When it comes to developing/ growing from that wide-eyed dreamer with a gift for words and transforming into a pro who can withstand the unrelenting crucible of this business, balance is vital. Why? I can tell you from experience that when we reach the mountain’s “summit”, the view is breathtaking…until we see the next mountain, the taller mountain. Oh, and to reach the top of that taller mountain, it means…
Another trip through the valley. *head desk*and ...
The Air Gets Thinner The Higher We Climb
Sure the view is breathtaking, but nothing grows at the top of the mountain. No one can live there. The air is too thin, the terrain too unstable, the weather too brutal, and there’s no food at the top of the mountain.
Each work is it’s own climb. Maybe it’s a short story (boulder) to train for bigger things. But I feel many of us (and I was guilty, too) believe that we can live on the summit, that the summit means we have made it and it will somehow be easier. This is a lie. When you land an agent, it’s the beginning of a new mountain. When we finish a book or even make a best-seller list, it only makes way for a new mountain. No one stays at the top of a best-seller list indefinitely.
We can’t live there.
The summit of any endeavor should be savored and rejoiced, but it comes with the acceptance that now we have to climb back into the valley because the valley is for the living and the growing ;).
What about you?
Wherever you are on this journey now, did you know about this when you started?
And don't forget the 8-book giveaway in celebration of The Bard's Gift launch.
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Other Participants
Visited the link, that what you wanted lol
ReplyDeletehaha It was, Pat. Thanks!
DeleteLOL I don't know. Sometimes I "aspire" to get out of my chair but it doesn't happen.
ReplyDeleteTakes some push, doesn't it?
DeleteI think there's a good point here, that sometimes we get so focused on one particular goal, we forget that it's just a step on a longer road.
ReplyDeleteYes. I think it's important to live the journey and realize that's the goal and not just the destination. Unless, of course, you only want a single mountaintop experience and then you'll retire. lol
Deletelife is climbing mountain chains not just one of them :)
ReplyDeleteExactly, but we too often forget that.
DeleteIt's not the goal, it's the journey. The valleys and peaks are part of it, icing and cherries on the cake. :)
ReplyDeleteYum, I like the idea of the icing and cherries on the cake. I think the challenge is that many of us don't realize when we're first embarking on this journey that even reaching our destination doesn't mean the journey's ended.
DeleteI'm not sure if I'd want to reach the highest peak ~ It would be all downhill from there. I love a mountain landscape and love exploring the topography, physically and metaphorically. Have a good day!
ReplyDeleteI think one mountain peak is just finishing a book. Such a high!
DeleteShared! Loved the post!
ReplyDeleteI'm in awe of anyone who even embarks on the journey.
ReplyDeleteI've met people like you and I've also met people who didn't think it was any big deal. Kinda like having a baby. lol
DeleteYes, the road is long. I used to be way more starry-eyed about it than I am now.
ReplyDeleteI think it wasn't just that they were a little unbalanced that so many of the creative masters went a little nuts. :D
DeleteThose are very wise words. Even though I've completed one novel, I still find myself meandering at the base of the mountain. Getting the courage to climb it is another part of the journey.
ReplyDeleteCindy W.
And yet it's a necessary part of the journey. I have a friend who's written two books. Two books that no one but she has ever read. She's afraid to try the climb.
DeleteHer words are pretty inspiring, if also dosed with plenty of reality. Not sure where I am on my own journey, but it feels like a very deep crevasse.
ReplyDeleteWriting can be a tall order but if you keep your purpose in sight, you can achieve many things.
ReplyDeleteKristen is both an informative and inspiring person. I agree with these comparisons.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great analogy! It's so true--you have to trek back down for breathable air and sustenance, but my goodness, why can't I just hang glide or better yet, buy a helicopter? ;)
ReplyDeleteI always love Kristen's posts. She keeps it real.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is so true. Each achievement means more, harder work ahead. But at least we know we can do it. Congrats on your launch!!!
That explains the valley I'm in, at the moment. Whew!
ReplyDeleteI've always focused on the mountains ahead or the one I am climbing--I don't usually focus on the return to the valley. So, Kristen's words are meaningful to me.
ReplyDeleteOff to read the rest...