Welcome to my little bit of cyber-space. It is my prayer that all who enter here may be richly blessed by the God of all grace. All praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Success/Failure

The sermon today was about mistakes we make. One of the quotes the preacher shared really stuck with me throughout the day in regards to my writing. Malcom Forbes said, " Failure is success if we learn from it." An online search also led me to this quote by Henry Ford. "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

I know I have a lot to learn about writing fiction. Most of the writers on the ACFW loop say writing is a lifelong learning process, which suits me fine because I love to learn new things! So, each failure is a success for me if I can learn from the experience and "begin again more intelligently." As the minister said, we can learn from our own mistakes and from the mistakes of others. So, I will continue to read and study writing how-to books and attend conferences, and most of all, continue to write and implement what I have learned.

I received a rejection letter a couple of weeks ago. I told my husband it was a "nice" rejection letter, although that sounds like an oxymoron. But, it was addressed to me personally by my first name, and signed by the editor with her first name. (I had met her previously at a conference.) My failure in attaining a contract from that house can be my stepping stone to success as long as I continue to learn and to write more intelligently. How about you? Is there some failure you need to turn into a success by learning from your mistakes and implementing what you have learned? What better time to start than now?

3 comments:

Candice Speare said...

For a perfectionist like me, failure is hard. Yet, some of my greatest lessons have come from my failures. Whether those are personal or professional. Great post! I needed the reminder. Candice

Kristy Dykes said...

I just read most of your blog posts. They're great. Thanks for a glimpse into your life. Love the pics. And the medical missions trips looks fantastic.

MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA said...

How true, Rose, about mistakes! One of my favorite life quotes is "In every seed of adversity lies the seed of an equal or greater benefit." It's how we look on failure that determines its effect on us. If, as you say, we look on failure as a learning experience, then failure becomes a steppingstone to success.

Thanks for your blog. I so appreciate your wisdom and insights.

Blessings,

MaryAnn