Motivational Quote #22

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step."- Martin Luther King Jr.

I saw this quote and just had to use it for today. But first, a story.

Last week my youngest daughter won tickets to see Disney on Ice at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. The tickets arrived in the mail this week and they could only be used for one of two performances: Thursday, February 19th or Friday, February 20th.

The girls are on school vacation this week, so that worked out well. But, I hate driving into Boston and my husband was working, so either I had to take the girls or we wouldn't go.

Actually, when I say I hate driving into Boston, I actually mean I don't like driving alone anywhere, but especially not to a big city. I'm happy in my little suburb where the worst trouble I can get into is getting lost in the woods behind our house--which I've done, in case you were wondering. The hubby thought it would be a great idea for me to take the T (commuter rail) into Boston, but again, it's not something I really like doing and I had worked myself up into such a fit by last night that I figured I would just find something around here to do with the girls today...even after my son's fiancee agreed to come with us.

Well, I did it. It really wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. I drove to the Riverside Station, we took the T to the North Station--which is where the TD Banknorth Garden is--watched a great show, spent a bit too much money, stopped for lunch on our way back, and made it home in one piece. I'm exhausted, but I did it.

This story works really well with Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote. I had determined without giving too many valid reasons that I just couldn't make it to Boston and back with the girls. No matter how many times my husband told me how easy it was, I put up every fence to avoid going. And when he provided a solution to a problem I had stated: provided me with a link and directions to the Riverside Station, gave me his Charlie Card for the T, had his friends from work tell me exactly what I needed to do and how to get to and from where I needed to go, I still came up with every excuse as to why I couldn't do it.

But I could...and I did!

Writing is the same way. Too often we convince ourselves that we don't have what it takes. We don't try because then we can't fail. There are classes we can take to hone skills that might be lacking, there are tons of websites for aspiring authors, and there are so many published authors offering to help those of us who haven't quite made it yet, there's really no reason we can't try. But we have it in our minds that we can't.

What is your trip to Boston? What is it that stops you from working toward fulfilling your dreams of becoming a published author? What excuses do you use so that you don't have to try?

As King says, you don't have to see the whole picture to get started, all you have to do is take that first step in faith. Have faith in yourself. You have the power to make your dreams come true. Use it!