I've been thinking about self sabotage. As writers we fear self sabotage as much as we fear the words you-will-never-be published. We get caught up in making decisions that our hearts don't really mean or aren't our true path because we fear that thought. The thought that if we had only done x,y,z, then we would be the next James Patterson or as successful as Nora Roberts. When we take on projects that aren't connected to our true path-our soul-then we become slave to our creativity. I knew a writer who sold four to six books a year. No, she never made the NYT list and she's not a household name. Yet, she would laugh and say she is a writing whore. She'd write anything for money. It's a business. We sit down. We write. We get paid. If that makes you happy, then go for it.
But if you find yourself miserable, chasing dreams that never come, beating yourself up constantly because you didn't use the right comma or had to many repetitive words. Then I recommend you take a step back. When other people's sales make you feel little inside and less. Take a step back. Because living miserable for years because you "should never quit or change if you want to be Nora" is a form of self sabotage. Isn't it?
Life is too short and too unpredictable to do something that makes you miserable for more than a year. So, go, today and do something that makes you happy. And know that if you are happy then you aren't sabotaging anything. Cheers~
I love this post. And I fully support writing what's in your heart. That way, if you never make the NYT bestseller list, or earn any good money, or even get published, at least you're happy doing what you're doing.
ReplyDeleteLinda, that is so true. You can't control those things, but you can do what makes you happy. Cheers~
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