“Thanks for the great weekend!” Hubs said to me today as he left for work.
We didn’t do anything exciting. We drove around Friday night in his Corvette, ate some ice-cream. Saturday, I cleaned the house. We went out for sushi and the new MI movie with friends.
Sunday, we went to church, grocery shopped and hung out with my brother and his family. Came home to pizza and re-watched Lone Survivor (research for a book).
Nothing epic.
Nothing life-changing.
Except…it was our 29th wedding anniversary. And it occurred to me that we’ve had epic our entire life. Life-changing every day as we’ve ridden through storms and highs and terrible lows together. And we’re still on the epic journey.
One day at a time. And we’re better people, a better couple today than we were 29 years ago.
I finished the rough draft of a book on Friday (hence, the ice cream!) But as I looked back over the month, every day was a victory. Every day, I had to sit down and muscle through one grueling hour after the next, pounding out the words. Work, stress, contemplation, wisdom, (lots of begging for words), and if I were to look ahead on the journey, I would have stayed down.
Instead, I just looked at that day’s goals. The next scene. Sat down. Did the work. Reveled in the small joy of just getting that scene finished. Rinse, repeat, all the way to the end.
Our pastor, in Sunday’s sermon talked about the radical way we as believers live (or should!) But it doesn’t happen overnight. The epic journey begins as a life-changing decision. But it’s lived out day by day, one transforming step at a time.
You know what happens when you don’t give up? You get to the end of your story! Your characters change. YOU change. Don’t look at how long it’s going take. Or how difficult it will be. Just keep going. One transforming step at a time.
Lone Survivor is a difficult movie to watch. But what I couldn’t get over is the NO QUIT attitude of the SEALS, all the way to the end. Mark Luttrell, the author has said in interviews that he lay down to die at least twice as he escaped the Taliban. But then he’d tell himself to get up. Don’t Quit. “What it all boils down to is the willingness to give your life to make it through something.”
Writing a novel is going to cost you. Energy. Time with others. Even pieces of yourself that you have wanted to keep hidden. But it’s worth the cost.
Your story can be epic. Life-changing. You don’t have to finish it today, but you do have to get up and keep writing. Don’t Quit.
You can ride around in the Corvette and get ice cream when it’s done.
Your story matters! Go! Write something Brilliant!
Susie May
P.S. We opened the our very last Deep Thinker’s retreat last week and we have four spots left! If you have always wanted to dive deep into your story, link arms with other story warriors for an epic week of brainstorming, storycrafting and encouragement, then don’t miss this final retreat. Details here