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What is ambition? Do you have it? Ambition defined is: a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work (Google Online Dictionary).
Here we find that the word ambition is not just a simple word. Some of the key aspects in defining ambition are: strong desire, determination, hard work. So, according to the above definition, if we have an ambition to ‘do or achieve something,’ it requires something of us. Think about that as it pertains to our writing. Is writing just a hobby or is it something that we would like to develop into more; something like a full-time job that not only allows us to do something we love, but to also pay us good for it. Well, even having a hobby requires bouts of time and attention from us, but if we are looking to be on the bestsellers list and make lots of money writing, I believe it is a good ambition to have. Just know that ambition requires more from us than just treating our writing as a hobby. If you are like me (and many others), the desire is there, right? Even possibly a very strong desire. Desire is good, but it needs to be fed. When we are hungry, we are determined to feed ourselves, right? In the ambition to become a successful writer, our writing-desire is fed by our determination. This determination continues on through each rejection, feelings of inadequacy, writer’s block, or whatever other pitfalls come our way! Lastly, we can have all the desire and determination we want, but if we do not have the will to work hard (sometimes very, very hard), the ambition and goal of being that successful writer will con come to fruition. I’ve learned that some things come naturally: working, taking care of our children, taking care ourselves, etc., and then there are some things…some desires we have that we have to make time for. There will be long days, sleepless nights, cranky feelings, thoughts of giving up, and so on, but I truly believe if the work is put into obtaining our goals, if we have that strong ambition and will to succeed, one day it will all pay off! Strong desire, determination, and hard work = ambition. Now it’s time to make our ambition a reality. Keep writing! Keep that ambition and see it through! Sincerely, -MJ Reynolds
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Below is some information on the Spring season (Britannica - https://www.britannica.com/topic/May-Day-European-seasonal-holiday)
Spring, in climatology, season of the year between winter and summer during which temperatures gradually rise. It is generally defined in the Northern Hemisphere as extending from the vernal equinox (day and night equal in length), March 20 or 21, to the summer solstice (year’s longest day), June 21 or 22, and in the Southern Hemisphere from September 22 or 23 to December 22 or 23. The spring temperature transition from winter cold to summer heat occurs only in middle and high latitudes; near the Equator, temperatures vary little during the year. Spring is very short in the polar regions. For physical causes of the seasons, see season. To me, and probably for many that were just in the freezing weather of Winter, Spring is welcomed anew. Birds chirping, flowers blooming, leaves on the trees re-developing, the smell of fresh-cut grass, Spring showers…I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. It’s a new season. If you have put down or backed off that piece of writing you started, I want to encourage you to pick it back up and with the same energy and hope that Spring is bringing to the delight of many, you put that same energy and delight into that piece of writing and see it through! Keep writing and remember to take care of ourselves and continue being good to one another. -MJ One of the definitions of inspiration, for me, is as follows: “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative” (Google online dictionary, 2024). Another thing I like about inspiration is that it can come from different places. I definitely get inspiration from God’s word and my spiritual life with Him, but I also get inspiration in the natural. Have you ever been inspired by someone’s story of overcoming a difficult trial in their life? How about being inspired by the beautifulness of God’s creation around us? Or, when love outweighs hate and all people come together for the common good? How about being inspired by the simple, beautiful smile on another’s face?
Likewise, with writing, finding inspiration is not hard; we just have to be willing to receive the inspiration when it comes. Take, for example, Creative Inspirations. It is a publication that many have said they love and are thankful for. For me, that is inspiration to continue the publication, but more inspiration comes from getting to know different people of different writing backgrounds, different colors, races, genders, ethnicities, and nationalities. With many of the subscribers and contributors of Creative Inspirations, I have become good friends with…even many that I have not met in person. Talk about some good inspiration when hearing from someone just because they were thinking of you, and being connected through the pen, paper, and words of a poetry publication. Now, that’s inspiring! In such, I would like to first thank each and every one of you that are a part of the Creative Inspirations literary family. I thank God for you and pray that He continues blessing you and your family! Second, I want to say KEEP WRITING! Grab hold of whatever inspires you to write and never let it go. Let me encourage you to keep on being inspired to write, whether much or less, fast or slow, just stay encouraged to write, because someone out there needs to hear…is waiting to see…something you’ve written or are writing. Stay inspired, Creative Inspirations family and friends. Keep writing! Remember to take care of ourselves and continue being good to one another. -MJ “Dang it! I didn’t get it done again today!” Have you ever expressed this type of frustration when you wanted to get something done but was not successful in doing so? You thought it all out, wrote it down, and came up with a plan of execution, but for whatever reason, you did not get it done. Like me, I’m sure you have felt frustrated from time-to-time when your plans do not go exactly according to plan. It happens…life happens. Sometimes we know exactly what we want to do and then something comes along and derails it.
It is like this in the business of writing too. Some write for pleasure, some write for profession, some write for hobby. Whatever the reason, in order to get that writing project done, we have to write, right? There is no getting around that. Writers write. We find time to do so. But, in finding this time, sometimes it does not go according to plan, and sometimes the plan crumbles altogether. This is where I want to encourage you to not beat yourself up when plans don’t turn out the way you planned them. If you are not making time to write, that is an entirely different matter (see last month’s Blog for suggestions on this), but if you are making the time to do what you love, then don’t be so hard on yourself when a hiccup happens. Give yourself some grace and thank God for what you were able to get done. Maybe you aimed for getting three chapters done today – or this week – and when time came for you to get at it, something important came up that you had to take care of. Is it frustrating? Of course it is. Is it worth beating yourself up and giving up? No! Maybe instead of three chapters you were able to get at least one done. Instead of being down and angry, get back at it and learn to celebrate what you were able to do. I think we all may spend a lot of time being hard on ourselves. Let’s find some time to celebrate our accomplishments and give ourselves some grace when we can’t or do not meet our goals. Tomorrow’s another day. Take care of yourselves and happy writing! -MJ With being a writer, there are days that are good and days that are not-so-good. One of the major enemies of the writer is writer’s block. Writer’s block is often defined as a psychological issue that prevents a writer from…surprise…writing. There are some other factors that contribute to writer’s block, but for me, defeating this problem, comes to determination and execution.
I do not know where you are on your writing journey, but for me, I am not happy with my progress over the years. Lots of ideas on this and that, and the determination is there, but the execution is not. Yes, a day job is a reality in my life, but the desire to be a full-time writer pulls on the strings of my heart ever so often. Of course there are a few stories of how a now-famous writer left everything behind, endured a lot of suffering (from being barely able to take care of themselves), and wrote something magnificent and became rich and famous. I am less adventurous, and it is certainly not because I don’t believe in myself. I just do not calculate leaving a secure place to take a chance on something that is unsecure right now, especially when this much-desired change can be done in transition. The main thing in this thought is that while being secure in the current, I have to make time for the desired goal. Maybe you are like me, at a point in your life where you really want to indulge more in your writing, whether it is for fun, relaxation, hobby, or career. Whatever the desire, if the determination is there, I want to encourage you as I encourage myself, to take the next step and find a way to execute more time to writing. Maybe it is an article, a poem, a book of poems, a novel, some social media material…whatever it is, for me, it’s time to, as Rocky Balboa said, “Go for it!” For me, “Going for it!” means I and still riding the desire to write more, but I am also moving into the next gear of execution. This means finding a consistent time to write, even if it is a small amount of time to start with. If your desire to write is still alive, what will you do to begin executing to feed this hunger? Please share some of your plans (execution) here. I am sure someone will be helped with what you have to share. Thank you and happy writing! -MJ |
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