Monday 19 November 2012

Just Ask 'How'?

Imagine getting a chance to wave a magic wand to create your future. What would this future look like? Who would you be, what are you doing? Are you working at your dream job? Cranking out bestsellers? Starring in award-winning movies? Owning a chain of businesses? Putting criminals away? Saving lives? Teaching young minds? Raising responsible children?

Okay, now that you’ve got an image of your future self, I want you to ask one very important question.  How am I going to achieve this awesome future? That’s it. Chances are, some of us don’t even know where to begin. I’m betting an education comes into play here. You’ve got to get your hands dirty, grimy, yucky. Whether it’s how to write bestsellers, how to act, how to practice law, how to run a business, or how to teach, we all need to start somewhere. I had no idea whatsoever how to write a novel when I decided I wanted to be a bestselling author someday. None. Zero. Zip. Then I opened up a college course program to the page, How to Write a Novel, and jumped at the chance to learn this skill. That was seventeen years ago. BTW—I’m still shooting for the bestseller list, but I’m much more prepared than I was back then!
The point is, I just asked ‘How’? How do I go about writing a book worthy of getting on the bestseller list? When I asked that, it seemed that the Universe conspired with me to get me on the right path, and give me what I had asked for. Don’t get me wrong, the road to finally seeing my first book, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis in print has had many a pothole and detour, but I followed through, and got back on course each time. I became proactive in my quest, figured out what I needed to do, and just did it.

And you can too. Victory can become yours if you listen to your heart and embrace your purpose. All you need to do is just ask ‘how’? Then go for gold.

9 comments:

  1. Great blog post, Sharon. Many people say they will do something. Few think about the path that would lead them in that direction. How? is a great question to ask.

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    1. It's amazing how many people talk about doing something they've wanted to do, but never act on it. Being proactive is the only way to make your dreams come true.

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  2. Loved this blog post Sharon. I know how hard it is to finish your first book. It took me three year! That's one book that hasn't seen the light of day, but I do often wonder if I should drag it back out and re-write it. The sense of achievement in actually finishing it was empowering. I was able to say "I wrote a book". The knowledge that I could gave me a lot of confidence that I could do another one and a lot faster the next time.

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    1. Hey, Rowena, congrats on finishing your novel. It does feel very satisfying! Wishing you all the best with your dreams and plans, and thank you for surfing by. Cheers!

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  3. A question a long-time friend of mine often asks is, "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer is one bite at a time. Tasks can seem overwhelming when looked at as a whole, but the trick is to parcel them out into manageable pieces and tackle those pieces one at a time.

    Thanks for the post, Sharon! Well said!

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  4. Thanks, Lisa! Alan - love your sage advice! It's like the old saying, 'A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step." Cheers to you both!

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  5. I love your no nonsense approach to life. This nugget is gold. :-)

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    1. And so are peeps like you, Amaleen! High fives for stopping by!

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