The Recipe for Success

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

 Easier said that done... Despite how straightforward this proberb is, I believe there are several ways to understand it. The lesson I take from it is to learn to let go at some point, and to realize that as you build your own success, you do not necessarily have everything under control.

You can take advantage of an opportunity (and you don't want to miss one), but you cannot always control when one will appear. You can learn to spot it, trust your guts and act on it. In other words be gutsy and trust that it will pay off.

You cannot necessarily control circumstances, but you can make the best of them even if it means beating the odds. You have to trust that you can do it and that, to borrow some friends' expression, your luck is around the corner.

This might sound strange, but that verse also reminds me of team work. You do your part, and when you have done all that you can, you, for those who believe in such a concept, abandons it in the hand of a higher power. This is particularly relevant for a writer. You've spent months, years working on a single story, polishing your draft, revising a gazillion times. Then comes a time where you have to let go. Submit the story to a power other than yourself, higher than yourself, more experienced. Trust your story into the hands of an agent, of editors, of booksellers, and eventually of readers. Trust is key.

A rejection is a good thing, because I believe it makes you and your story stronger. YOU because you have to get passed it and look at the positive side: the story wasn't right for a certain editor or agent, which means a better opportunity, one more suited, will come along. It can also mean that your story is not strong enough yet. It is encouraging: it is better to find out now, before the story gets published and hit the shelves to catastrophic results. Lastly, it can also mean that you have to leave the story alone for the time being, especially if you feel that you can't look at it anymore, or you cannot think of ways to improve it. Put it in a drawer and strong from that experience, start afresh.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."