Been a while… It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, not because I didn’t want to, but mainly due to picking up the dreaded flu which I’ve struggling to shake off. It started off with a sore throat that lasted for a week with feverish spells, followed by typical cold symptoms and then as a bonus, an onslaught of phlegm flooded my chest. Needless to say I’ve been to the Doctor twice, am on antibiotics and now developed a horrible hacking cough that refuses to budge! Before my ailments got the better of me I was making slow and steady progress in my running. I had been training consistently and even managed to run a fifteen kilometre race in July. My times were improving and I felt I was on my way back when I was struck down with influenza. The problem in taking time out from running is that one has to start from the beginning and it takes a while to build fitness. Although your legs remember how to run, your body struggles to get back into the swing of things. Patience isn’t always my strongpoint and I’ve had to hanker down and reassure myself that this too shall pass and I will get back to my old self again, albeit longer than expected. During this time I’ve managed to squeeze in some writing, however not on my blog per se. You see I write fiction too and it’s been a while since I’ve produced a romance story. I take an incredibly long time to decide on a plot, researching my settings, getting to know my characters and only then do I settle down to write the actual story. This time around I pushed myself to try something different –to write a story not knowing how it would end! It scared the living daylights out of me; I was pulling my hair out even climbing the walls for it felt like I was getting nowhere slowly. My husband, God bless him, has had to listen to my moaning and groaning over the excruciating process. His advice to me was to stop writing fiction and concentrate on my blog as it fills me with joy. I have to agree with him as blogging is so much more fulfilling and I get to be myself which brings me a real sense of satisfaction. However, I cannot give up on my dream of writing fiction and making a success out of it. Just because it’s difficult, tedious and time-consuming doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. I believe the longer you vest in it, the more you experiment, writing fiction will eventually become second nature. I may not be at that point yet and have much to learn, but I will get there - eventually. This fortnight of torture has made me realise that I cannot give up on my dreams. The road to success is not paved in gold; it can be long and winding with no clear direction in sight, fear and doubt, your constant companions, questioning why you even bother to continue. Many a time I was close to throwing in the towel, but I could hear a tiny voice in the back of my mind willing me to continue and I’m glad I listened to it. I’ve managed to write my story, it’s a first draft and I do not consider it to be my best work - but it’s my creation, my blood, sweat and tears! Today I urge you to never give up on your dreams, that whatever tries to sway you from your ideals and passion, take it with a pinch of salt. Remind yourself that we all experience bad days, weak moments, even slow seasons, but it does not mean that we are not making progress. The universe is still hard at work on our dream - our time will come.