It's been a minute since my last post - apologies for that. It's been an uncharacteristic month for me as well. I've been dished out more losses than wins, with my mountain-high level confidence been razed to a level of a soccer pitch. And yet? Yet - I keep digging.
Why? Hope. That's right - hope.
Hope for a brighter day, hope for another win with a grip of more hard work, hope that you're closer to your goal than when you started, and some much more. To me it's a fascinating portion of the human condition. I've observed in the absence of all else (seemingly insurmountable odds, lack of resources, for examples) but if you still have hope, then you can continue through the desperate of situations.
I could rattle off a litany of situations from my perspective that was desperate but comparatively speaking they weren't that dire. Just seemed like it. And for now, too.
Someone once told me the "grass is greener on the other side", and of course, a realist retorted, "but once you get there it's been sprayed with pesticide, and the other side is now greener". The classic debate of optimism and hope versus the reality met. Right?
I chuckled because on the day and what's happening, I would be quoting either one! Recently I received an automated email that gave me a little more hope. You see, despite my busy schedule, I am still hopeful of editing my published book Napkin Nights: The Crunk Chronicles. I wanted to sell it on Amazon, Google, and more, but the book format I chose is not compatible to those channels. Though, pleasing to look at, they won't assign it with an ISBN until it's a standardized book size.
Awesome, I thought sarcastically.
So if I'm wanting to sell on Amazon, then I'll have to reformat the book, right? Boom shakalaka boom! Well, knowing that I've wanted to revise and re-edit the book, I might as well edit first. Then re-evaluate the page count in a standard format.
I've been stuck on this for years ... I do mean years. Remember that automated email? I was scrolling through my emails. Lulu Press Inc via Paypal sent me an email with the subject line, "Lulu Revenues". That means I've sold a copy of my book. But it's been well over a year since I've sold my book to a friend, co-worker, family, bribing, etc, so I thought it was a mistake. I read the email, and sure enough after double-checking my Lulu orders made I did earn money. Not only did I sell one book, but two copies of it in August to unknown buyers. So it sold on it's own merits, not because I talked it up to someone recently.
Then there was that ah-ha, light bulb moment - there's still hope for this project.
My thoughts rolled over to this blog, in fact. I was chatting about it at a birthday party for a friend to a person I've never met. I remarked that 90% of my audience is passive, but definitely engaged and reading. She asked how did I know. Valid question and I answered that I received this feedback face-to-face. That one reader told me, when I post I must have a sixth sense because my timing is impeccable and the subject matter is relevant to what he's experiencing.
Another reader told me at different birthday party (his wife's) in another city and state, that he loves reading my posts, and encouraged me to keep writing. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they're poignant, and others are inspiring.
A new hope, perhaps? Hope for me, hope for you.
Perhaps the grass isn't greener on the other side. Maybe the grass is green is wherever you put the water of hope. So hopefully, I've been watering the right side this entire time. Insert a smirk here.
This has been my C Note.
'los; out
Why? Hope. That's right - hope.
Hope for a brighter day, hope for another win with a grip of more hard work, hope that you're closer to your goal than when you started, and some much more. To me it's a fascinating portion of the human condition. I've observed in the absence of all else (seemingly insurmountable odds, lack of resources, for examples) but if you still have hope, then you can continue through the desperate of situations.
I could rattle off a litany of situations from my perspective that was desperate but comparatively speaking they weren't that dire. Just seemed like it. And for now, too.
Someone once told me the "grass is greener on the other side", and of course, a realist retorted, "but once you get there it's been sprayed with pesticide, and the other side is now greener". The classic debate of optimism and hope versus the reality met. Right?
I chuckled because on the day and what's happening, I would be quoting either one! Recently I received an automated email that gave me a little more hope. You see, despite my busy schedule, I am still hopeful of editing my published book Napkin Nights: The Crunk Chronicles. I wanted to sell it on Amazon, Google, and more, but the book format I chose is not compatible to those channels. Though, pleasing to look at, they won't assign it with an ISBN until it's a standardized book size.
Awesome, I thought sarcastically.
So if I'm wanting to sell on Amazon, then I'll have to reformat the book, right? Boom shakalaka boom! Well, knowing that I've wanted to revise and re-edit the book, I might as well edit first. Then re-evaluate the page count in a standard format.
I've been stuck on this for years ... I do mean years. Remember that automated email? I was scrolling through my emails. Lulu Press Inc via Paypal sent me an email with the subject line, "Lulu Revenues". That means I've sold a copy of my book. But it's been well over a year since I've sold my book to a friend, co-worker, family, bribing, etc, so I thought it was a mistake. I read the email, and sure enough after double-checking my Lulu orders made I did earn money. Not only did I sell one book, but two copies of it in August to unknown buyers. So it sold on it's own merits, not because I talked it up to someone recently.
Then there was that ah-ha, light bulb moment - there's still hope for this project.
My thoughts rolled over to this blog, in fact. I was chatting about it at a birthday party for a friend to a person I've never met. I remarked that 90% of my audience is passive, but definitely engaged and reading. She asked how did I know. Valid question and I answered that I received this feedback face-to-face. That one reader told me, when I post I must have a sixth sense because my timing is impeccable and the subject matter is relevant to what he's experiencing.
Another reader told me at different birthday party (his wife's) in another city and state, that he loves reading my posts, and encouraged me to keep writing. Sometimes they are funny, sometimes they're poignant, and others are inspiring.
A new hope, perhaps? Hope for me, hope for you.
Perhaps the grass isn't greener on the other side. Maybe the grass is green is wherever you put the water of hope. So hopefully, I've been watering the right side this entire time. Insert a smirk here.
This has been my C Note.
'los; out
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