The True You
Ten years of dreaming have finally become reality. I've dreamed of writing a book for ten years. I feel like it's part of my calling. I feel like my writing will influence many more people than my speaking. It probably does even now via the evotional that goes out to more than twice as many people than attend NCC.
It was sort of anti-climatic when I sent the manuscript to the publisher. It was a mouse click. But that mouse click was one small step one giant leap. I feel like it will open the floodgates and help me really fulfill this part of my calling. Now that I've tied off one umbilical cord I think I can tie off 2 or 3 next year.
In some ways it was more of a relief than anything else. It's been hanging over my head for so many years. And the internal pressure has gotten stronger and stronger with the passage of time. Unfulfilled dreams have a tendency to do that. And either you have to kill the dream to keep your sanity or you allow the pressure to prompt you to pursue the dream at all costs.
I lost alot of sleep in the last two weeks, but it was the determination not to be denied that helped me get over the hump. The day before the due date I was up till 1:30 AM and fortunately Josiah woke me up at 5:45 AM since I forget to set my alarm. I squeezed in under the deadline.
I've reset this goal so many times adjusting topics and timelines, but I think my 35th birthday coming up in a few weeks provided some natural motivation. Thirty-five isn't a bad age to begin writing. You're not as naive as you were in your twenties, but you're still on the learning curve. You've accumulated some life experience with a few more trips around the sun. I think my writing has a gravity now that can only come via the school of hard knocks. Of course, it'll have more gravity in five or ten years. But that's how dreams die. You never arrive. You're never 100% ready. You've just got to cast your bread on the water (Ecclesiastes 11).
In other words, I could edit my writing forever. But at some point you've got to close the document and quit making changes. You've got to say "That's good enough." You've got to let go.
I'm hoping the book is bound and really to go by Christmas. I'd like to give it as a personal gift to every NCCer.
It was sort of anti-climatic when I sent the manuscript to the publisher. It was a mouse click. But that mouse click was one small step one giant leap. I feel like it will open the floodgates and help me really fulfill this part of my calling. Now that I've tied off one umbilical cord I think I can tie off 2 or 3 next year.
In some ways it was more of a relief than anything else. It's been hanging over my head for so many years. And the internal pressure has gotten stronger and stronger with the passage of time. Unfulfilled dreams have a tendency to do that. And either you have to kill the dream to keep your sanity or you allow the pressure to prompt you to pursue the dream at all costs.
I lost alot of sleep in the last two weeks, but it was the determination not to be denied that helped me get over the hump. The day before the due date I was up till 1:30 AM and fortunately Josiah woke me up at 5:45 AM since I forget to set my alarm. I squeezed in under the deadline.
I've reset this goal so many times adjusting topics and timelines, but I think my 35th birthday coming up in a few weeks provided some natural motivation. Thirty-five isn't a bad age to begin writing. You're not as naive as you were in your twenties, but you're still on the learning curve. You've accumulated some life experience with a few more trips around the sun. I think my writing has a gravity now that can only come via the school of hard knocks. Of course, it'll have more gravity in five or ten years. But that's how dreams die. You never arrive. You're never 100% ready. You've just got to cast your bread on the water (Ecclesiastes 11).
In other words, I could edit my writing forever. But at some point you've got to close the document and quit making changes. You've got to say "That's good enough." You've got to let go.
I'm hoping the book is bound and really to go by Christmas. I'd like to give it as a personal gift to every NCCer.
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