Saturday night an Irish gymnast was profiled during the games. He is only the second Irish male gymnast to ever go to the Olympic Games to represent his country. He suffered numerous injuries from a concussion, torn ACLs, torn achillies tendon, a broken leg and more over the years. He also didn't have the monetary backing that most of the athletes he was competing against have. He had to finance his dream with bake sales, raffles, and other money raising events. Even though he knew he didn't have a chance to medal, he took to the mat and did his floor exercise to the best of his ability and was thrilled with his performance despite a few bobbles here and there. I found myself so inspired by his drive and dedication and his attitude.
How many of us do something other than write when we have time we could devote to writing our manuscripts or working on our craft? How dedicated and determined do we remain when we receive rejections or bad reviews? How many of us get down on ourselves because our sales aren't where we'd like them to be, or because we aren't on this or that best seller list, or don't publish with the big 6 in NYC? Do you keep writing, keep trying day after day?
I know there are days when I'd rather do anything than sit in front of the laptop and pour my heart and soul into my characters when I'm not certain they will find readers who will love them like I do. I know that after I've had a rough day at work, the last thing I want to do is come home and work at my second job as a writer. Yet, when I think of that gymnast and all the setbacks he suffered and he still didn't give up on his dream of making it to the Olympics, it helps me put things into perspective and my fingers back on the keyboard.
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