Turning my Doubt into Determination

-          Stay teachable, humble, & grow*

-          Write what I know…walk in my own shoes

-          The only time you fail is if you quit*

-          How do you eat an elephant?* How do you write a book?

-          Throw the net out a little deeper in the water…submit, submit, submit

-          Celebrate the successes, big or small; Toughen up for the letdowns*

-          Finish the race

I feel as though I’ve been on my writing journey for forever; but it actually only began five-and-half years ago, in June 2006. Along the way, some dreaded “D” words like disappointment, doubt, and discouragement pulled me down or made me drag my feet.

My disappointments don’t come because of rejected submissions, but rather because I fail to submit for publication often enough. My doubts spring up when I step out of my writing comfort zone even though that’s where I’m drawn. Discouragement is simply the result of an undisciplined life. Together, they cause the ugliest “D” word of all: depression.

These words are not just troublemakers for my writing journey, but to life itself. They plague me as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. In those roles, I set my own flexible or rigid schedule. Generally speaking, I answer to no one expect the One who placed me in those positions. The encouragement phrases from above apply to every area of life and help to move me toward the ultimate goal in all my roles.

Today, I am changing my dreaded “D” words to determination, definition, and discipline. I’m determined to finish projects in a timely matter. At this juncture in my writing journey, success will not be defined by being published, but by the number of submissions I make. It's time to discipline my flexible schedule for a more rigid one.

“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

Psalm 94:19 nlt

*some phrases are direct quotes from seekerville.blogspot.com (“Albert Einstein, Wet Noodles, and Kick Butt Advice”), others are paraphrased, & some are just my thoughts