How to Get Encouraged and Follow Your Writing Dreams

Before you read this, I highly recommend clicking play on the video so you can hear the music as you read.

This morning I did something a little different.  I listened to some mediation/zen music while I read something inspirational.  The result was amazing.  I have read inspirational material before but struggled with allowing it to truly enter my mind and change and uplift my spirit.  This combo of music and inspirational words took the message straight to my heart and had me in tears in a second.   (Tears are actually a good thing.  They are one of the body's mechanisms to relieve stress.)

My reading was from Joseph Prince's book The Power of Right Believing: 7 Keys to Freedom From Fear, Guilt and Addiction, which you can find here.  (I highly recommend it, as I do two of his other books I have read, Destined to Reign and Unmerited Favor.  These two books broke me out of five years of depression and a life that was going nowhere.  All three of these books are available here as a bundle for less than the cost of buying them separately.  After all, who doesn't like a deal?)

The thing that blows me away about what Joseph Prince teaches is that every time I listen to him or read a chapter in his books or read one of his devotionals, I feel uplifted, as if Joseph Prince is on my side and God is on my side.  I have struggled for almost three years now with writing and wanting to write full time.  I feel like nobody understands me, but when I read from these books, I feel like I am not alone.  I feel like there is a Great Being cheering me on, who has even been the one to give me the idea to write full time.  I feel like He tells me, "It's going to be great!  You were meant to do this.  I gave you the desire to write and to be a writer full time because you have ideas that will change people's lives.  The world needs the ideas that are swirling in your head.  Write them down and the readers will come."

Every time I am encouraged.  So I just want to pass some of that encouragement on to you today by sharing my meditation music with you and by sharing a few words that spoke to me from Joseph Prince's book this morning.

"Friend, we have all been forgiven much.  The problem is, many don't know and don't believe this.  Give up on your own self-efforts to be righteous.  Give up on trying to overcome your own failings, mistakes, addictions, and bondages.  Be like the woman with the alabaster box of precious ointment [Read Luke 7:37-47 in the Bible if you've never heard of the story].  When you fail, don't run away and hide.  Come before His loving presence. Jesus already knows the guilt and condemnation that you are being tormented with.  Come with boldness and confidence like this woman did.  Feel free to weep in His sweet presence and simply worship Him.  Pour out everything that is on your heart to Him.  Don't worry, He will not heap more guilt, shame, judgment, and condemnation upon you.  He will show you His nail-pierced hands and remind you of the cross.  He will say to you, 'Your sins are already forgiven.  I have already paid the price for your sins at Calvary.  Rest in My forgiveness and love for you.'"

Joseph Prince's books have been a lifesaver for me because of their message of grace and hope.  But even if you are not at a time in your life when you can buy these books, you can still get this message of love and hope each day by subscribing to his daily grace inspirations here.  You will get an email every day with a message of hope that will lift you up, and before long you will find yourself making decisions that improve your life and take you in the direction of your dreams.

Beating the Embarrassment of Failure

So I made it to a second day of writing on the regular.  Something interesting that I want to share from yesterday is a “sign” I found when I sat down at the desk at 6:30 am to write.  I already knew the topic I was going to write about (embarrassment) and that I was going to announce that I was going to, yet again, make a declaration of commitment to writing.

I sit at the desk, turn the computer on and start gathering all the papers in front of me into a pile so I can put them on the side.  (This is actually my sister’s desk because my boyfriend and I are staying at her house while we look for an apartment.)  I pull one paper out that “happens” to say “No More Shame”--a brochure from a Singapore-based pastor named Joseph Prince.  I know his material well.  Bible-based, grace and love-filled encouragement.  His books, CD's, and magazines are all over my sister’s house.  His sermons helped my sister’s boyfriend believe that he would be healed from cancer (and he has been healed for a year now).

This same grace gave me confidence to try again at my writing.  I want to make a living off of writing so bad.  I’ve been reading a book of interviews of well-known writers such as Jodi Picoult, Sue Grafton and others.  So far most of them say the same thing.  “I can’t not write” or “Writing is the only thing I know how to do.”  Yes!  I agree.  There are other things I’ve learned to do such as office work, waitressing, and teaching.  I had to work very hard at those jobs, but I was never naturally good at them.  Writing is the only thing I feel good about doing.  It takes hard work and discipline, but even then it’s fun.  It’s because I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.  And I know I’m good at it.  All those other jobs left a daily doubt in my mind of whether or not I was doing well.  But when I write, I know I’m the bomb.

So with renewed commitment and a heavenly sign of “No More Shame”,  I am ready to officially start my career of being a writer for myself (meaning I will not only freelance for the newspaper, but I will turn my own ideas into books--fiction and non--and articles).