We know in our guts what we need to do but the outside noise (opinions of others) cause us to second guess ourselves. Someone who has the talent and wants to become a novelist might get discouraged. He might even become a plumber instead. Why? Because a certain blogger said it's impossible to make a living writing stories.
Ali, your comment sounds as though you've experienced this - have encountered the blogger who says it's impossible to make a living as a fiction author. I imagine you and I both know it's not impossible. I'll add that it is difficult for anyone who doesn't already have a good-sized fan base. What I have heard is that an author, or self-published author, on average makes $1 per month, and isn't likely to sell more than 100 copies of an individual book. Some of us are compelled to keep writing anyway, in spite of the odds.
I worked in entertainment management for about a decade, mostly in publishing. One thing I've discovered to hold true is that lasting success works like compound interest. There is a methodical, patient showing-up that eventually produces results. It requires a lot of patience, though. Most of the overnight successes I've worked with personally worked quietly for 7-10 years before things took off. That's why it's so important to love the process of creativity for its own sake, even if your intention is to be a professional. Have you read any of Steven Pressfield's work?
"Where ever you go, there you are. " Jon Kabat-Zinn
Thank you for this Kevin. Very relatable. There are only so many self help/spirituality guidance books and podcasts you can read before you realise it's down to you. I used to feel this grasping to know more, learn more so I could BE more. Then I realised it's about letting go rather than taking on more. It's a daily practice.
It sounds like you did a physical version of the letting go. Bold and Courageous and Awesome! It's something quite a few people do in New Zealand. How old was your daughter when you made the big move? How did she find it?
I love that quote. And I would add to it, you take you with you everywhere you go. : )
Thanks for your kind words. It's been quite the adventure. I'm a big fan of the rule, which applies in both writing and life: show, don't tell. It's the only way to be. Our daughter was 16 when we moved. To be honest, it was difficult on all of us, especially her. But, she discovered who she is along the way. Had we stayed put in Tennessee, I'm not sure she would have become who she always was and could be.
Wonderful read. So many things came up for me. Most of all, I admire the courage it must have taken for you and the family to up and leave the comforts of home. Inspirational. The pathless path is itching within all of us, especially when we arrive at a juncture where the present seems to make us lifeless and robotic. Thank you, Kevin.
It's been quite the adventure of not-knowing and unlearning. Truth be told, my wife and I often ask, "What did we do to ourselves?" Living in that place, and learning to be with uncertainty, has been a more difficult lesson than I thought. It's all been worth it, though.
I don't know how many self-help "Live Your Best Life Now!" type books I've read over a lifetime (but it's a lot). I always felt excited about them as I read them and made all the resolutions to follow the steps each and every time. I've bought fancy planners and white boards and made mood boards and the list goes on and on. And the years have gone on and on as well. I've come to a place of peace over the mystery of what my one true purpose is (I mean...it was only supposed to take 40 days to discover that one) and what makes me feel alive...but the hard part was, now that I'm older, dreaming felt like a reason to HURRY UP AND ACCOMPLISH something for crying out loud! I may miss my window to fulfill my dreams (due to...you know...dying). But then I read a book by a guy who thinks it's a good idea to plan to live to 120 and live the way that could help that be possible. Just switching from thinking I may not have many years left to, "Yeah, but maybe I actually do!" opened up a world of possibilities for me. Also, as a person who follows Jesus, I believe that at the point of death, I will certainly not care what I wasn't able to accomplish...whether it's publishing a book or finishing a painting or learning Photoshop (FINALLY!). Love your work, Kevin.
I love to work, but I was trapped in the wrong jobs for years and mentally exhausted. I finally let it go and it’s been tough and scary so I started a Substack with my writing! I feel the way I did when I was young and couldn’t wait to get to work. It’s life changing. I love this essay. Thank you. I’m bookmarking it forever.
This hit home for me. I am at that point in life where I am urged to find myself. The core of who I truly am. To shed the veneer and facade that I have built up over the past 56 years and discover what makes me, me.
