Monday, July 14, 2008

Do you feel overwhelmed?

I have had a number of students go through my writing career coach course and one thing I hear most often from them at the beginning is "What do I do now?" or "There is so much to think about."

Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever look at your writing dream and think that it is impossible. Maybe you've received your first contract and you look at the marketing and everything else and you realize 'Wow, writing the book was the easy part.'

Don't get discouraged. Everyone has something to overcome.

I was over at Sharon Lavy's blog today. She was kind enough to announce my upcoming internship program and I wanted to go thank her. Instead I was stopped by the photograph of a strange dog. Now THAT pooch had something to overcome. After I looked at that story I decided that instead of writing the blog I'd planned I'd write a "Tough Love" blog.

So here it is. Read the WHOLE thing...[now that you hear it is tough love I can already hear the mouse clicks on the little red x]

The time for whining and fussing over how hard it is has come to an END! You've grown soft in your complacency. You sit there talking about how everything is too hard and how you can't do it. Do you want to be a writer or not. Are you willing to go on a little less sleep and watch a little less TV to see your dream realized. Or would you rather tell all those people who know about your writing dream "Oh yeah, I tried that but it's too hard." Are you willing to sit where you are, on the verge of realizing your dream and give up because you have to dig a little deeper? Of course you have to dig deeper. Do you see the Olympians fussing?? No, they run out on the floor to do gymnastics barely able to hold themselves together with sports tape.

Do you see pro-ball players whining about being hit again and again. What about that quarterback that got sacked on every play for 4 straight plays? All he wants to do is throw the ball down field and every time he tries this mob of guys keeps smashing in to him. Now he's limping off the field.

Do you ever consider that maybe you just need to toughen up a bit, quit whining and start moving forward. Look at EVERYTHING you've overcome! Look at how HARD it was to get to where you are today! Look at how much it almost destroyed you!

But it didn't. So get up, quit being lazy and pursue your dream. Because if you don't start working for it, I'm not willing to listen to you whine about it anymore.

And that my friends is the tough love I gave myself 3 weeks ago, right before I turned my writing business around. Don't you think it is about time that you got tough with yourself. You are the only one who can TRULY be honest with yourself...and the only one who can TRULY fool yourself.

You and your dream are worth the little extra effort.

And can you help me with ONE things. If you read this in your mailbox [subscribers get it delivered via feedblitz will you please read THIS blog posting on the blog. Go to the blog. My numbers are increasing and I want to know how many of you are actually reading it in your email so I know how many of you out there are new. Thanks SO much!!

I'll see you tomorrow. I have deadlines to meet-with myself.

Your Coach for the Journey, Tiffany Colter.

11 comments:

Dianne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I almost unsubscribed to this blog in my reader this morning. Nothing negative, just trying to being discerning - focused more on writing than reading about writing!

Then you posted this. After I took off work a few weeks ago to do nothing but write for a week - well, write, but really - refocus, asking myself questions like "how can I make this happen?" So a timely post.

And if you want people to visit your blog, in your Blogger settings, on the Site Feed tab, change the Blog Feed from Full to Short - so people will be prompted to visit your blog for the full scoop.

Tracy Ruckman said...

Wooo-hooo! Amen!! I love the pep talk - and it's SOOO right! I gave one to myself a few weeks ago, too! And it's working!

I'm three chapters into my latest WIP, and working on rewrites of one already completed.

Anonymous said...

Hey there Tiff,
God gives us just what we need and He's always right on time! Love it that He often uses our brothers and sisters to kick us in the pants.
Girl, you read my mind!
Love,
Carol

Story and Logic Media Group said...

I read all the emails Tiff. For me your blog is always a great pep-talk~~ something I need daily.

Dona Watson said...

Thanks, Tiff! I really needed this.

(I'm keeping it short and sweet because...I've got writing to do!) :-)

kc said...

I am one of your Feedblitz subscribers. And I'm not sure whether to feel encouraged or beat up. As usual, you're right, and I hope you get a great response.
Thanks a lot. I know when I achieve some of my goals, I will owe it in part to you.
God bless,
Karri

Anonymous said...

Excellent.

Anonymous said...

Thanks my dear for the reminder....almost sound like my mom

Anonymous said...

Just returning from Montana where my family needed help. Mom is very weak and frail. Have to trust God.
This is a great blog Tiffany. So true too. We all have circumstances that keep us from moving forward.
Never be afraid to share your heart. We all need to sometimes wake up and keep going if the story is planted by God.
Tough Love is a good thing is it is done in the love of Jesus!
Hugs in Jesus,
Paulette Harris

Anonymous said...

The dead sea just below Jericho is very salty, you cannot risk splashing it in your eyes, the bottom is black sand and black mud, rick in minerals. It is a great treat to float in it, because it makes you tingle all over, you feel cleansed physically and a bit spiritually too. The by products of this amazing Sea Of Life as the Jews prefer to call it put into mud packs, soap, face pakcs, hand and foot cream and is a meaningful part of the Israeli economy, sadly the level has sunk 10cm a year since 1910 and it is still dropping, but it is very deep and could be topped up from the Mediterranean.