I’m pretty sure Nelson Mendela said something like this, but I swear, I came up with it all on my own. When I first decided I wanted to pursue a career in writing, it seemed impossible. First, I’d have to write a book. Then, it would have to be good enough to get an agent. From there, I’d have to have enough talent to land a publishing contract. All of it seemed impossible. But I’m not one to believe I can’t do something, just because it’s hard.
This is a quote from an animated movie that my kids haven’t even seen. It was part of a preview for another movie we own, but this line found me at just the right time. I was querying my first book with little success, and wondering whether I should just give up. I heard Big Z (who is an animated surf-champion penguin) from the other room give this advice to an aspiring penguin surfer, and I wrote it down. It helped me to keep sending out queries, and ultimately inspired me to sit down and write an entirely different book, surprising myself that yes, I can actually write not just one book, but two. No matter what, find a way.
If you haven’t read any of Eckhart Tolle’s books, you should. They are essential reading for those who spend a lot of time inside their own heads. This quote has helped me to let things go. Stress about rejections, lengthy edit letters, or cover drama. We all have two choices: resist, or accept. Life is so much easier, and happier, when we accept the bad things that happen to us and figure out a way to work with them. And often, when we do, things get better a lot faster than they would have if we’d resisted and fought.
When I first started writing, I needed money. I was having a hard time paying for my youngest son’s preschool tuition, and I decided to take things into my own hands and write and sell a book. I had no idea when I sat down to write just how long that would take. I started writing in December of 2012, at the end of a very hard year. My boys were seven and four. I signed my publishing contract in May of 2017 and by the time I got the first part of my advance, my boys were eleven and eight, and preschool tuition (thankfully) was a distant memory. I could have quit at any time. I don’t know why I didn’t. But if I had, the time would have passed anyways, and I wouldn’t have much to show for it. The amount of time something takes shouldn’t matter. Which leads me to my favorite Goethe quote…
Whatever it is that you want to do, or dream you can do, begin it now.
