Yesterday I finished the first draft of a new novel, and I want to celebrate. I started my first book when I was 16 years old and then didn’t write my second until I was in my late 20s. I had tried to get my first book published and fail for many years. The second book that I wrote still sits on my computer today as a first draft. It’s a sequel to Dorothea’s Song, and I don’t know if it will ever see the light of day.

Why?

I didn’t believe in myself. I waited for others to validate my work and thought that the publishing world needed to accept me.

I didn’t celebrate my hard work and then took the next step: Write another book.

But back in 2008, I decided to write a new book (Lost from my Cinderella’s Secret Witch Diaries series),, and a new thought came to me. I realized that I could write books and then sell them on Amazon. I no longer had to wade through the gatekeepers of publishing (or to sell off my copyright to my books). After I finished Lost, I then wrote books 2 and 3 in the series.

Each time that I celebrated a victory in publishing my latest book, I became more confident. I went from “I’ll never write again” to “I am going to keep writing books.” To date, I’ve 14 books (3 are in draft form with one actively being worked on).

As a kid, I read a lot of Isaac Asimov’s books. He wrote science fiction, non-fiction, and pretty much everything in-between. What I always admired about him was his ability to write so many books. Before his death in the ‘90s, he wrote and edited more than 500 books.

I never thought that I could do because I limited myself to thinking small.

I believed my teachers and family who told me that I’d never make any money in writing. And you know what, earning a living in writing fiction is hard. I’m still not doing it today. Does that make me a failure?

Here’s the thing: I have had a dream of being a writer since I was a little kid. I love writing stories and books. Writing is what saved me from growing up in an alcoholic and dysfunctional family. Through writing, I found a way to deal with my emotions and the hard stuff I lived through to rise above it all.

And I want to celebrate that.

Here’s the thing: I could wake up each day and think, “I’m never going to be a successful writer and earn enough money to live off of,” or I can write and share my books with the world. For the past nine years, I have been writing and losing money. People could say that I’m a failure, but I choose to celebrate my victories.

Each book I write, I become better. Each day that I use my talents, I find joy and happiness.

I’m choosing to let go and let the freedom wash over me.

If the world ended today and I never could write another word, I would vanish from this Earth knowing that I tried as hard as I could and that I shared my books with tens of thousands of people. I might not have made a lot of money, but I followed my dream.

The good news is that each day I have a chance to use my talents and to become a better writer.

I want to celebrate that.

What is it that you always wanted to do? What can you celebrate right now?

I think that we often don’t give ourselves credit and put ourselves down.

Maybe today we can end that.

Celebrate your victory no matter how small. One tiny positive thought can grow to a lifetime of blessing and happiness.

It just takes that first step.

Like what you’ve read? Be sure to check out my other posts in my Let Go and Be Free blog.