https://youtu.be/QGJuMBdaqIw

Being that it's almost my 44th birthday... and my one year Wattaversary... I'd like to take this time to celebrate with all the Wattpadders currently in the throes of figuring out what they want to do, think they want to do, are trying to do, etc. Everyone isn't born Katy Perry or Beyoncé... like seriously, Christina Aguilera and Whitney Houston aren't the norm. Neither is J. K. Rowling to say the least, but fireworks on the Fourth of July are as real as a horn on a unicorn.

There is no magic potion or Hollywood glitz and glam for overnight miracles and superific magnitudes of success, no shazam or woof poof of the wand―at least none that I'm aware of―to catapult any one particular person born with a feather in one hand or ink in the other into a bottomless pit of billion-dollar sales (if you should find one, don't be stingy), but what there is are little magical moments of micro-wins that deserve our utmost attention. Why? Because any action taken towards your dreams and goals is better than no action taken at all. So, let the celebration begin! Bring on the fireworks!

Step one: Every victory starts with a vision. Think about it. You can just take off, but it would behoove you to at least survey the area first. There's nothing like stubbing your toe on a piece of furniture you didn't see or miscalculated the distance to. Am I lying? No. It's happened before, and I would rather it never happen again. So, plot and plan... then, plan and plot some more. See where you're going and then map out the journey. See the end in sight.

Step two: Bumps and bruises are inevitable. Listen up. I don't care how much planning you do, obstacles exist. I believe challenges are strategically set in place to cause us to have to think things through. Is this what we really want to do? Are you sure you really want to try that? This is where the two really become one. If not for life's little (sometimes large) mishaps, there would be no lessons to learn. Without lessons learned, what would we really have to write about?

Your greatest character, your most favorite place, even that ice cream you dropped on the way home or the balloon that somehow slipped away after being tied securely to your little wrists, would all lack even the smallest hint of personality or realism had it never happened. So, while I never encourage going out and making mistakes, I do always try to advise people to make their own. Like I tell my children, "Some mistakes simply cost too much. You shouldn't have to learn everything the hard way; pay attention and don't do what someone else has done thinking the results will be different. Find your own way." Why do I say that? Well, here goes... if you don't plan not to have a baby, then you plan to have one. Simple. Logical. True. Moving on. Weigh the risks.

Step three: Don't throw in the towel. Focus! Sometimes, there are only two choices: to do and not to do. That's it. At worst, you can be who you currently are singing in the shower into a hairbrush. At best, you can actually step out onto a sold-out stage and dominate. The difference? Perspective. Preparation. Persistence. Every calculated step is worth taking that leads you to the biggest stage. Don't miss that... calculate. In other words, be intentional. Success is a planned experience. Nobody just wins the lottery; they bought, found or received a ticket from somewhere. So, with pen and paper in hand, just write. Be intentional about what you put out there and the legacy you want to leave. Then, celebrate every word, every line, sentence (fragment or otherwise), paragraph, page, chapter, first draft or revised final. Just don't stop. Sometimes, the journey is long. Other times, it's simply lonely. My advice, keep moving either way. It'll all make sense in the end; just start somewhere. Celebrate the rewards.

*For the non-writers: Whatever gets your soul stirring, that is the thing you should be intentional about. Somethings come naturally to us all. What are yours? I can do a number of things, but only writing gives me life. It's the thing that feeds my soul. Life a fish out of water, that's how real the struggle gets for me when I don't write. Whatever makes you feel like someone's foot is on your throat when you're not doing it... that's the thing you should be pursuing. Perspective is everything; preparation is key; persistence yields rewards. Strike a match!