DOWN BUT NOT OUT...

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To all my current and future #DCSPeeps (DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED), welcome to my new series in my continuing effort to inspire, amuse, and entertain you! Each Monday I will select a new word to analyze how it might apply to our writing lives and also give you a peek into my childhood growing up in the swamps of southern Louisiana. 

The basis of today's post happened more recently, so kick back, put your feet up, and check out my story about TODAY'S WORD:

PERSEVERANCE

Two weeks ago I was teaching my adult Taekwondo class and getting my students ready for their belt advancement testings.  One of those students has only trained with me for two months now but last night she displayed the essence of PERSEVERANCE.

We were working on controlled leg sweep take downs where a person would end up on the floor if the technique was performed correctly. This student was taken down by her daughter, who also began her training two months ago, and in the process of practicing the take down the mother bumped her head solidly on the mats.

She wasn’t hurt, but it stung and brought tears to her eyes. Lying there on the floor with the whole class watching my student had two choices…

1) Give up before she really even began her journey to black belt because she discovered there would occasionally be “bumps” to deal with and overcome along the way.

2) Or take a moment to catch her breath, mentally (or in this case physically) pick herself up, and try again.

I was so proud of my student when she chose the second option and even finished the class.

Oh, and did I mention this young at heart lady will be 68 on her next birthday?

There have been many times during my writing career that I use some of the lessons learned in my martial arts training. The skill of PERSEVERANCE is one of them.

1. Writing is a lonely endeavor and easy to give up on when the going gets tough, but I PERSEVERE.

2. Finding the right agent to help me grow as a writer is challenging, but I PERSEVERE.

3. Being brave enough to put my work out there with the chance of being rejected is hard, but I PERSEVERE.

4. I may never see my name on the front of another book, but I can't imagine NOT doing this thing I love so much, so I PERSEVERE.

How about YOU?

Just remember my DCSPeeps, nothing is impossible if you have the right amount of PERSEVERANCE. This writing journey we are all on might have some bumps in the road at times, and we might even fall down occasionally while pursuing our dreams, but it’s all the times we get back up and keep trying that will eventually see us to our publishing goals!

I hope you have an awesome day today because you deserve it!

 

 

 

Children's book author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a 'ninja' writer of children’s picture books, middle grade chapter books and young adult novels by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books. She is also a book reviewer for Harper Collins, and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Donna is a lover of dark chocolate, good stories, and an adoptive mom to 20-pound guard kitty in Knoxville, Tennesse

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Author Email: www.donasdays@gmail.com

 
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