So, the last time I was in Mexico, I got the chance to hold this jaguar cub. I have a bizarro list of all the animals I have had the privilege of petting or interacting with in some way.

Elephant (I rode one)

Giraffe (I fed it)

Sloth (I held it)

Cheetah (I pet it)

Macaw (owned)

Python (wore)

White face monkey (played with)

Spider money (played with)

Alligator (fed...oh...and ate)

Iguana (fed and ate)

Crocdile (caught)

Emu/ostrich (ate)

Giraffe (fed)

and there are a few more, but I won't bore you with the details. Why am I sharing this? Because again, these are things I WANTED to do, and somehow, managed to make happen. The things make my heart sing. A writer needs to feed her spirit. If that's knitting, go for it. If that's eating at a fancy restaurant, do it. For me, it's petting animals...exotic, rare, wonderful animals. There's something about nature that renews my soul's energy...makes me feel alive.

I spent a night in the jungles of Costa Rica once. When the day animals settled down and went to sleep, the night ones came to life...and the symphony they played for me was unlike anything I have ever experienced ANYWHERE. It was one of those incredible moments when you know you are in the presence of something greater than yourself.

As a writer...we all need those moments. We should be in hot pursuit of them. We cannot be complacent. If your jungle is the subway, a bus, a mountain top, the beach, then make the time to go there. I say MAKE the time because finding something means we stumbled upon it. Don't stumble through your life....MAKE it happen!

Lesson #3 is to feed your soul....your writer soul. Feed it well....feed it often...make your heart sing!

It will change your life.