I'm not thinking of quitting or giving up on my writing goals, but I can't deny that the whole thing has felt quite overwhelming at times over the past few months, when I have rejection letters in my inbox, and words like platforms and queries and slush piles swimming around in my head. The whole writing universe starts to feel like it's too foreign, too competitive, and simply too much, and I've wondered more than once if I am just being silly thinking that I can ever do this as more than a hobby.
The truth is I've had a bad habit in the past of jumping head first into something and then giving up or quitting without seeing it through. I'm determined not to do that now, so in that spirit I decided to share some more quotes that I have found motivating when feeling discouraged or overwhelmed. If you've ever felt like giving up or quitting, I hope you will find them motivating as well.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. ~ Samuel Beckett
Many of life's failures are people who didn't realize how close they were to success when they gave up. ~ Thomas Edison
Nothing will work unless you do. ~ Maya Angelou
It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. ~ Theodore Roosevelt
I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be. ~ Ken Venturi
Fall seven times, stand up eight. ~ Japanese proverb
This one isn't really about failing or giving up, but I liked it so much I decided to include it.
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud. ~ Emile Zola
