“I do not get discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
When I type up these blog posts, I start by finding a quote that speaks to me. Initially, I don’t give the words much thought. If it sparks any personal connection – I add it to my Favorite Quotes page. In case you haven’t noticed, my blog posts are guided by the quotes that end up on my Favorite Quotes page. Why am I explaining this? Well, usually when I paste the quote into the blog post, I have to ponder for awhile and sort through various personal experiences to find the one that gets the point across most clearly. Sometimes I have a hard time associating a personal story to the quote.
But this quote… “I do not get discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” This quote excites my brain. I can think of a hundred examples of personal failure. And I can see how each experience made me choose between giving up or moving forward. I’m proud to say that most of my life, I’ve pushed on and not let my mistakes hold me down.
Book cover for "Live Life For A Living" by Lynnette Rozine Prock
The most recent battle with discouragement comes from the editing of my book “Live Life For A Living“. I started writing this book about a year ago. It’s not a very long book. It’s not filled with tedious facts or complicated formulas. It’s an inspirational guide similar to these blog posts. I didn’t find it difficult to write at all. Writing it was the easy part. My discouragement came from making it all flow together. I had pages and pages of very inspirational stories. They didn’t really go together. It was frustrating trying to figure out how to organize everything. I also struggled with making my advice generic enough to reach many people, yet precise enough to be applicable.
Then my editors had their turn at picking it apart. Just when I thought I would get it back with minor adjustments, I learn that it still needed quite a bit more work. Their insights were invaluable. They saw what I couldn’t see and their suggestions have helped me make a very brilliant inspirational guide to turning dreams into realities. But internally, I thought it was done and ready. I was ready to move on. I started to feel doubt about the book’s success. I wondered if it would ever be ready to publish.
It’s hard to move forward when you reach a roadblock like this. In the mind, it looks so impenetrable. What I discovered was that it’s only an illusion. I learned that all I had to do was try. I simply had to move forward and the problems went away. The brick wall in my mind that was holding me back from finishing this book, was made out of vapor. I could go right through it, if only I just took that first step.
“Live Life For A Living” has been through about eight revisions. Each revision is in essence a “wrong attempt”. The book was just not quite right, yet. Every revision was another step forward. I now have a book that I am absolutely proud to share with the world. I have complete confidence that my stories flow, make sense and will inspire people to make great changes in their lives.
What examples can you share about moments when you felt discouraged? Do you remember triumphant experiences when you were able to get passed the initial frustration? Where did it take you from there? Share your stories here or on the Facebook fan page. We could all learn from your experiences.