. This year, I need to sort my priorities. What's the most important thing to me? Family? Work? Social groups? It's a lot of stuff to juggle. But I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow!

[Comicality]

On 11/30/2021 at 12:17 PM, Page Scrawler said:

I've always talked up a big game about contributing stories to Gay Authors, but...there just never seems to be a right time to write. Or, if I have free time available, I usually spend it cooking, reading, cleaning the house, or catching up on TV shows that I've recorded. Add a nine-year-old kid into the mix, and the opportunities (or desire) to write grow even smaller. Why do I do this to myself? Do I REALLY have no time to write, or am I just inventing excuses to get out of it? I'm afraid that if I start writing something on GA, it will feel as if I've made a commitment. If I make a commitment, I'll feel obligated to continue writing within a certain deadline or time frame. And I don't want to feel beholden to anyone, you know? To make things more complicated, I've also been thinking about applying for a loan to open a business. Nothing fancy, just a little bakery/deli to serve sandwiches and cookies. Figuring out how to get a business off the ground, while raising a kid...it definitely wouldn't be easy. This year, I need to sort my priorities. What's the most important thing to me? Family? Work? Social groups? It's a lot of stuff to juggle. But I'm sure I'll figure it out somehow!

Wow! VERY cool, PS! That sounds like a lot, but if you think you can do it then GO for it! I'm rooting for ya, man! Dam good goals to have for this year!, 

[Page Scrawler]

1 hour ago, Comicality said:

Wow! VERY cool, PS! That sounds like a lot, but if you think you can do it then GO for it! I'm rooting for ya, man! Dam good goals to have for this year!, 

Thanks, Comsie! 

[Comicality]

I feel like I have two big problems that I really want to work on. One is being overambitious with a lot of the things I do, and that leads me to constantly reach for the impossible...and fall short. I really want to teach myself to create goals for myself that are, like...humanly possible. You know? Hehehe...I'm known for being overly optimistic when it comes to completing tasks both on and offline. And that leads to disappointment. I hate that feeling. I never plan for things like being sick, or having company over, or having to take care of an emergency, or even just being too tired to do all of the things that I had planned to do that day. I need to stop that.

The second thing is having a really indulgent personality. Like...I get all caught up in the moment and go all out, the rest of the world be damned. Which is also something that I would like to work on in the future. Like...if I'm playing a video game, I go all in and I end up playing it for hours on end with no breaks. If I'm writing, same thing. If I go to the chatroom to talk to you guys...same deal. I really get involved with whatever I'm doing at that particular time, which is fun and I love it...but then I have to deal with the aftermath of knowing that I had other priorities that I probably should have been taking care of, and now everything is getting backed up on me. Hehehe, I need some will power, dammit!

So...what's my 'tomorrow's promise' for 2022? Besides working on those two parts of my personality, of course. I want to make a comfortable amount of money this coming year. I've really had enough of pinching pennies. I feel like I've been doing that my whole life, and I'm just...ugh...I'm sick of it, you know? I have brains, I have creativity, I'm intelligent, I'm lucky enough to have physical energy and no handicaps...there's no reason for me to keep living like this. I want to pay off all of my Mom's bills. I want to visit my friends in Chicago on a whim. I want to fill the fridge with groceries without worrying about how much I've got left to last me to the end of the month. I feel like I work sooooo hard, just to play the middle man between my meager earnings and the bill collectors. "Thanks...and here you go, bill collector guy. Please leave me enough for a sandwich and maybe some beer money." It's ridiculous.

So...I'm making this year my big play to finally make the kind of money that I think I'm worth. It won't make me rich, not by any means. I just want to be comfortable for a while. Writing alone, I've probably penned more words than JK Rowling, Stephen King, and John Grisham, combined! And they're all millionaires. I don't need all that luxury...but it would be cool to relax for a bit and just 'live' you know? Buy some nice clothes, take a road trip, grab a video game or two, get my laptop fixed when it inevitably shuts down on me again. Hehehe, you know, the simple things. Maybe treat my mom to a succulent steak on her birthday. Donate to my little cousins' college funds. See my favorite movies at the Imax theater.

Like I said...simple stuff.

It'll take a lot of hard work, but I never sleep. So what else do I have to do in the middle of the night, right? Expect to see a LOT more of me! This is one dream that I plan to keep. Life goals, bitches! Hehehe! Wish me luck!

[Comicality]

 

Any other ideas on this one? I'd love to hear from more of you on this, but I can just post what we've got in the next issue.

If anyone else wants to put their two cents in...feel free! It's a community effort, after all.