We’ve all heard, “Growing old is not for sissies.” Let me enlarge on that: “Writing is not for sissies.” Or, just about anything we want with our whole heart and have to work hard to get is not for the faint-hearted. We must have an inner core of firm resolve. Sort of like the avocado. Now, there’s a hard core for you. And, it’s kind of surprising that it’s there because around the core, it’s kind of squishy.
I saw an old movie a long time ago –you may have seen it too– about two boxers in a ring. They were badly out-matched. One was well-trained, muscular and confident. The other was not a professional; he was puny-looking, skinny, and scared. That’s what we saw on the outside.
The fight continued with the pro making a mockery of the other guy. At last, both boxers were tiring. The upstart boxer took a beating. Both eyes were black and swollen; his face was bleeding and he was so weary, he could barely stand on his feet, but he refused to go down. The professional boxer shook his head, disbelieving, and momentarily let his guard down. That’s when the inexperienced man landed the knock-out punch and won the match.
He had an inner core of firm resolve. He had determination, and he kept going against the odds.
Other aspirations besides writing require this hardness within us. I just use writing because I know about it. We are never defeated if we don’t give up. And, there’s something about the keeping on, even when the going is really hard, that is sort of like fuel stoking the fire. Determination grows and is strengthened by refusing defeat. And that inner core? Well, it just gets firmer with dedication. Persistence and tenacity have nowhere to go except to victory.
https://www.amazon.com/Blanche-Day-Manos/e/B0090018EI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
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