Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
-Oprah Winfrey
-Oprah Winfrey
The publishing industry, like the other entertainment industries, is not for the weak. There are so many people trying to break in, so much networking, so subjective, and so many timing/place/luck factors that it feels like there is a thousand-foot brick wall directly past the gate. Then you have to figure out how to get to the other side. Climb? Tunnel? Barrel through? And by the grace of God you make it only to find another wall on the other side. How many more are there? It's impossible to tell. There is a different number of walls for each person. It's daunting and uncertain, and that's where inner strength truly comes in.
You can worry about how many walls you have left or you can focus on conquering the wall directly in front of you. One wall at a time. That is where I choose to focus my attention. If I can climb over one wall, then I can climb over them all. Throw me another one; I have the strength, stamina, and stubbornness to climb it!
Strength does not come from winning.
Your struggles develop your strengths.
When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender,
that is strength.
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
Your struggles develop your strengths.
When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender,
that is strength.
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
I loved this post! Very inspiring. All we can do is get over each wall at a time.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you, and I hope you're enjoying the Challenge!
KarenG
A to Z Challenge Host
I agree with Oprah, with struggle there is not strength. I hate change and struggle, but my growing times happen more during change and struggle.
ReplyDeleteI like this sentence the best of yours, "One wall at a time".
Great post, Michael.
Teresa
Nice sentiments. I also agree with tackling one wall at a time. I'm a bit of an optimist; I never worry about a problem I've not encountered yet. I'm one for crossing bridges when I come to them.
ReplyDeleteBut I think, as a writer, my biggest problem isn't climbing over the walls, it's finding the courage to face them in the first place.
This post about inner strength being out of your comfort zone reminded me of the day of my husband's funeral. My three children who are all adults took me aside and asked "How are we going to get through this?" I promptly replied
ReplyDelete"In life your dad was proud of you" Now he has passed on , as we walk behind him in church hold your head high and be proud of him". Sounding much stronger than I felt, well we all did what I said and they thanked me afterwards.
Inner strength comes when you least expect it.
Yvonne.
I loved that quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Inner Strength. It is what will see us through in our struggles to be published and to simply endure the Human race. I'm a new follower. Have a great time of it today, Roland
ReplyDeleteOne wall at a time is how I've tackled it. And even once you break through what you think is the final wall, there are more. (Not to scare anyone!)
ReplyDeleteLove the quote at the end. Great post, and very timely for me.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to your challenge run…
--Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
Hi Micheal! I just discovered your blog through the A-Z and I'm so glad I did. I love this post and really needed to read it tonight, especially about conquering the one wall in front of you. Sometimes it is easy to get bogged down with how many walls are left. Also saw your Gwendolyn post and wanted to say congratulations on your new baby girl!!
ReplyDeleteGreat to meet you. :)