How Jeff Goins Kicked This Writer's Butt

Cover Art Copyright owned by Author

I have written before about my struggles with writing, about my insecurities with creating and you, my dear readers have been there every step of the way. So too has my “mentor”, Jeff Goins. 

As a frequent reader of his blog and follower on Twitter, I recently got asked by Jeff to read his upcoming eBook You are a Writer (So Start Acting like One) and I counted it a privilege to do so. 

You are a Writer (So Start Acting like One) took me an emotional and cerebral roller coaster. I have struggled with writing and since starting a blog I have waged an internal battle with myself over “issues” both large and small. 

This book is ingenious in its simplicity and profound in its insight into the writer's mind. Jeff Goins hits ever one of the issues I have ever had as a writer. I felt inspired, corrected, encouraged and empowered all at the same time. 

Moments in this book had me shouting out loud and after lesson’s like “Stop writing for accolades and start writing for passion”, or “kill the excuses and start writing” I have no reason to not develop my talent and share my gift with the world. 

Jeff Goins makes better writers because he gives us tools, he kicks our collective whiny butts and he speaks from experience. This is a must read for every writer! 

Jeff writes, “Without the Medici family, Michelangelo wouldn't have painted the Sistine Chapel.” Without Jeff Goins, I wouldn’t still be doing this “writing” thing. I would not be able to proudly, boldly, and truthfully say, “I am a writer”. 

For me, this book will join the ranks of Jon Acuff’s Quitter and Robert Masello's Robert’s Rules of Writing as one of the most influential self-help books of my life. 

The highlight for me is the personal inspirations I have drawn from You are a Writer (So Start Acting like One). Soon, this inspiration will be translated into changes here, in this blog, and I cannot wait to show you all I have learned. 

If you have a dream to write, or any other artistic and creative pursuit, this book is for you. Please, go to Amazon (affiliate site) and buy You are a Writer (So Start Acting like One)! 

To find out more about the author, visit goinswriter.com or follow Jeff on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/JeffGoins and to purchase his books go to DiscoverShopping.

Have you ever read a book that inspired you? 

"Just Keep Swimming" The Lesson I Learned from a Cartoon.

Sometimes when I write these devotionals, I have no problem figuring out what to write. Sometimes, the words are pressing so hard against my heart and fingers they fly out of me like a geyser. Shooting into the air, my words become water on the page, at least for me, because as I write I am the student of God too. 

Then there are those days, like today, where I am sitting at my desk, praying, looking at the blank screen in front of me and wondering how am I going to come up with something edifying to say right now? What do I do when this happens? I write anyway. 

Why? How? 

Disney/Pixar all rights reserved

It is the lesson God taught me just recently as I babysat two very precious little boys I know. They wanted to watch a movie. After much deliberation, they settled on Finding Nemo, a Disney Pixar Film. As I sat there with them, cuddled under blankets, I heard something that sparked inside of me. Dory, said “Just keep Swimming”. 

I know it is crazy that a grown woman has anything to learn from a Disney movie, but God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. 

Her persistence in the movie spoke volumes to me. “Just Keep Swimming” 

I don’t know about you but I usually give up. If it gets hard, I walk away. If I got offended in the past, I left. If I started a book and got stuck on the story line, then I would scrap it, lie to myself and say “it wasn’t a good idea anyway” and be frustrated because I wanted to be a writer. 

I am a writer, and Dory was a fish. She swam. I write. “Just keep swimming” 

Persistence is important. 

No one knows this better than God. He is faithful. He persisted throughout time after man. He wooed us, He chastised us, and He loved us. 

Now it is our turn to be consistently faithful. To follow after God with our whole heart, our whole body, our whole mind, to love our neighbor as ourselves, these are the call of God for every man and woman in Christ. 

Persistence is defined as tenacity, holding firm in pursuit. We need to focus on what we are pursuing and then be persistent. 

Choose you this day whom you will serve. 

Jesus looked at Peter and said “Follow me” and Peter did. He made mistakes along the way, he even got so discouraged that Jesus had to re-enforce in Peter his calling: Feed my sheep. 

But Peter’s persistence lead him to be the one who preached on the Day of Pentecost and thousands came to the Lord. His persistence caused him to be faithful unto death. 

I want to be that persistent. I want to be told at the end of my life, as I stand before my Father, “Well done, thy good and FAITHFUL servant” “Just Keep Swimming!” 

Let the past go, press on into what is ahead toward the high calling of Christ Jesus and run your race! 

Be persistent and JUST KEEP SWIMMING! 

Can you share with us about a time you felt like giving up or giving in and you persisted anyway? How did that affect you? 

Be blessed and be a blessing and remember persistence is a noun.