"Dreams do come true if you keep believing in yourself. Anything is possible."
These were the words of my favorite tennis star as a child, Jennifer Capriati. Although most everyone knows of the unfortunate circumstances that forced her to quit the sport of tennis that she was so passionate about, it does not take away from the amazing precedent Jennifer set as the youngest woman (well, girl, really) to turn pro at age 14. She was highlighted as the most charismatic draw for the U.S. women's tennis circuit since Chrissy Evert. When she "burnt out" in 1993, or whatever the naysayers chose to say had happened to her, she had made more money and won more titles than most women on the professional tour ever hoped to claim in their entire careers.
In 1996, once again overcoming the hurtful and doubtful cries of the media and public eye, Jennifer Capriati returned to tennis a transformed woman. She had more determination, spirit, maturity and drive than anyone had ever fathomed. She went on the reclaim her good reputation and title, moving all the way up to the Number One ranking in the professional Women's Tennis Association (WTA). She played her heart out until 2004, when she finally acquired an injury too severe to be able to continue her domination on court. This is the Jennifer Capriati I choose to remember. She showed teenage girls, women and men all over the world that going after your dreams and believing in yourself when nobody else is even willing to give you a chance, is worth all the times of hardship that you may encounter along the way.I am constantly reminding others not to get discouraged when things don't work out the exact way they hoped at the exact time they hoped. Life just doesn't work out like that. Sometimes I need to take my own advice so I thought I would blog it here as a reminder to myself whenever I need to look at it.
The first one was a retweet (RT) of an article posted on a fun(ny) web site, http://www.neatorama.com/. Check it out for all the weird and bizarre news and information you could ever want to (or not) know. Aptly titled, "If At First You Don't Succeed: Very Famous Book Rejections", the article listed a few notable novels and their authors who were met with their own resistance when they were first rejected by equally famous publishing houses before becoming a staple in our culture.
Highlights magazine articles by Judy Blume
Chicken Soup for the Soul by various editors
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Animal Farm by George ORwell
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
70 Poems by e.e. Cummings
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
Click here for the full article: http://www.neatorama.com/2010/04/28/if-at-first-you-don%e2%80%99t-succeed-very-famous-book-rejections/
The second tweet came from an established, published and very marketable author who shared her own astonishment at the feat of a young woman of only 15 years (!!!), Gabriella Skory who has recently written, published and self-promoted her first novel, The Pages of Red Diamond, all on her own. What an accomplishment to have taken such initiative at such a young age and succeeded. Check out her web page for an excerpt of her book, ordering info and all the deets on her life: http://thepagesofreddiamond.tumblr.com/.I know it gives me hope and promise that this little hobby of mine I enjoy, called creative writing, will actually pay off (not even necessarily monetarily, though that would, of course, be nice:)) if I put in the time and effort. It will only become something if I make it something. I'm not magically going to be discovered at my local coffee shop typing away on my laptop by St. Martin's Press or Penguin. "Oh, my, I see you typing away over there with your Loca Mocha. Could that be a national bestseller you're working on? Sign here to work under us!" Yeah, I don't think so. But I do think that my writing can be practiced, crafted and critiqued over time and maybe, just maybe, one day I will have see my own name on a pretty pastel, candy-covered book.
On the topic of Success (and the hard path we walk to get there), here are some inspirational quotes, some more fun or funny than others:
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. ~Winston Churchill
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. ~ Unknown
Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ~ David Frost
Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. ~ Unknown
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. ~ Unknown
Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ~ David Frost
Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. ~ Unknown
In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time. ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book
Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it.... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching. ~ Tennessee Williams
The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success. ~ Unknown
It is wise to keep in mind that no success or failure is necessarily final. ~ Unknown
Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions - the hero and the sidekick. ~ Laurence Shames
The man who has done his level best, and who is conscious that he has done his best, is a success, even though the world may write him down as a failure. ~ B.C. Forbes
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me. ~ Emo Phillips
If at first you do succeed - try to hide your astonishment. ~ Unknown
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