My husband and I are figuring out how to leave California the way you and your family left Franklin. Our destination is New Mexico. Other than that, we don’t know how this is going to play out.
A piece of advice worth what you pay for it (nothing) - picking up and moving to somewhere new is less of a shock if it's a place you have at least previously visited. Maybe what some people want and need is the shock of moving to somewhere they have never been. Our country is vast and has vast differences in culture. Two entirely different cultures can exist within a few minutes drive of one another.
Much of life's enjoyment is savoring its moments. If you wind up in a place where you feel that you don't fit, there may not be a lot of moments to savor and enjoy. Even then, though, if you let your intuition guide you, you may find an amazing facet of that new life in that new location that can exist only then, only there, only with others you meet who happen to be there at the same time. In that unique space and time you can grow in ways impossible anywhere else. When that phase of growth is complete, it may be time to move on, again.
I don't think our personal growth ever stops, nor do we reach a stationary point at which we have become all we'll ever be. That inward search, even when we find ourselves, may prompt us to move on.
Kevin this was so humbling to read. Your words are everything I believe in and also something I need to be reminded of constantly. I'm just about to publish my first book about following your intuition and still, even though I teach it, I need to remember the lessons in all this. I'm ironically in a pathless moment, transition from old into new and I don't quite know what that will look like so I'm trying to just enjoy each moment and surrender to the process. Thank you for writing this! I'm sharing this with my people. It was just so beautiful.
Kevin, your words really struck a chord with me. I've been on a similar journey this year, and it's so comforting that I found your message just as the year is ending. It's a beautiful reminder to keep trusting myself, to listen to my inner voice, and to keep forging my path even when I don't know where it leads. Thank you!
We know in our guts what we need to do but the outside noise (opinions of others) cause us to second guess ourselves. Someone who has the talent and wants to become a novelist might get discouraged. He might even become a plumber instead. Why? Because a certain blogger said it's impossible to make a living writing stories.
Ali, your comment sounds as though you've experienced this - have encountered the blogger who says it's impossible to make a living as a fiction author. I imagine you and I both know it's not impossible. I'll add that it is difficult for anyone who doesn't already have a good-sized fan base. What I have heard is that an author, or self-published author, on average makes $1 per month, and isn't likely to sell more than 100 copies of an individual book. Some of us are compelled to keep writing anyway, in spite of the odds.
Yeah it's a tough battle out there. Having an audience can help a lot that's why I'm writing here on Substack.
I worked in entertainment management for about a decade, mostly in publishing. One thing I've discovered to hold true is that lasting success works like compound interest. There is a methodical, patient showing-up that eventually produces results. It requires a lot of patience, though. Most of the overnight successes I've worked with personally worked quietly for 7-10 years before things took off. That's why it's so important to love the process of creativity for its own sake, even if your intention is to be a professional. Have you read any of Steven Pressfield's work?
loved reading this reminder, thank you! 💖
Yeah the War Of Art.
"Where ever you go, there you are. " Jon Kabat-Zinn
Thank you for this Kevin. Very relatable. There are only so many self help/spirituality guidance books and podcasts you can read before you realise it's down to you. I used to feel this grasping to know more, learn more so I could BE more. Then I realised it's about letting go rather than taking on more. It's a daily practice.
It sounds like you did a physical version of the letting go. Bold and Courageous and Awesome! It's something quite a few people do in New Zealand. How old was your daughter when you made the big move? How did she find it?
Jo 🙏
I love that quote. And I would add to it, you take you with you everywhere you go. : )
Thanks for your kind words. It's been quite the adventure. I'm a big fan of the rule, which applies in both writing and life: show, don't tell. It's the only way to be. Our daughter was 16 when we moved. To be honest, it was difficult on all of us, especially her. But, she discovered who she is along the way. Had we stayed put in Tennessee, I'm not sure she would have become who she always was and could be.
