A systematic series of actions directed to
some end; a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in
a definite manner.
I heard a great message yesterday focusing on the aspect
that we spend our lives living from process to process, everything from
breathing, to working, to learning, to maturation. Yet, due to our human
nature, we tend to place our focus on the beginning and the end of our processes,
often despising the period between, mainly because of and abhorrence for
patience. However, the essence of life
happens during the process. This is
when our character, our skills, our talents, our personality, our values, our
hopes, and our desires our developed.
So, why do we despise the process so much? As best as I can tell, it’s because of our destructive
and rebellious nature. We’ve deceived ourselves into thinking that finishing the race is the prize, but the true reward lays in the fact that we ‘ran’
the race. We can set a million trophies
on our reward shelves, but if we were just given the prize without having done
the task, then the prize becomes worthless.
What good is a published book if we didn’t go through the toil of
writing, editing, submitting, marketing and struggling through the process from
conception to bookstore shelf, or eBook download? It is during
the process that we develop our gifts and abilities, that strengthen us as a
writer (or insert whatever talent you have), and gives us the skills needed to
publish many books.
I’ve seen many writers abort their dreams because they
wanted to avoid or skip the process, mostly due to impatience, or lack of
belief. Instead of going through the
toil of learning their craft, they give up, or pay someone else to do the work
for them, thereby losing the prize of completion or the value of the prize. Getting published isn’t the true treasure or
ultimate goal for a writer. It’s having
a vision (a story idea), then believing
it will be published at the moment of conception (before seeing the first word
appear on the page), and then sustain that belief as they begin the journey through
the process of transforming that vision into reality. For some, it may take months. For others, it may take years. Our dedication and obedience to the vision,
and submission to the process, most often determines the length of the journey. I personally don’t want to wander around in a
desert for forty years. I much prefer the
direct route, even if it’s fraught with danger and impossible tasks, because I’m
foolish enough to believe that if I have enough faith, nothing is
impossible.
I’m about to publish my fifth book, have ghost-written two
other published books, and helped edit four other publications by other authors,
not to mention the countless articles, reviews and blog posts already into the
ether; my bookshelf is brimming with printed accomplishments. What I value most is not the finished product,
but the process I went through to receive them. Each accomplishment has increased my faith for
the next one on the horizon, and I wouldn’t change one tear that was shed to
get here. I hope this blog post has encouraged you can do the same.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
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