How long are you willing to persist toward your goal?

I recently met my mother in New York City.  My mom is an author and she was exhibiting at Book Expo to promote her first adult novel— The Reindeer Keeper, a Christmas story for baby boomers.  Although this is her first novel, she’s also authored and illustrated three children’s picture books and has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, McCall’s, Highlights for Children, The Crafts Report, and has written numerous newspaper articles.  By all accounts, she’s a very successful writer.

When I learned my mother’s intention of participating at Book Expo it was just a natural thought that I would join her.  My mom has been writing for as long as I can remember- she’s actually been writing since age 7.  I’ve always felt drawn to her talent and very attuned to her aspirations of making a living from her writing/illustrative talent.  Attending a tradeshow with my mother was nothing new.  I’ve joined my mom several times in the past when she exhibited at the New York Licensing Show— an event where companies seek properties (ie. logos; images) to license for use on products.  For years my mom was focused on licensing her children’s characters to companies.  Every time we attended a show we were certain that that time would be IT.  The time when my mom’s children’s characters would be discovered and she would finally reach her goal of working full time as an author/illustrator.  But it never happened.  Not because my mother isn’t talented; not because her stories aren’t good.  In fact, my mother is a gifted writer and her children’s characters are very sweet and enduring.  However, we have learned over the years that talent and quality does not necessarily equate to success.  Often times that’s not enough.  For the lucky- the famous or shall I even say infamous- it’s easy to write and publish a book.  More often than not they don’t even have to write the book- that’s where ghostwriters come in; and publishing companies are eager to take the book on because they know the books will sell because of the celebrity on the cover. So where does that leave folks who aren’t famous, yet have great talent and a true passion for the written word?  This got me thinking…

There are so many talented and gifted people out there.  Some may aspire to be a famous novelist or singer; others may aspire to create their own business, some may have political aspirations or a desire to earn their Masters or Ph.D.  So why do some people succeed in reaching their goal and others don’t?  I don’t believe it’s for lack of talent; rather I believe it’s due to lack of persistence.  You can have all the talent in the world, yet if you lack the drive and the willingness to push toward your goal, you will not achieve it.

So this brings me back to the New York Book Expo.  As I sat in my mother’s booth, watching my mom interact with fellow authors, librarians, books agents, and publishers, I realized the true grit and determination she possesses.  Her goal has always been to make a living from her writing; yet she’s still not quite there.  So many people would have given up by now.  But not my mom.  I realized at that moment that IT never happened at all those past tradeshows because it wasn’t supposed to happen that way.  By not having her children’s concepts discovered by a major licensing company, it forced my mom to stop writing and illustrating children’s stories and begin to focus on writing for adults— which ultimately is her true strength.  That shift in focus would not have happened if she “made it” long ago.  

Everyone has a path to success.  Some of the lucky achieve success early on, some never stay on their path because they quit after incurring a few bumps in the road, and some like my mother take a longer journey.  In my mom’s case, she is still on her path toward success.  Through re-evaluation, her path took a different direction, yet it did not end.  It continues in a different direction.

I know IT will happen for my mom; the way IT is supposed to.  And IT will happen because she never gave up.

This theme of persistence reminds me of my fifth conversation I had while in New York.  I was lucky enough to spend some time with a very successful entrepreneur who lives in Manhattan.  She had a vision in 1992 and gave herself four months to achieve it.  Well that four months turned into two years— two years of rejections, brick walls, and hard work.  But she did it.  I will post this interview later this week so please check back.

You may be encountering some bumps lately on your path to success; perhaps you've experienced a recent failure, set-back, or rejection.  These come across your path to give you an opportunity to re-evaluate.  They may serve as an opportunity to change direction on your path toward success.  Note: I say re-evaluate; not give up.  Are you willing to persist toward your goal?  Are you willing to change course if needed?  I guess it depends how bad you want to achieve IT. Whatever IT is to you.

Check back later this week for Conversation #5.  Meanwhile I leave you with this:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
—Wolfgang von Goethe