Passion + Sacrifice = Reward

My family loves water skiing, but last summer our sad little boat had to be towed off the water. My super mechanical hubby fixed it this summer, and we were ready to spend a week at the lake cutting the wake and baking in the sun.

But wait.

Fifteen-year-old-football-playing-uber-dedicated-son said, "Mom, I really want to wakeboard, but I can't spend a week at the lake." *gasp* "I'd miss football practice, and I don't want any of those guys getting better than me."

Um, ok. I tried reminding him that hey, it's "only" high school football, and it's "only" a few missed practices (I know, I know, that's terrible). But no. He's passionate about football, and he's willing to sacrifice a week of wake-boarding for the reward of a starting position on the gridiron.

Just when you think you know it all, a 15-year-old football playing sophomore teaches you a thing or two. I had to take a step back and truly admire his fierce commitment to the game and to his team. It reminded me that if we're dedicated, focused, and passionate about what we love, we'll also reap rewards.

Passion

My son not only goes to each practice, but he practices after practice. He shows up early and runs. His asks my hubby to throw the ball for him because he knows "stone hands" is one of his weaknesses.

Just like if we're writing, or thinking about writing, or plotting in our head while we're driving, or setting aside the bank statement to scribble notes about character, we're passionate about what we're doing.

Sacrifice

In the Big Thing called Life, giving up lake time isn't such a big deal. But for a 15-year-old, it's huge. Same with missing social events because of practice.

As writers, if we're spending every spare moment writing, if we're sacrificing brain cells, or sanity, or family time, or friend time, or *gasp* TV time, we want that sacrifice to pay off. And it will. 

Reward

Before last year, my son had never played football. Ever. By the time the season began, he started every game. The coaches played him on offense and defense. His determination and winning attitude made him valuable.

Some writers receive a quick burst of reward. For others it's slow and steady. Each of our writing milestones, no matter how small, are rewards and worth celebrating. The positive comment on a critique, the acceptance by an online ezine, the requests for fulls and partials, and good golly, representation by an agent or acceptance by an editor, or self-pubbing and having loyal and engaged readers. These are all rewards which make the passion and sacrifice SO worth it.

I'm thankful my son has taught me yet another lesson: Give it all you've got, be willing to sacrifice, and reward will follow.

If you have kids, are they super passionate about something? Does their passion sometimes get in the way of what you want to do? And do you celebrate each writing milestone, knowing your passion and sacrifice paid off? 

Passion + Commitment = #Winning

One day I was channel surfing and came across a show called "Scouted." The New York Times describes Scouted as a human treasure hunt that "...focuses on regional scouts who look for girls at malls and track meets and anywhere else the could-be-beautiful young people congregate."

I got sucked in to watching this show where scouts pluck girls from obscurity and decide whether or not to sign them with a modeling agency. And hidden deep within the photo shoots, heavy make-up, and hair-blowing-in-the-wind, was an important lesson.

The episode I watched pitted two would-be-models against each other. Let's call one Pouty Edgy Girl (PEG), and let's call the other girl The Other Girl (TOG).

Pouty Edgy Girl was a natural. Her photo shoot was perfect. She nailed every pose, and the photographer loved her. She had a pouty attitude and edge, and the scouts and agents cheered her on. But PEG wasn't sure modeling was her dream. Her uncertainty and lack of passion shone through.

The Other Girl wasn't a natural. Her walk was clunky. Her poses lacked confidence. The scouts and agents shook their heads with worry. But for TOG, modeling was her dream. She was passionate, determined, willing to improve, and considered herself "blessed" to have this opportunity.

You probably know where this is headed, right? You guessed it. Pouty Edgy Girl was not signed. The agents loved her, but they weren't willing to take a chance on a model who lacked passion and commitment. The Other Girl's winning attitude caused the agency to want to work with her and shape her career.

It was another reminder that all the stars can be lined up...talent, luck, connections. But if we lack passion for our work, and the commitment to see it through to the end, whatever that end may be, we're missing the winning ingredients.

I found a quote by an unknown author that sums this up perfectly. "When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible."

Pouty Edgy Girl was an artist, and art was her passion. She'll be just fine. As for The Other Girl, we might see her on the cover of a magazine some day.

What are your thoughts on passion and commitment? Are there days when you're lacking one or both? How do you get it back?

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Passion vs. Obsession

Passion is universal humanity. Without it religion, history, romance and art would be useless. ~Honoré de Balzac

'Mad' is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else. ~Ugo Betti

When I think of obsession, I imagine Glenn Close boiling a bunny on the stove. She thinks of Michael Douglas every waking moment, and her life has lost all joy.

It's safe to say that most of us don't write for the money. We write because we love it and we're passionate about it. Sometimes I feel myself slipping from passionate to obsessive.

For me, it's important to remember why I write. When slipping from passion to obsession, it's important to hang on to the joy.

What's your opinion on passion vs. obsession?

Follow your passion, and success will follow you. ~Terri Guillemets

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