Sunday, October 14, 2012

Inspiring Dreams (Part 1)

What inspires people?  I have given some thought to inspiring other people here lately and have wondered just that.  Money?  Haha yes, of course, you usually cannot deny this.  But beyond money, I think that kind words can give someone the leg-up they need in life.  And in the words of John Cougar Mellencamp, “If you could get a leg up, you could get a leg over”. 
So what inspired me on this topic of inspiring others?  I have had multiple book signings these past two weekends and it amazes me how many interesting people I talk to at these events.  We are all so different, so diverse, and yet so much alike.  But that’s a blog for another day.  Most people are excited to meet me, get their picture taken with me, hear me talk about my book, or even tell me what they liked about it.  But what really has surprised me the most is the amount of people out there in the world with a book, story, or idea inside of them waiting to come out.  A lot of people approach me with “I always wanted to write….or to be an author….or to submit this manuscript I’ve written”.  To each and every one of these people I said “you should do it – what’s stopping you?”  Answers varied, “don’t have time” was very popular (I would then ask “why don’t you have time?”) usual answer, “well I work full-time, have kids, a spouse, etc”…(“guess what?” I would say, “I do too”)  “Really?”  “You bet!”  I work 40+ hours a week at my full time job as a nurse.  I have a house to maintain, a husband, a 19 yr old in college, a 3 year old, 2 dogs, 2 cats, an extended family, oodles of commitments, responsibilities, engagements,  lots of great close friends, a publisher (did I mention commitments), book signings (there is a ‘little bit’ of marketing time involved here, just a little, haha)….anyway, I think you get the point.  The folks on the other side of the table at the book signings soon understood that “not enough time” can be an excuse for 1 day, or maybe for 1 very busy week, but not for a lifetime.  It’s sort of like planning when to have children.  It’s never going to be the perfect time, but you go forward with it, do your best everyday, and well, enjoy every moment of it that you possibly can. 
The next reason people told me that they wanted to write, and had the desire, dream, and/or talent to be an author but didn’t do it was not knowing where to begin.  My advice on this is: you simply begin by writing.  Physically sitting down with you pen, paper and/or computer and start your story (your book, your novel, your poetry, your short  story, your memoirs – I love memoirs so much; that is definitely a blog for another day). But for now I say, just get started.  Write.
All in all, each person that approached me with questions about how to get started as a writer, I told them exactly the info they were asking me for about the writing process and the writing business, but more importantly, I told them to go forward and do it.  “Get started…It’s your dream…begin today…you can do this”.  It really is up to them now.  I believe in them, they just have to believe in themselves.  They all thanked me, left the book signing a little more inspired than when they walked in, and hopefully went home and started writing.  You see sometimes we just need to know that there is hope for our dreams and that someone else believes in us to give us the motivation to go forward and succeed.  Sometimes all you need in life is someone to give you a “leg up” in order to get a “leg over” that hurdle, doorway, or brick wall that has been in your way and holding you back.
What is your dream today?  I believe in you, and I am going to cheer you on.  Do not leave this world and allow your dream to die inside of you – get it out there.  Is there a book inside of you?  An idea?  An invention?  Sit down, work on it, bring it forth, take that first step and soon you will realize, “hey I’m doing it!” 
Imagine what would have happened if Margaret Mitchell had decided that she didn’t have enough time to write “Gone With the Wind”.  Or what if Mark Twain had decided that he just didn’t have the know-how to try and get his works published?   I can’t even think about it; it’s far too sad to think about.
Go forward with your dream, my friend, I believe in you and I know you can do it. 
All my love,