“Dreams come true: without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.” — John Updike
One of my favorite blog authors is Lynne Spreen at Any Shiny Thing. Her article “Our Dreams Persist” describes the long and winding road that she traveled to write and publish her book “Dakota Blues.” I admire her persistence in the face of many obstacles to hold tight to her dream and to finally see it come to fruition.
Reading her story of how she wrote her book reminded me of my own experiences.
I first determined to write a book when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras in 1987. I didn’t have any idea, at that time, exactly what I wanted to write about. I just knew that I wanted to write a book that would be useful to others, and to hopefully inspire them along life’s way.
Time Marches On
It wasn’t until 15 years later, after starting my fixer upper and rental house business, that I began to put pen to paper (and fingers to computer keys) to begin writing my book. I thought that sharing my experiences with fixer upper houses would be that useful and inspiring book that I had imagined writing years earlier.
Four years later, through many iterations, and alternating periods of exhilaration and self doubt, “Fix em Up Rent em Out” was proudly rolled out on Amazon.com. Seeing my book finally published gave me a warm glow that still shines inside me to this day.
The Seed Continues to Grow
What I find interesting, in both my experience and Lynne’s, is that once the seed of a good idea is planted, it grows inexorably and invisibly inside of us, until it eventually becomes reality. The fact that it takes years for the final completion of the dream makes it all the more satisfying.
Weekly Blog Roundup
Additional recent blog articles that I liked:
The Landlord Quick Fix at LandlordInvestor
21 Ways to Manage the Stuff that Sucks Up Your Time at Louisville Gals Real Estate
Why is it Healthy to Change Bank Accounts? at Fearlessmen
Give your Family an Amazing Fall with these 8 (Frugal) Activities at Frugal Habits
Hording Gold at All Things Pondered
How to Save Money on Contacts and Eye Care at Work Save Live
How We Bought A $50K Duplex – Part 4 at plantingourpennies
Legal Battle Over a Sagging Balcony at Blue Collar Worker
What Do You Do When You Don’t Know What You Want To Do With Your Life? at Untemplater
Auto Insurance Basics And Recommendations For Everyone at Financial Samurai
Household Budget Tips for the Upcoming Fall at My Money Design
Catering Your Blog To Your Readership at Modest Money
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Coming Soon!