Never Give Up!
Greetings y’all!
It’s been a while but I’ve managed to write this to follow up on my last calendar selling adventure that I have blogged about. I’m writing this on the heels of yet another successful day of “peddling” my wares.
I last left off that I had managed to sell a few calendars to one cynical man I’d bumped into on a random fall day.
Inspired by that day I decided to go yet again on a calendar selling spree but this time I carried my books in tow. I took to the town, finding a good location to stand and sell my items. There is a local street fair that religiously meets on Thursday and I figured that that would be an advantageous location to catch visitors and shoppers as they go to and fro.
My memory of that event is spotty but I recall generous customers, a positive response, and lots of kindness and consideration. Some chose to buy the book and some chose to offer their support in other ways. My people skills have improved since then (I hope) and I’m a little more confident than I was that day. I was shaking in my boots (sometimes I still do).
Fast forward to yesterday. It’s now March. A new day in the new year.
I got another positive response.
On a brisk, nippy March day I stood at that same spot - even running into past customers. I waved hello and greeted passersbys. I got to speak to many who cheered me on from the sidelines and inspired me to keep going.
Since last year, I have “leveled up” and I invested in a card reader which proved very nifty for those who chose to purchase my book but didn’t have cash. I’m very happy about that investment as it proved handy. Some were fans of the literary arts and others offered me kindness and a chance.
I’ll leave you with this: the second of six key leadership qualities that promotes “a positive direction of progress,” as per Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is never give up (Tedx, 2013).
So, I’m glad I've decided to not give up.
At a point in my career as a poet/author/writer, I felt like giving up. After the first few years of selling my book, I reached a stalemate. I wasn’t making sales. I didn’t feel like I was moving forward. People kept asking me for a book I hadn’t yet written and it was easy to feel at that time, to feel “washed up.” I thought, “Is this all I got?” But, thanks to motivating words from my relatives and the continued kindness and generosity from supporters who purchased from my store (and flooded me with kind words), I managed to keep on keeping on. I’ve revitalized my brand added new content and media and expanded my store. I no longer feel “washed up,” and rather I feel proud and my recent endeavor has relit my entrepreneurial spirit.
More importantly, I changed my thinking. My worth as a poet/author/writer isn’t dependent on monetary goals. It’s not about the sales, per se. It’s about the chance and the opportunity to influence, motivate, and inspire others. For those who tell me that they are inspired by my work, that moves me. It gives me the courage to keep going and to think that one day I will touch the masses, change lives, or, at the very least, plant a little seed of hope in others like myself whoever planned on giving up. Every sale that’s tendered is a chance to fulfill that goal and hopefully, one day, change the world.
It’s a lofty goal and these are lofty words but it’s less about the money, the riches, and the glory - it’s more about hope, love, and growth.
So,
To the woman who complimented my website and gave me advice - thank you. I’m going to take it.
To those who wished me well and encouraged me to keep going - thank you. I’m going to do that.
And to the woman who said life as a poet/author is hard - thank you. I needed to hear that.
It is hard. It is an uphill battle. But you know what? I’m not giving it up.
As I said in my poem, “Monument” goes:
I may never finish.
I may never finish.
I may never finish.
But may I never stop.
You can read my poem, “Monument,” on my blog page entitled Where am I? In the words of the great Rocky Balboa, “It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.”
Thanks, y’all for being here with me on this path of life.
Until next time.
That’s all from,
TheWomynWhoWrites
References
Tedx (2013, January 7). Six keys to leading positive change: Rosabeth Moss Kanter at TEDxBeaconStreet [Video].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owU5aTNPJbs&t=3s