“All I want is to go home and plant grain and make beer and read books. Is that so hard to understand?”

-Patricia A. McKillip, The Riddle-Master of Hed

     Sometimes you have to re-focus on what you really care about. Others will try to impose expectations on you, or you may impose unreasonable expectations on yourself. But what do you actually want? What will make you (not others) happy? 

        Try writing them down (with a pen and paper).  You’re more likely to be honest if you’re putting your desires out into the world in some physical form. Once you have your list, work to minimize those other things in your life that distract from what you want.

        I find this advice particularly important to keep in mind when things get stressful. Hopefully this helps out a few of you, too.

Each week I share a quote from a fantasy novel and write a short essay to accompany it. Have a favorite fantasy quote you’d like to see featured? Email me: dtkane@dtkane.com.