A recent episode of Castle had a long list of things, well, going wrong. One character felt it was a sign, that what they were doing wasn't meant to be. But another quickly stepped up and said quite the opposite. That it means what they're doing is worth fighting for. That the other person wasn't looking at it in the right light.
Instantly I was reminded of another episode, this one from Babylon 5. The poor guy had earned the name "Jynxo". Why? Well, he had worked on every Babylon station, and every time he left, something bad happened to the station. The first three were destroyed soon after he left during construction, the 4th vanished altogether once it was completed. So he and others were convinced if he ever left Babylon 5, it too would go boom.
When explaining this to another person, the man said simply, "I think they gave you the wrong nick-name. They should have called you 'lucky'. To have avoided disaster so many times."
Jynxo replied, "I never thought of it that way."
"We never do."
Now think about that for a second. How often do we look for the signs against, for the negative trend? I bet you'll find the man is right. We never think of it as something other than a reason to stop, or fear.
Not sure we can blame ourselves. Life has a way of throwing its worst at us. We find a wall, and every time we get close to get past it, the wall grows bigger, thicker, wider, whatever, to keep us at bay. Not sure I can blame anyone for turning around after the tenth time almost doing it, only to be turned aside.
Yet, one line won't go away. It's from that famous professor, you know, "The Last Lecture" guy. He said something in that lecture that stuck with me. "The walls are there to test how much we want things."
I've faced a lot of walls in my journey to publication. If my Kickstarter fails, I'll have a massive one to face. Yet, none of them have stopped me yet. I want it too much. And I don't see it as a sign to give up. I see it a reason to keep fighting. For one thing, it's a story on its own-right. A tale to tell friends and family I don't yet have about the things I faced.
But a reason to stop? I've thought about it. There have been times I don't want to keep on fighting. They don't last long. The period of writer's block will inevitably fade, one way or another.
So I would say this; the next time you're facing wall after wall, ask yourself how much you want it. Actually, first ask yourself how you're looking at it. Would you call yourself "Lucky", or "Jynxo"? Why?
The answers might lead you down a road to renewed vigor, and the will to keep going anyway.
Instantly I was reminded of another episode, this one from Babylon 5. The poor guy had earned the name "Jynxo". Why? Well, he had worked on every Babylon station, and every time he left, something bad happened to the station. The first three were destroyed soon after he left during construction, the 4th vanished altogether once it was completed. So he and others were convinced if he ever left Babylon 5, it too would go boom.
When explaining this to another person, the man said simply, "I think they gave you the wrong nick-name. They should have called you 'lucky'. To have avoided disaster so many times."
Jynxo replied, "I never thought of it that way."
"We never do."
Now think about that for a second. How often do we look for the signs against, for the negative trend? I bet you'll find the man is right. We never think of it as something other than a reason to stop, or fear.
Not sure we can blame ourselves. Life has a way of throwing its worst at us. We find a wall, and every time we get close to get past it, the wall grows bigger, thicker, wider, whatever, to keep us at bay. Not sure I can blame anyone for turning around after the tenth time almost doing it, only to be turned aside.
Yet, one line won't go away. It's from that famous professor, you know, "The Last Lecture" guy. He said something in that lecture that stuck with me. "The walls are there to test how much we want things."
I've faced a lot of walls in my journey to publication. If my Kickstarter fails, I'll have a massive one to face. Yet, none of them have stopped me yet. I want it too much. And I don't see it as a sign to give up. I see it a reason to keep fighting. For one thing, it's a story on its own-right. A tale to tell friends and family I don't yet have about the things I faced.
But a reason to stop? I've thought about it. There have been times I don't want to keep on fighting. They don't last long. The period of writer's block will inevitably fade, one way or another.
So I would say this; the next time you're facing wall after wall, ask yourself how much you want it. Actually, first ask yourself how you're looking at it. Would you call yourself "Lucky", or "Jynxo"? Why?
The answers might lead you down a road to renewed vigor, and the will to keep going anyway.
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