"Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game."
Anyone having the ultimate nostalgia over their obsession with Hilary Duff just reading that quote? Maybe that's just me. This quote features in her 2004 movie, A Cinderella Story, based on the classic fairytale. It actually looks to be based on a famous quote by Babe Ruth, an American major league baseball player who played in the early 20th century. For me though, they'll always the words painted on the diner wall during that momentous moment when Hilary finally tells her wicked stepmother what for.
Why am I talking about this? Well, after camping this bank holiday weekend, I sat down to write for the afternoon. I am well into book two of the Merit-Hunters Series and am currently on the fourth re-write. So as I got into it, with low energy levels, I hit a bit of a wall. There was a problem within the story that I just couldn't see a way around without having to do a lot of work. If you've ever created something, and then realised it needs doing again, you know how it can begin to feel pointless, endless, and overwhelming. I actually said these words to my husband, "I'm not sure I want to do this anymore." Anyone ever been there?
Whatever it is we give our lives to, I'm sure we can all feel like giving up. A lot of the time it's because it feels like it will amount to nothing. In the case of my writing, what if nobody wants to read it? Or I get to the end and can't produce the book I wanted to? We all question whether something we invest in is worth it. In praying about this, I was reminded about that quote from A Cinderella Story. That I shouldn't let the fear of 'failure', keep me from writing the books I feel I need to write. And for you, whatever it is you're working towards, whether that's building a career or improving at a hobby, don't partner with fear, partner with faith and the journey that you're on. Because this whole idea of 'striking out' is part of life and only makes us better players.
It also reminds me of these verses in Romans chapter five:
3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
So, we're all on a journey and we grow and learn through it. I'm on a journey with my writing and it isn't always easy, but I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep playing. I went to a writing event once where an author used the image of a pavlova for writing a novel. That you feel like you're whipping the egg whites forever and it never ends, until eventually, it becomes a solid whole meringue.
I know I'll get to my meringue and I hope this has encouraged you to keep working towards yours. God bless!