In the age of social media and instantaneity, a lot of people are impatient for success. Despite what we know, there’s still a lot of talk about ‘overnight successes.’ The music artist that came out of nowhere. The first-time author who hit the bestseller list. The young athlete drafted into the NBA, NHL, or NFL. We know that behind every overnight success is someone who has slugged away at their craft for years (think Niecy Nash). And what got them there beyond their determination and hard work was their decision to stay committed to their goal.
A Long and Lonely Road
I have been writing for years, showing up every day (unless I’m insanely sick) to write and hone my skills. It took me a while, but I finally learned to define success for myself so that I wasn’t chasing someone else’s dream. I don’t write for accolades; if I did, then I’d probably write more genre fiction. Nor do I write with the aim of hitting a bestseller list because that’s a prize that I’m not convinced will bring me long-term happiness.
Life is worthwhile if you stay. You have to learn to stay committed to reaching your goal. You don’t have to stay forever, just stay till you see it through.1
I write in the middle of the night, in the early morning, or late in the afternoon to capture the hearts and minds of others through my words, to show through my stories and other writings the resilience of the human spirit. it is to show that not everything is perfect, not everything is fair, and not everything will be easy. but through the darkness, the chaos, the disappointments, the joys, the successes, we can find our way, our light. We can become who we dare to become. That we can overcome and build the life we want for ourselves…if we stay committed to our dreams.
Stay Committed
As a writer, no matter what level of success you’ve achieved, it’s easy to be discouraged when a book doesn’t do as well as you hoped. When the reviews tear down the very work you had poured your heart and soul into. I almost gave up after the publication of my first book that flopped. And you call yourself a writer? I chastised myself repeatedly. And for several years after that I wrote without sharing a word with the world
It took me time to remember my why, to believe again in what I do. But as I began to heal, I could see the lessons in the setbacks and challenges, and faced them down to become a better writer. I would no longer let fear, doubt and other people’s opinions hold me back. I chose to stay committed to my dream.
Hold onto your goals and dreams, and no matter what, keep toiling away. Because that’s the way to create a life worth living.
And let me tell you now, if no one else has, that 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.
- Rohn, J. (2022). The Power of Ambition: Awakening the Powerful Force Within You, Shippensburg, Nightingale-Conant-Corporation., p. 56. [↩]
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