The other day I was listening to the album produced by Fearless Motivation titled, 10% Human 90%^ Beast, when one of the tracks offered a powerful message: keep showing up. When you’re chasing your dream and you don’t see the results, when you’re tired, when you’re not sure that you’ll ever cross the finish line, you must keep showing up.
Writing into the Void
When I decided to act like a writer and not simply talk about being one, it meant I had to submit my work for publication. Back in the day, that meant printing off the manuscript and mailing it with a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) if I wanted a response. And for years, the only thing that I received were rejection letters. Yes, there were days I was discouraged and felt like giving up. Still, I knew I had to keep showing up.
Every day I wrote. And I continued to submit short shorties, poems, essays, and novels for publication, and I continued to receive rejection letters. It took a while for me to shift my mindset from getting published and becoming a best-selling author to focusing on simply writing. Every day. And when I did that, I began to hone my skills and, in 2005, received my first acceptance letter. Woohoo!
Running into the Wild
I am anything but a natural athlete. I hated sports as a kid, and usually quit before the end of the season. The only reason I started running in 2008, when I was nearing thirty-five, was because I had gained weight, and I wasn’t prepared to buy new clothes. And running didn’t come easy for me. I struggled to run even a kilometre nonstop. But to get better, to build endurance, I had to keep showing up. And I did.
When I was a new runner, sticking to a running routine helped me to build endurance and, eventually, catch the running bug. And five months after my first run, I ran my first 10K race. To move beyond that distance, I knew I had to keep showing up. And I did, culminating in my first full marathon in October 2019.
Keep Showing Up
I’ve written and published five novels and a novella. None of them have made a bestseller’s list. And I have no idea if any of my future novels will, either. I run three to four times a week, and I have a goal of running a sub 3:30:00 marathon. Despite my training, I don’t know when that will happen. But I keep showing up.
Because when you show up ever day, you increase the odds of success. You stay in the game when others decide to quit. And you don’t give up. Yes, keep showing up and do the work. That’s how dreams come alive.
And let me, then, leave you today with this last thought…
You are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And, best of all, you do not need anyone’s permission to be—unapologetically—who you are.
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