We’re celebrating in the Vogt family.

Why, you ask?

A few days ago, my son Josh signed a book contract for his debut fantasy novel.

Let the HaPpY dAnCiNg begin! Or should I say continue?

This “oh happy day” event has me thinking about success … and failure.

In his e-book, Imagination @ Work, my writing friend, author Alton Gansky, posed this question: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Fun question, that.

It makes you exhale all the tension – the why nots and can’ts – and breathe in all the possibilities. The tantalizng aroma of dreams.

But let me turn Alton’s question upside down and ask: What would you do if you knew you might fail? If you knew you would fail?

Ah. Now there’s a question worth answering.

I watched my son answer this question for eight years. His dream? He wanted to be a novelist. And he wanted to do more than write stories only he would read. Josh wanted to be offered – and accept – a contract by a traditional publisher. That was his dream, and he chased it.

But the dream eluded him.

Weeks became months and months became years and the dream wasn’t coming true.

Was Josh frustrated?

Yes.

Was Josh discouraged?

Yes.

Did Josh quit?

Never.

My son was successful every single day of those eight years leading up to the day he signed that contract. Every. Single. Day.

• When the dream is not happening … and you don’t quit – you’re successful.
• When giving up feels easier than staying the course … and you don’t quit – you’re successful.
• When you go to bed thinking “No more” and wake up the next morning and decide “Well maybe just one more day” … you’re successful.

Success isn’t seeing your dream come true. Success is deciding not to quit.

I am celebrating my son’s book contract – no doubt about it. I’m a mom, it’s what I do. But Josh was successful before he ever got “The Call.” Success is not an event. Success is all the not-going-to-quit-today decisions you make once you set your sights on a dream that ignites a passion in your heart.

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