How Do We Measure Success? by Darlene Beck Jacobson

 As a writer and author of children's books, I have found that it feels good to celebrate whatever success happens along the way. Writing is so solitary. Many times what we spend hours, days, weeks on, ends up never seeing the light of publication. 

There is a lot to celebrate in a well-turned phrase, a fresh metaphor, or a bit of dialogue that hits a home run. To wait until a project is finished before acknowledging effort or a small step forward would ignore the creativity that comes with every effort. Creativity, for me, does not arrived in a neatly wrapped package of order and precision. It is often messy, scattered, and loud, requiring space and reflection to blossom.

Finished one page today? SUCCESS

Didn't write a word on my WIP, but discovered a great setting for a scene while browsing online photos? SUCCESS

Found some great character names while reading? SUCCESS

 You get the idea. To keep creative juices flowing we need to honor whatever our brain requires. Sometimes the best ideas come from those times when we are away from the desk or computer and thinking about something else. SUCCESS is showing up, being open, and listening to what bubbles up from our brain. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes from successful people:

 

 "Success is not final; failure is not fatal.]: It is the courage to continue that counts." -  Winston Churchill

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." - Albert Einstein

"If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Every small step and effort counts on the twisty and unpredictable road to success. Bask in each moment. You deserve it.

Darlene Beck Jacobson lives and writes from various places inside her home in NJ.