Yes she is very lucky to have had/be having that life shaping experience. Although she may not have known it at the time. ☺️
Wonderful read. So many things came up for me. Most of all, I admire the courage it must have taken for you and the family to up and leave the comforts of home. Inspirational. The pathless path is itching within all of us, especially when we arrive at a juncture where the present seems to make us lifeless and robotic. Thank you, Kevin.
It's been quite the adventure of not-knowing and unlearning. Truth be told, my wife and I often ask, "What did we do to ourselves?" Living in that place, and learning to be with uncertainty, has been a more difficult lesson than I thought. It's all been worth it, though.
I don't know how many self-help "Live Your Best Life Now!" type books I've read over a lifetime (but it's a lot). I always felt excited about them as I read them and made all the resolutions to follow the steps each and every time. I've bought fancy planners and white boards and made mood boards and the list goes on and on. And the years have gone on and on as well. I've come to a place of peace over the mystery of what my one true purpose is (I mean...it was only supposed to take 40 days to discover that one) and what makes me feel alive...but the hard part was, now that I'm older, dreaming felt like a reason to HURRY UP AND ACCOMPLISH something for crying out loud! I may miss my window to fulfill my dreams (due to...you know...dying). But then I read a book by a guy who thinks it's a good idea to plan to live to 120 and live the way that could help that be possible. Just switching from thinking I may not have many years left to, "Yeah, but maybe I actually do!" opened up a world of possibilities for me. Also, as a person who follows Jesus, I believe that at the point of death, I will certainly not care what I wasn't able to accomplish...whether it's publishing a book or finishing a painting or learning Photoshop (FINALLY!). Love your work, Kevin.
That’s exciting. I have no doubt the journey will bring unexpected twists, turns, and views you never imagined. I for one am cheering you on!
I love to work, but I was trapped in the wrong jobs for years and mentally exhausted. I finally let it go and it’s been tough and scary so I started a Substack with my writing! I feel the way I did when I was young and couldn’t wait to get to work. It’s life changing. I love this essay. Thank you. I’m bookmarking it forever.
This hit home for me. I am at that point in life where I am urged to find myself. The core of who I truly am. To shed the veneer and facade that I have built up over the past 56 years and discover what makes me, me.
My husband and I are figuring out how to leave California the way you and your family left Franklin. Our destination is New Mexico. Other than that, we don’t know how this is going to play out.
A piece of advice worth what you pay for it (nothing) - picking up and moving to somewhere new is less of a shock if it's a place you have at least previously visited. Maybe what some people want and need is the shock of moving to somewhere they have never been. Our country is vast and has vast differences in culture. Two entirely different cultures can exist within a few minutes drive of one another.
Much of life's enjoyment is savoring its moments. If you wind up in a place where you feel that you don't fit, there may not be a lot of moments to savor and enjoy. Even then, though, if you let your intuition guide you, you may find an amazing facet of that new life in that new location that can exist only then, only there, only with others you meet who happen to be there at the same time. In that unique space and time you can grow in ways impossible anywhere else. When that phase of growth is complete, it may be time to move on, again.
I don't think our personal growth ever stops, nor do we reach a stationary point at which we have become all we'll ever be. That inward search, even when we find ourselves, may prompt us to move on.
Best wishes!
Kevin this was so humbling to read. Your words are everything I believe in and also something I need to be reminded of constantly. I'm just about to publish my first book about following your intuition and still, even though I teach it, I need to remember the lessons in all this. I'm ironically in a pathless moment, transition from old into new and I don't quite know what that will look like so I'm trying to just enjoy each moment and surrender to the process. Thank you for writing this! I'm sharing this with my people. It was just so beautiful.
Kevin, your words really struck a chord with me. I've been on a similar journey this year, and it's so comforting that I found your message just as the year is ending. It's a beautiful reminder to keep trusting myself, to listen to my inner voice, and to keep forging my path even when I don't know where it leads. Thank you!
You're very welcome. I'm glad it encouraged you at the right moment. : )