You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love. ~ Nicholas Sparks

For the past four months, I have paid careful attention about doing more what is right for me, even though I have to live with the fact that it i hurting those who were once closest to me. C'est la vie. They should have put more forethought into doing something that they knew would hurt my boys. And that's all I can say before this grows into a tangent.

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning. ~ Louis L'Amour

So this brings to a close the March quotes. I have an idea for April's theme and it's one that could get really amusing. However, you have to wait until next month to hear about it.

Happy springtime!

So Happy Together

"Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much." ~ Helen Keller

That quote is very true.

Recently I started overbidding on jobs, and giving myself longer deadlines in hopes that new clients would say, "Oh, she's too expensive" or "We want work done faster than that." But no, they just keep hiring me to do more work! Which isn't a bad thing, but still...when I added up all the jobs I had lined up for the next two weeks, the total equaled more than 35,000 written words. And four pieces of art. What the heck was I thinking.

I did not freak out. I stayed calm. And I hired two people that I am using as ghost writers. Because most of the work that I do is just fodder for websites, and more a way to get the attention of a search engine than something that people will read, any decent writer can do it.

The weight that lifted off my shoulders this afternoon was amazing. I'm so relaxed, I don't think I'll have any trouble getting to sleep tonight.

"You are not a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone is going to like you or your story. Do not take rejection personally." ~ Meg Cabot

Today's quote comes from the lovely Meg Cabot. For those of you familiar with the Disney channel, she wrote the Princess Diaries. For those of you too grown up for the Disney Channel but have no idea who she is, try one of her books! They're great chick lit especially with summer right around the corner. (I recently just read "Every Boy's Got One" and loved it.)

But, I digress.

Recently a new client came to me requesting something whimsical and fun. When I provided something to her that even made my husband chuckle, she told me I was off the mark. When I asked for clarification, she informed me that she wanted something that was less comical, and more serious. In fact, she didn't want it to be funny at all. She wanted something dry, with researched examples to back up my statements on the topic. This is totally not what she said when she asked me to do the job.

Even though it was not my fault, I was crushed at the initial rejection. The job was over weeks ago and even though I have been paid and the money has since been spent, she provided no other kind of feedback. I'm sure every author has a client or assignment that haunts them. This whole experience taught me a valuable lesson. Before starting a job, communicate with the client to double check exactly what it is they need.

In the time since, I've gained another wonderful client. He needed a sales pitch and requested a sample of my work, which I provided. His reply went something like this:

"I think I may have asked you for the wrong thing, or used the wrong term for what I need. The type of writing I am looking for is more like...."

And then, without being insulting towards me or my style of writing, he linked me to some examples. And the examples were not sales pitches at all. Within a couple of hours I sent him a new sample, which he completely loved. He's since become one of my most loyal clients and offered me almost more work than I can handle.

However, if I'd pouted myself into quitting after that first rejection, then I'd pretty much be out of a job right now. Instead, I'm on a wonderful vacation with my family and am at this moment on a break between writing assignments, and overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. In a few moments I'll get back to writing as I budgeted in time to work on this trip, but seriously could I have a better job? I really don't think so.

Whatever it is you plan to do in life, regardless of what dream you choose to follow, if life gives back any kind of rejection...then do not give up. Do not ever, ever, ever give up.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”

- Maya Angelou

Today's quote is inspired by the fact that one of my boys brought an Agatha Christie book to the beach, while the other brought a pile of automobile-related magazines. It matters much less to me about the content of their choice in reading material, as it does that they're reading at all.