Both a seeker
and a scarred sage
I am approaching
that certain age
when you
learn that
each decision
matters.
Fear is both
a bully and
a coward
stand up to it
more than
once and it
shatters.
My heart
has felt
the glory
of the dawning
of this dream
to be found
a few steps
beyond the
searing pain
of defeat.
Each time
you fall
you must rise
again
to your feet
because with
persistence
you will win
and this
success is
so sweet.
About this Poem: I wrote Success more than a decade ago, long before I experienced what could be deemed as any real success in my writing career. When I wrote the poem I was thinking more about the process of writing and how you have to get used to rejection and criticism if you want to have a shred of sanity and/or any kind of longevity in this business.
The important part is determining which feedback is constructive and which feedback comes from a negative place or the giver might simply have a difference in style or opinion. You must learn to look at yourself and your work in an honest light. For most of us this takes many years.
Success can be defined in so many different ways. Back then I made it a point to celebrate small milestones, even if it was just getting published on a website or in a lessor known magazine. Looking back, this is what allowed me to not get too discouraged and stick to it until my break came. After all, finding success as a writer is every bit as much overcoming your own psychological barriers and bad decisions as it is earning a readership willing to pay for your work.
~ Eric Vance Walton ~
(Gif sourced from Giphy.com)
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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