Breaking Free
We’ve all been there; at least those of us who like to expand our horizons; push the envelope; play outside our comfort zone. You go along for days, weeks, months or even years feeling comfortable in your skin, loving what you’re doing or at least feeling content. Then suddenly, nothing seems to fit. The path you’re on grows murky and you might even begin to feel like your skin is crawling off your body.
That’s when you know the time has come. You have to try something new. You have to challenge yourself and the very fabric with which you’re woven or you’ll explode. Yet, you may not have even realized there was a problem until the Universe very clearly puts an opportunity in front of you and says Do this. Do this now. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the rules of the game. You’ll figure it out. But you need to do this.
Maybe your inner voice isn’t as insistent as mine, or maybe you haven’t been knocked sideways enough times for not listening the first time. However the message comes and how quickly you respond is as unique as you are. Nevertheless, you do respond, even if you’re not entirely aware of it at first.
My latest plot twist came in the form of a job listing on one of the many freelance sites I frequent. It sounded at first like it was something I could do. It fit one of my niches and I have plenty of ideas. But then space folded in on itself and I found myself in a different galaxy entirely because it wasn’t my typical blog pitching kind of job. No, it was something far more terrifying. To make matters worse, the idea I felt compelled to pitch was slightly left of center from their normal fare.
So here I am, alternating between avidly reading articles on their site and delving into the ins and outs of pitching for a new kind of venue, or at least new to me. I know I’ll make mistakes and this one may be a total bust, but for some reason, I’m compelled to try even though it means putting time and effort into research before I even consider pushing the “send” button.
It will also mean a day or so of self pep talks to convince myself I’m not just blowing smoke up my own tuchus, thinking I can actually do this! It means stifling that voice which says: Who are you kidding? You’ve never done this before. What makes you think you have a snowball’s chance in hell of making it past the gatekeeper?
But the last couple of years have taught me something. First, I’m eventually going to have to write a query letter or pitch my fiction. Second, the absolute worst that can happen, even worse than being told I’m wasting my time or that my writing is pure crap, is to be ignored. Even hearing “no thank you” is better than receiving no response. And yet, it is a distinct possibility BUT, it is not a reflection on me personally. It simply means I didn’t meet their requirements. It does NOT mean I shouldn’t try again, maybe somewhere else, or maybe with another idea. One writer said it’s like an interview. You have to get out there, even if some of them end up being nothing more than practice for the one you really want to nail.
So this is me, practicing; doing the up-front work which will, hopefully, make me look less like a doofus to an editor. This is me, trying to learn from the mistakes of others, knowing I’ll make mistakes of my own. But it’s OK. Mistakes are simply the stepping stones we take in learning to do better. Whether it’s just living our lives as kind, compassionate people or achieving a goal on the way to our master plan. Most of us don’t get there in one fell swoop. We have to take a few baby steps, then some larger ones, and maybe at the end, a giant leap over the finish line. Of course that finish line is really just the starting line for our next goal, isn’t it?
Not Ready to Fill in the Blanks
I realize this all sounds pretty vague, but I’m not ready to dump all of my beans on the table right now. Do stay tuned as my journey follows another winding road on the way to who knows where. One thing is certain, the journey I’ve undertaken means I’ll never stop learning; never stop searching; never stop researching. Above all, it means I’ll never stop growing. And if you choose to follow, you’ll grow too. Perhaps you’ll even find your passion and toss convention aside to follow it like I did. I hope you do.
Ordinarily, I save the gratitudes for posts on my blog, Leaps of Faith but this post just lends itself to gratitude.
1. I am grateful for those nudges from the Universe that encourage me to alter my direction.
2. I am grateful for the support of like-minded individuals in Facebook groups, critique groups, Masterminds and friends and family. Without them, I would surely flounder.
3. I am grateful for the thick skin I’m developing when it comes to rejection. I know it’s part of the game I’ve decided to play so I need to learn not to take it to heart.
4. I am grateful for so many opportunities to learn and so many sources to learn from. It gives me the freedom to accept some, reject others and take only what I need and leave the rest.
5. I am grateful for abundance; love, friendship, support, encouragement, strength, vitality, successes (mine and others), cheer leaders, motivation, inspiration, health, peace, harmony, philanthropy and prosperity.
I invite you to visit my Facebook pages, Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author and HLWT Accounting. Please also and check out my Hire Me Page. I’ve created these pages as a means of positive affirmation and would be very grateful if you’d “like” them or leave a comment! Thank you!
