The Resilient Writer

Rejection. Writer's block. Lack of confidence. Life being a horrid, stenchy shrew. I don't believe you overcome these things simply by being tough. You do it by being resilient.

What's the difference between toughness and resilience? Toughness is brittle. Toughness digs its heels in. Toughness forgets to be thoughtful and wise. It doesn't adapt and, after a time, it breaks. Resilience is flexible. Resilience is thoughtful and adaptable and therefore, strong. It bounces back. Again, and again, and again.

To live means to be resilient. To recover from life's constant bumps and bruises. To eat that third cookie when you're already full from the first two. Oh, you'll feel those cookies and bruises, they may leave a mental or physical mark . . . but you do your best not to dwell. The past is no place for the present (unless you received a present in the past that you didn't enjoy and are presently returning).

To write (with the intent of publishing especially), means you have to build resiliency daily. Like a little elf making toy after toy. It's a skill, not just a trait you're born with (or not). We all know there is a lot of rejection in the writing world. A LOT. There's no such thing as overnight success (unlike overnight cinnamon rolls, which are delicious), and I believe the people who are ultimately successful (and success is completely subjective isn't it?), are the ones who took a breath, and actively decided to develop their resiliency.