put my writing aside. Weeks later a friend asked me how the article was coming along and I explained that the editor wasn’t interested. She laughed and said thatThese words of Thomas Edison have been gentle reminders to me during times of frustration when all I can see ahead of me is certain failure: Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

I remember the very first article I sold to a major newspaper. The first time I submitted it, his response was lukewarm. Yes it had merits but he pointed out all that was missing and made many suggestions for change. The second time, he made even more suggestions for change and I knew what was happening: he wanted to let me down easily and was trying to get rid of me. Taking the hint, I put my writing aside. Weeks later a friend asked me how the article was coming along and I explained that the editor wasn’t interested. She laughed and said that

lures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

I remember the very first article I sold to a major newspaper. The first time I submitted it, his response was lukewarm. Yes it had merits but he pointed out all that was missing and made many suggestions for change. The second time, he made even more suggestions for change and I knew what was happening: he wanted to let me down easily and was trying to get rid of me. Taking the hint, I put my writing aside. Weeks later a friend asked me how the article was coming along and I explained that the editor wasn’t interested. She laughed and said that

e first time I submitted it, his response was lukewarm. Yes it had merits but he pointed out all that was missing and made many suggestions for change. The second time, he made even more suggestions for change and I knew what was happening: he wanted to let me down easily and was trying to get rid of me. Taking the hint, I put my writing aside. Weeks later a friend asked me how the article was coming along and I explained that the editor wasn’t interested. She laughed and said that time, he made even more suggestions for change and I knew what was happening: he wanted to let me down easily and was trying to get rid of me. Taking the hint, I put my writing aside. Weeks later a friend asked me how the article was coming along and I explained that the editor wasn’t interested. She laughed and said that put my writing aside. Weeks later a friend asked me how the article was coming along and I explained that the editor wasn’t interested. She laughed and said that his comments meant that he had done half the work for me already. That was a shift in perception! I resubmitted the article with the recommended changes, the editor bought it, and I’ve been writing ever since.

Our challenge is to stay curious; keep an open mind on things we’ve put on the back burner, possibilities that we’ve dismissed. What can we now move up to the front burner? What are we willing to start now?

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