How a little bit of determination can enrich one's life.
Determination. A strong word, but can it also be beautiful?
Yes,- I believe so!
Every single one of you who has written and published something know that authors, especially the unknown ones, have to be pretty determined in what they do.
I am no exception. I wrote my fiction novel Relocating Mia in less than five months, but it still took almost a year between my first scribbled sentence and me holding this printed beauty in my hand. In the mean time there were calls to make to the Publisher, Editor, Designer… phone calls, follow-up phone calls, following up with follow up e-mails… well; you know what I’m talking about.
So, being determent about this writing stuff really helped - but today, I’d like to talk about a different kind of determination:
Determination as a character trade. Some people I know live their lives pretty kicked back, they talk a lot about what they’d like to do, what they could do, what they gonna do… and waste all this precious time TALKING about these things. I think that a determined person actually puts the money where the mouth is and DOES IT.
You might not succeed right away, but that’s the beauty about determination, - you do not give up.
Being a born and raised European maybe makes a difference, I don’t know. Many times I get praised about my work ethics and my determination. Well, I’m neither super woman; nor am I perfect. Believe me, I’m far from it. I just like to get stuff done. Having several projects at once doesn’t scare me, as long as I keep the upper hand.
However; all of last year (2006) I was observing myself talking about doing a triathlon. How fun that would be, what an accomplishment it would be, how well I could do it… blah, blah, blah.
By the time February 2007 came along I had wasted yet another beautiful Utah winter sitting in my house, glued in front of the computer. (Yes, I just finished a 367 page manuscript, but that’s no excuse) I stumbled across a website called active.com
I read a few articles on shaking off the winter rot and getting an early start on training for the first spring triathlons around the country…
Well, and what was I doing? I sat, behind the acer laptop, with my thumb up - well not really, but feeling guilty about me yapping my flapper for way too long about this issue.
So, the very same day I grabbed my running shoes and my i-Pod (thanks honey, best Christmas present, ever) and off I went on my first run in God knows how long. The next day I was punished with severe muscle pain and a swelled up knee. A very good friend of ours is a Captain in the Marine Corps and was at that time in Iraq on his second trip. He had e-mailed us once in a while telling us (but never complaining!!) about the conditions they had to deal with over there.
And I was moaning over a cramped up hamstring? I don’t think so!
Our friend was a big influence on my training in the following weeks and months.
To make a long story short, besides my husband who shares bike rides with me, I don’t have a training partner. I’m out there running and swimming to the best of my ability, which isn’t much, but I’m very determined once I begin a project.
By June 6th of 2007 I felt I was somewhat fit and entered my very first sprint triathlon in the neighboring town. To my amazement over 600 people participated and as I was watching the crowd, I saw a few very determined faces. So, I set my square, German jaw, pulled on my wet suit and joined the other 25 women in my age group on the boat ramp.
I look at myself as a competitive person. I play a board game - I want to win. I play golf with my husband - I want to beat him. Sport has been a big part of my years in school, but besides the Dressage competitions at horse shows I’ve been doing for ever, I hadn’t competed in 15 years. (Or maybe 20?)
Determination kicked in, however, and gave me wings. I won my class by more than just a nose and needless to say; walked on air for a few days.
And just this weekend, August 11th 2007, I won second place in my second, very tough race.
I couldn’t have done it without the determination in my attitude toward ‘getting things done and doing them right’.
Determination is beautiful, because success is guaranteed. And who doesn’t want to be successful?
So no matter what it is in your life what needs a little determination; bite your teeth together and swallow the pain because the reward is tremendous!
Rebecca Lerwill
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