Faith is a Passionate Intuition

"All serious daring starts from within." --Eurora Welly

Remember the classic children's story, "The Little Engine That Could"? Although the tale is designed for budding minds, the message contained within is pertinent to all, young and old.

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!"

Writers often feel the strain and tug on their own internal engines. Struggling to make it over a difficult passage or pushing through a dark tunnel trusting a glimpse of illumination will soon brighten the way.

So what does that little steam engine remind us? Attitude is everything.

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." ~Frank A. Clark

When we face adversity, we yearn for sympathy and hugs. *smile* Yet what we most need is perspective. To realize that an unlined face isn't a symbol of youth but of a life not yet lived. To recognize each moment is a tiny seed bursting into bloom.

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses." ~Alphonse Karr

Few careers afford the luxury of turning those lemons into limoncello. *smile* Every tragedy, setback, and obstacle is fertilizer for the imagination. Yup. The pile of manure spread over those seeds can yield some hefty blossoms. Consider Erma Bombeck. Her hilarious anecdotes wouldn't exist if she lived a quiet, uneventful life. Other artistic careers don't profit as we can from those nagging woes. Ah, but we have the luxury of crafting heroines who struggle against the odds or defeat the dark enemy. Not because we have firsthand experience slamming a spike into a vampire's chest either. *grin* For writers, each glorious moment of personal triumph or dreaded hour of despair is a glimpse into a potential story.

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dig deep, my friends, because All Daring Starts From Within. Dare to write the passage that eludes you (even if it takes a dozen tries). Dare to edit the scene you struggle with. Dare to send off the query even if your fingers tremble with fear as you punch those keys. If you think you can, You Will.

Know what you want to accomplish, each and every day. Know what you want to accomplish five years down the line. The going will get rough, as the saying goes. To quote John Lennon, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye." ~Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818

Here's a secret successful people cling to. If you hold your destination in mind, you will arrive even if you get there from a different road. There will be detours and unexpected stops. However, intuition is a potent tool. Keep that vision in your mind and your intuition will guide you no matter what twists and turns you face.

"Faith is a passionate intuition." ~William Wordsworth

Hmmmm… I think I can, I think I can, I Think I Can!!

We're easing into Spring now, which makes this the perfect time to nurture and feed our stories, prune and revise, and prepare our minds for the harvest yet to come.

No matter what the goal is--to simply write or to get published--we need to keep a picture of our success firmly in mind. Just as we would envision how our plants would bloom, so must we visualize ourselves meeting each goal and celebrating success.

Let's Make It Happen!

Here's to a productive, inspired and successful week!

Smiles,
Chiron O'Keefe

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