The bible has a verse that mentions, “Let another praise you, and not your own lips.”
I tooted my own horn a tad bit last week about having hit my writing goals these last few weeks, and then on Monday… a scheduled writing day… I piled up like a ten year old kid, on his bike, when his sprocket bearing seizes up. (That was me, I was the ten year old. Yep, found the blacktop!)
I think I found my current physical limit.
Needless to say, I apologize for missing my, self imposed, 1pm on Thursday, deadline.
You’ll be seeing this sometime on Saturday I reckon.
A few thoughts about success came to mind when I missed my scheduled writing time due to this pesky thing that keeps popping up called… sleep.
I was gassed.
First… where do these “online influencers” get the energy and time to be posting articles and videos ALL day?
One guy posts at 4:30am on the regular during his workout. (I used to get up at 4am, got a lot done with my day… now I’m just getting done at 4a.m.)
I’m too busy doing stuff right now to be able to post, or submit for pay, more than I am. I’m looking at it but sleep… IS… biological. Sooner or later you just nod off. (That was me, I nodded off.)
But getting stronger, finding more energy, is the simple question to answer.
Secondly… the one I’m pondering on. The one a bit deeper. The one a bit less simple.
“Who cares?”
Back when I was suffering through depression, this question was a staple of my negative thinking pattern.
Boom! And down the tubes I’d go.
Today, I asked myself, “Would it matter if I missed this week?”
“Who cares?” Then becomes, not a question that leads a person to think about ending their existence… it then becomes one of…
“Why am I doing this?”
“Why do I care?”
“Why does this endeavor… writing; starting a business; painting; woodworking; just going to work;…
… matter to me?”
I was going about my merry way when a friend asked, “Have you gotten any comments yet?”
I answered, “No, but it really isn’t about that.”
That was true… then.
Now… after he started commenting, others have also.
Not a lot.
He questioned it as a way to see if I was getting better at writing.
The few comments I have received, from individuals using words like… “I’m going to use this now Dave,” or “your writing resonates with me,” make me feel like… I now have a responsibility to keep writing.
With those comments I now agree with him, comments help make me better. Just like tossing spaghetti noodles at the kitchen wall… it lets you know it’s done/good the instant it sticks.
What if what I wrote… helped somebody?
Selfishly… once I discovered writing I saw that I could continue to do it as long as I am healthy enough, at any age, to do it. Think…62 and beyond.
Cause lets face it… I’m uneducated; I’m categorized as unskilled labor; and trying to start up on a new career path, that requires time to garner specific physical skills… well, the clock is half past for me now, and Father Time is still undefeated as far as I know.
But a second career path that actually thrives on one having plenty experience; stories; and life lessons… with no real barriers to entry… that still takes time to master the skills but doesn’t wear the body down to just a nubbin… one where if you are a tenacious little bugger you don’t even need a publishing company, cuz’ you can “just learn to do it yourself”…
Now that… I can sink my teeth into.
The question then of, “Why am I doing this?” has to be answered then with…
For me. I do this for me.
Selfishly? Certainly at first. I discovered writing is a great therapeutic tool for me.
Arrogantly? A little at first. “I’m gonna write books, put em’ on Amazon, and be world wide baby!!”
Or as an old friend asked me, “Make any money at it yet?”
Nah.
But all the success lingo, books, videos, talks, conferences, and what not… all say to, “find the thing that makes you happy, do that, and let the money fall where it may.”
And with all that put aside… all the ballyhoo swept up… with the rig-a-morall all wringed out, it comes down to this then…
I couldn’t get my noodles to stick Thursday, I over cooked em’ by an hour on Friday… but at approx 1:08am on Saturday… I got er’ done.
And the only reason I need is… “I said I would do it weekly.”
BUT… if you get something out of it… Praise God!
Well, that was thought provoking…..why do any of us do what we do? If we do all to the Glory of God cause that is why He made us the way we are, i.e. carpenter, teacher, Dad, friend, etc, it is all good. When you are a Dad and you see your kid putting in the time, effort and consistency to become someone solid and good you feel like poppin your buttons, “Did you see that? That’s my kid!” God our Father looks at us the exact same way, “Did you see what Dave wrote this week?, That’s my kid!”