Monday, June 24, 2013

A Precarious Position or an Opportunity for Adventure?

Sometimes following a dream may feel precarious.  We might feel overwhelmed by the scope of it.  Scared, even.  Is it worth years and years of pursuit?  Is there any guaranteed payoff in the end?
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Fair questions.  Reasonable feelings.
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But I've been having this thought lately ...
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The time will pass anyway.
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It took me nine years of really working - nearly every day - to reach publication.  This next book will come out three years after the first.  
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But the truth is - that time was going to pass anyway.  I was going to have the same 45th (yes, it's true..yikes!) birthday this summer regardless if I spent the past twelve years organizing my tupperware cupboard, focusing on my day job or pursuing my dream of being a published author.
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So - here's my thought for those of you (including myself at times) out there wondering if it is worth the personal investment...the time will pass all the same - why not go for it?  Why not be 60 or 70 or 80 and think "I finally did it" instead of "I wish I would have..." ???
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love. This. Post.

I just celebrated my 47th on Friday, so your post really speaks to me. Thanks, Tess.

Tess said...

Thanks for stopping by, Linda. Maybe it is where we are at in life that makes us realize this, yes? Not sure I would have had the same thought twenty years ago...

Wendy Paine Miller said...

Hi Tess,

So cool to see your post come up in my feedly.

I think both of our most recent posts are linked--time and how it doesn't own us.

Anyway, congratulations on your continued pursuit of publication and your success!

dellgirl said...

Hi, Tess. This is a very enjoyable post. I love it! It's awesome and inspirational stuff you have here! Thanks for sharing this.

I dropped by to say Hello and see how you’re doing. I hope you are okay and all is well with you. Have a great weekend!

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

Wonderful post. We have big things happening at our house. We are trying to help our daughter pick out a University to go to, plus back up plans...She is so worried about making the wrong choice that she is having trouble making any choice. She reminded me that my college choice and my hubbies choice allowed us to meet and have the lives we do, but if we had chosen different schools our whole lives would be different. Such a big decision.

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Wonderful thoughts, yes! I have a lot of different goals in publishing, and I'm slowly pursuing them. It feels like a snail's pace, but reading your post reminds me I could easily just NOT be doing any of it and the time would still pass to get me nowhere instead of somewhere.

Tess said...

Wendy: how have you been old blogging friend? and, yes - we have been thinking along the same lines I think.

dellgirl: how are the grandkids? so glad you came by to say hello

Sharon: it IS a big decision...but she has a good mom to help her make it :)

Glam: Exactly! And I disagree with the snail pace ... you are so prolific!

Crystal said...

Tess, you are so right! Like Linda, I KNOW this post speaks to me, too.

I'm just getting back into writing . . . kind of lost confidence plus had a lot of changes (moving from one state to another, getting kids adjusted, finding work, etc).... But I still have the goal (dream) of finishing my MG novel. . . . I do so hate the thought of being 60 or 70 and saying "what if?"

THANKS for this push, my friend!

Tess said...

Crystal: life gets in the way sometimes - but hang in there and keep at it....I've read your work and it is really good - you have it in you when you, no question.