And I recall an account of Trollope going up to London to pick up a
rejected manuscript from a publisher, getting on the train to return home,
laying the bulky bundle on his lap face down, and beginning a new book
on the back pages of the rejected one.
rejected manuscript from a publisher, getting on the train to return home,
laying the bulky bundle on his lap face down, and beginning a new book
on the back pages of the rejected one.
unattributed
* * * * *
Today's Meditation:
* * * * *
Today's Meditation:
Now this is a man that I would love to say I have some similarity
to, but I'm not sure that I can. This is a beautiful story of not letting
one's situation get one down, and making the best of the way things are. . .
and not giving up just because an obstacle a rose in one's path. So the
novel got rejected--big deal. I'll write another one! That's the
only kind of attitude that truly helps people to advance in life, to grow from
where they are to becoming someone or something else.
For Trollope, the writing was a driving force in his life, and it was something
that he probably couldn't have given up even if he had wanted to, for he was
dedicated to it. That level of commitment to his craft was what allowed
him--or forced him--to begin a new novel immediately. Writing was simply
a part of who he was because he had committed himself to the art, and it was
that commitment that helped him to find the strength and courage to persevere.
We all face obstacles and setbacks. They are valuable lessons to us in
life, for they have the potential to help us see where we can improve if we
want to do things better--be better writers, better cooks, better friends,
better parents. It's person who gets on with things and doesn't let the
obstacles bring him or her to a standstill that keeps moving and eventually
succeeds big time. When things get bad for me I often picture Trollope in
that train, writing away on the paper that held his rejected novel. In
every adversity, in every setback, there is something there for our future, and
it's up to us to find it and make it work for us. Otherwise, we just
allow ourselves to be victims and we start letting life slide by without
getting out of it all that we can.
* * * * *
Questions to consider:
* * * * *
Questions to consider:
How many people do you know who would have given up writing after a difficult
rejection--or at least set it aside for a long time?
Why is it sometimes difficult to start again at something at which you've yet to
have significant success?
How can setbacks and adversity actually be positive for us?
* * * * *
For further thought:
* * * * *
For further thought:
Most very successful people can remember that their success was
discovered and built out of adversity of some kind. It's not the
problems that beset us--problems are surprisingly pretty much
the same for millions of others--it's how we react to problems
that determines not only our degree of growth and maturity
but our future success--and, perhaps, much of our health.
discovered and built out of adversity of some kind. It's not the
problems that beset us--problems are surprisingly pretty much
the same for millions of others--it's how we react to problems
that determines not only our degree of growth and maturity
but our future success--and, perhaps, much of our health.
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