Don’t Stop ….Keep On Moving

Does something seem to be getting in your way?

Here are words of advice from several very well-known authors if how to keep on moving:

I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, “To hell with you.”
— Saul Bellow

Saul Bellow won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in literature, among other accolades. He was helped on his way by a certain stubbornness that refused to let rejection stand in his way.

You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success — but only if you persist.
— Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, writing or editing more than 500 books and publishing a huge amount of short stories. His talent, combined with his persistence and output, led him to become one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers, alongside Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke.

By the time I was fourteen the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.
— Stephen King

Stephen King experienced a lot of rejection, most notably for his first published novel, Carrie. It was rejected by 30 publishers before Doubleday decided to buy it. When the paperback was released, it sold more than one million copies in its first year. Since then, King has sold more than 350 million copies of his books worldwide.

I encourage you to reject rejection. If someone says no, just say NEXT!
— Jack Canfield

Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by many major publishers in New York before eventually being accepted by a small self-help publisher in Florida. It went on to become a bestseller, launching an entire series and making author Jack Canfield a millionaire in the process.

For every accomplishment there were twenty rejections… In the end, though, only one attitude enabled me to move ahead. That attitude said, “Rejection can simply mean redirection.”
— Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou had to confront racism and sexism during her career, as well as rejection. And even after the publication of her most acclaimed work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she still had to confront those who tried — and still try — to censor her now-immortal autobiography.

So, don’t let blockades in life get you down. As a wonderful song states, “Pick yourself up, Dust yourself off and start all over again.” In fact, it is worth reading the whole song.

Please teacher, teach me something,
Nice teacher, teach me something.
I’m as awkward as a camel, that’s not the worst,
My two feet haven’t met yet,
But I’ll be teacher’s pet yet,
‘Cause I’m gonna learn to dance or burst.

Nothing’s impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.

Don’t lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you’ll be a man, my son!

Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.

I’ll get some self assurance
If your endurance is great.
I’ll learn by easy stages
If you’re courageous and wait.

To feel the strength I want to,
I must hang on to your hand,
Maybe by the time I’m fifty
I’ll get up and do a nifty.

Songwriters: Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern

Such wonderful lyrics – so very instructive! Take them into the weekend with you!