Never Give Up
I recently met with an author friend whose name I shall withhold for privacy’s sake. Suffice it to say this person is one of today’s biggest name writers, with so many titles published they took up a both walls of a long hallway, the shelves of which climbed from floor to ceiling.
During my visit, he related several stories from his illustrious career, some of which to encourage, and others as cautionary tales. One of the recurring themes he kept facing was the discouraging and defining words of his agents and publishers, who would say, “You’ll always be a midlist author, nothing more.” Not only did they speak that over him (as a young writer), they framed everything around that assumption including book deals, publicity, and advertisement.
But despite what they’d told him, he knew he had #1 bestseller stuff inside of him, and if they didn’t believe in him, he would just move on and defy their warnings that he’d never amount to anything more than what they’d said he would.
Today, I, and millions of his fans are so glad that he didn’t allow others (even significant people in his life, career, and industry) limit him with their opinions (and agendas.) Currently, he is easily among the top 10 authors in the world.
Let’s bring this home. Close to home: Do people say that you’ll never do this, never be that, will always only be…?
I have a better idea. Believe that you are a “masterpiece”, designed by the cosmic Creator of all things, and that you were created to do the great things He has prepared in advance for you to do.*” As you look to your designer, you’ll understand your purpose and specs. And you’ll do greater things than anyone (yourself included) could ever imagine.
So, whose words are you listening to today? What are your dreams that you would reach for, regardless of what others say? Leave a comment below!
*Ephesians 2:10
PS: Sorry, I really can’t disclose the name of this author. 🙂
Joshua Graham is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, winner of the International Book Award and Forward National Literature Award. His thrillers include DARKROOM, LATENT IMAGE and BEYOND JUSTICE, and TERMINUS. Graham's works have been characterized as thought-provoking page-turners.
Legal Notice: All information on this website and blog are from Mr. Graham's personal experience and insight and should not be viewed in any way, directly or inferred, as qualified professional advice.
All creative writing on this website or Mr. Graham's books: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. (novels, short stories)
Growing up, I heard these words often, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.” I am also reminded of the the words of Winston Churchill. “. . .never, never, never give up.” I have a friend who has been writing poetry all her life. For 23 years she submitted to and was rejected by Poetry magazine. Now, she is a regular contributor. Yes, Ephesians 2:10 speaks to our purpose here on earth. Thankful that you do not give up. Keep up the great work!
Great to know that there are still people who believe in hard work and persistence, Carol. And thank you for your encouragement!
Josh
Joshua!
just discovered your work through amazon kindle . By accident i found my favorite new author. I really enjoyed the novella and the christian message as well. Glad to see something of such high quality that does not drag the reader to the gutter! Thanks Joshua!
Thanks for your kind words! I feel my calling is to entertain, inspire, and challenge. A great story need not be filled with profanity, violence, and lewdness. In my opinion, writing one without those elements and keeping it compelling, is a bit more challenging.
What a great mentor in this author and you too, Joshua. I choose to believe my Creator who wants us to thrive.
[…] image source:https://joshua-graham.com/2014/04/24/never-give-up/ […]
[…] Jangan Cepat Menyerah via https://joshua-graham.com […]
[…] C) From Ms Haseena’s sharing, I’ve learnt that when I start something, I should start from the ground so as to gain the knowledge first, before jumping straight to the harder level. As future educator, I should always be confident, outspoken, unique and have the passion to teach children. ii) Select/Draw a picture to illustrate each take away from each speaker’s sharing. A) https://joshua-graham.com/2014/04/24/never-give-up/ […]
I posted your pic of the mouse on my blog https://musikhai.com/ I hope it’s ok. Tell me if not. Then I’ll delete it.