Self-Devpt. Nuggets™

In this article, I use a touching story of courage and heroism, to explain how you can (and why you may have to) get your writing done, regardless of challenges you encounter.

A talented teenage girl from a struggling home got lucky when the coach of a top gymnastics club got her a scholarship to train in the club. If she did well, she would join other world class athletes to compete for a place on the country’s Olympics team.

However, this girl was unlike the other kids whose parents were comfortable.

For instance, she had to work part-time to support her single mother. She also had a disabled younger brother who needed to take certain expensive prescription pills for a life threatening condition he suffered. These sometimes affected her performance in training and during meets.

Forced To “Steal” To Save A Life

One day, the pressure from carrying those adults responsibilities pushed her to do something that threatened to cost her the scholarship, and a place on the national team.

She had returned home from training and found the brother on the verge of a crisis. He told her their mother had not returned and that his drugs had run out. She stood silently thinking for a few seconds watching him beginning to tremble and sweat.

Then suddenly she grabbed the prescription bottle, and raced to the neighbourhood pharmacy. Holding up the pills bottle, she told the pharmacist she wanted a refill. When he dropped the new bottle in front of her, she emptied her purse on the counter and gave him all the money she found in it. He counted it and told her it was not enough.

She replied that she had no more, and that her brother would die if he did’nt take his medication soon. The pharmacist sneered and told her to leave or he would call the cops. As he turned away, the girl grabbed the full bottle of pills and sprinted away, ignoring the alarmed pharmacist shouting after her.

Getting home, she quickly administered the drug to her brother who was already on the floor, and he soon began to recover.

Paying The Price & Reaping The “Rewards”…

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door of their apartment. When she opened it, the cops were there to arrest her.

Later that night, her mother who was contacted by a male friend she’d telephoned came with him to bail her out.

Some weeks later, she missed a scheduled court hearing and was compelled to wear a tracking device around her ankles wherever she went.

The embarrassment and humiliation was great. But she got through it.

That singular stunt almost cost her a place on the gymnastics team. And she had known there was a risk that could happen.

Yet, she had not hesitated to do what she knew needed to be done. It was not entirely a smart decision. But under the circumstances it was expedient. She had followed her heart, and not her head, probably saving her younger brother’s life in the process.

And so to him she was a hero!

When she later travelled out of the state to compete at the trials for a place on the team to the Olympics, he got her boyfriend to have him transported (in his wheelchair) overnight in a bus, to watch and cheer her at the event venue the next day.

His surprise appearance ended up giving her a much needed morale boost that helped her clinch a place on the team with her final performance – despite earlier costly errors she’d made.

Relating It To Writing/Blogging?

Succeeding in any area of life requires making a decision to “show up”, no matter what.

Even if you’re late, it would be better than not making an appearance at all.

Think about this when next you’re trying to find the motivation to write your blog, newsletter etc.

Maybe you’ve been getting poor results from your past efforts. Or maybe you’re so busy with a lucrative writing project, you’re considering skipping that scheduled post on your blog.

Well don’t.

I suggest you try to imagine that ensuring you publish that scheduled piece could save a life. Train your mind to regard sticking with your writing schedule as if someone’s life depends on it. Someone you really care for.

What would you NOT do to keep her alive?

No matter how tired you are, you’d battle to stay awake until you’re done. Down black coffee if need be

And you’d want to be sure the write-up’s content quality is up to spec. If the girl had gotten her brother an adulterated version of the prescribed drug, he may not have recovered!

This may sound crazy, but I can tell you this approach works quite well for me whenever I need that extra push to stick with it.

The life and death scenario is a bit extreme I agree, but it gets the message across

Final Words

Try it and see. This strategy can help you quickly clear the cobwebs from your mind and focus your writing efforts, with great results to show.

Remember that your readers expect you to show up. You’ll also feel quite proud of yourself when you look back later and recall that you got it done, inspite of the challenges that made you consider giving up!