Who inspires you?

          One of my favorite quotes is what Teddy Roosevelt has to say about critics.

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at his best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

          This quote reminds me that nothing of value comes easy. I must work for what I want. I may find the work fulfilling and fun. There may be times it almost seems easy, particularly after a modicum of skill and expertise is acquired. I may experience thrilling success along with the bitter defeats, but it will never be easy. An in order to be successful, I need to keep my eye on the goal, not listen to the jeering crowd.

          Another quote, this time by Anonymous, mirrors that thought.

Those who struggle reap the greatest reward, for by tackling a difficult thing, their harvest is twofold: the knowledge they acquire and the will they develop. Those for whom things come easily are the most pitiful, for they are deceived into thinking that victory is simple.

          Those words bring me great comfort these days, when I am struggling to write, struggling to maintain even the most basic schedule and consistently coming up short of the measly goal of just a few words a day. Both of these quotes remind me the important thing is to keep going, keep writing, stay in the ring and, in the words from the movie Galaxy Quest,

Never give up! Never surrender!

          As you look back over 2009, are you tempted to be discouraged? Did you falter and fail to write what or how much you’d planned? Do you cringe at the memories of wasted time? Or maybe you did write. You wrote a lot. But each time you showed it to someone, be it friend, agent or even your mother, they misunderstood it, rejected it or, worse, rejected you. If that is the case, you are that fighter in the ring, the one whose face is marred with cuts and dust, the one stumbling and falling. You are also not one of those timid souls too terrified to try.

          Don’t give up! Take a rest (short!), if you must to heal and be rejuvenated. Take a step back, if it is warranted, to reassess your dreams and goals. Stop whenever necessary to spend time planning. Just don’t give up! The only way to fail is to not try. So pick yourself up, dust yourself off and remember what Patti Berg says,

There is no right way to write and the only wrong way to write is to not write at all!