Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bonus Post - Exciting News


I'm so sorry for the lack of vlog this week. It seems I've come down with the flu and I promise you don't want to see me like this. It is pitiful.

However, after being in bed for 3 days I've finally gotten enough energy to think, and today I wanted to share some exciting news with you all - my community college success book proposal has launched!

First of all, you should know that 3 months ago I didn't even know what a query letter was, how to write a book proposal, or what a literary agent did. And today, my literary agent just sent out query letters to publishers which means my book is being "shopped" around to various publishers, and now we wait to see if anyone wants to make an offer!

It is super scary and exciting, but what strikes me most of all is that it is happening. And it just wasn't as difficult as I always made it out to be in my head. Writing a book has been a long time dream of mine. And yet it always seemed so insurmountable. It always seemed like something "other people" did...people who were more talented, more intelligent, more together. 

How many things in your life do you think are meant for other people? What excuses go through your head that tell you you're not good enough to do something like that? What have you always wanted to do but it just seemed too hard?

I'm here to tell you today that all it takes is a very simple (yet for some reason so hard for so many) change. A change of your mind. A moment where you decide that you CAN do something, and then you ACT on it. I saw many motivational speakers at the APCA conference I attended last week, and I think the reason motivational speakers are so sought after, even when the messages are often so simple, is because we so easily forget this stuff. And even when we hear it, we so often don't have the courage to act on it. 

It does take courage. It does take risk. And it takes a certain embracing of failure (see the last section of The Art of Conversation post that starts with "Failure is the only path to success"). I don't know what will happen with my book from here on out, but regardless I feel such tremendous joy knowing that I'm trying. 

I want that for you too. What have you been putting off trying to do? Or what in your life are you trying to do right now? Do you feel pride in the process? At the very least most of you are trying to get a degree. Are you enjoying yourself? Are you proud of what you've accomplished thus far? Do you believe so strongly in what you are doing that you will do whatever it takes? 

Take some time to answer these questions. Don't be afraid of the answers. And don't be afraid to change.

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