H. L. Hunt, who in his time was one of the richest men in the United States, once said that “You must decide what it is you want and decide what you will give up to get it.” Persistence falls into that category. The reason my poem titled “Pay Attention Brother” has been an inspiration to new writers is that many of them never had a hint of the price they must pay to succeed as a writer.
So many writers type out an article, or a poem, or a story, and they try one, possibly two editors. If they don’t get a check they immediately believe that their talent is so small and that there is something seriously wrong with their work. What they fail to understand is that the magazines they are trying to sell their work to have thrived for years without the benefit of their unique talent and breaking into print is not an easy venture. Once a writer learns that the price of success means overcoming rejection, it is possible for success to develop.
How can you determine what you must pay in the way of your work and effort before you might hope to succeed? Generally most people give up just before they would have succeeded. Winners don’t usually win by a mile. They will win by an inch or by a second or by a hair, or a nose or by a final surge. A horse that wins by a photo finish gets just as big a prize as the one who wins by six lengths. And there is truth to the saying that we are not really beaten until we quit or give up.
What is the price of success? Accumulating knowledge and experience. Hard work. Persistence. Yes, luck can play a part, but you have to prepare for the time luck comes so that you can make luck pay off for you. What is your price? Give it some thought. What is your goal? Until you determine precisely you cannot hope to attain it. A ship without a rudder seldom reaches port.
Why a goal? Because when you are striving to reach a goal it gives you the inspiration to try to close that sale just one more time; to make that extra call on the way home; to start out half an hour earlier. With a worthy goal and a definite destination you are a person who is going somewhere with gusto.
What is luck and what is the lucky idea? “Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity” This quote, attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca, reminds us that we make our own luck.
Learn to pay the price. Determine your own goal, define it, and then decide what price you must pay to reach that goal. Then the choice is yours. Are you willing to pay that price? I say you should be willing, for once you have soared with the eagles, you will never allow yourself to be grounded again.
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