In The Demons’ Head: Don’t let Failure Dictate Your Life
February 10, 2017
Hello and welcome to another edition of In The Demons’ Head. I hope that this edition finds you in a good place. For the record, thank you guys for the wonderful responses to my last post that talked about my grandmother. However, I’m trying to get back into a normal routine and that starts with writing some new posts for this blog. This new post is something I’ve been wanting to write for a little while, but as per the usual, things got in the way.
February 10, 2017
Hello and welcome to another edition of In The Demons’ Head. I hope that this edition finds you in a good place. For the record, thank you guys for the wonderful responses to my last post that talked about my grandmother. However, I’m trying to get back into a normal routine and that starts with writing some new posts for this blog. This new post is something I’ve been wanting to write for a little while, but as per the usual, things got in the way.
As some of you are well aware, I’ve been at this four almost 5 years. Fuck…. 5 years trying to chase this dream and make it a reality, and I’m barely making headway, but as many people have told me it’s about a marathon, not a sprint. Hell, until a couple of weeks ago I hadn’t even released a full length novel and this year I’m banking on releasing 3. Now, let’s be up front and honest here, some things have already happened this year that have put a small damper on my goals list but I intend to try and make it up.
But the semi-chaotic start to my 2017 isn’t why I’m writing this post today. Quite the opposite actually as I am writing this post to discuss something that not only creatives face, but something that I feel plagues pretty much every human being that ever steps off the beaten path for longer then 10 seconds, that something is failure.
Now let me preface this by saying, I’ve been failing a lot in regards to my writing, to my professional journey, and in trying to get myself in a position where this is what I do full time, but that hasn’t stopped me. In fact, failure hasn’t done much other then fuel my fire to actually reach the goals that I set out for myself.
Take this example: I’ve been working for my current employer for 3 years, I won’t mention names mainly because they frown upon that if you do the research that’s on you. Either way, I put in for a manager job over the department I’ve been in for almost 3 years. Now, there were others who put in for the job and that is what it is, but, somehow a guy whose been with said employer less then 2 months got this job over me. This happens, and I don’t have the ability to comprehend it, but it has taught me one thing, I will continue to chase this dream of writing because right now it’s the only thing that seems like a sure bet to me.
But that failure goes further then just my job. It also hits my own writing career. However, unlike a lot of people who are trying to do this for a living. I can try and pinpoint the problem and if I had to guess, I think it’s because of my inability to commit. Here, let me explain.
When I started writing trying to get published in 2012, I went the stupid route. In fact, my first published book was called “More Than Memories” it was a collection of poetry and short stories that I published in the fall of 2012. That book has been widely downloaded as a free book over the last four years. But, in the last four years I tried to release more short stories, and poetry collections. I wanted to try and write a novel, but honestly I didn’t know how. It took a lot of writing, reading, and learning before I realized that not only should I write a novel but how I should have written a novel.
It’s been a hell of a learning curve for me. However, I can personally say after writing 6 novels, and gearing up to edit and release my second one here in a couple of months. I think this is the path that I need to be on. I guess when you think about it, the point of this post is pretty simple, don’t let failure dictate what happens in your own life. You’re going to get knocked down, pushed into the dirt, and have to get back up. It might sound cliche but it’s not about how many times you get knocked down, its’ about how many times you get back up.
With that said, keep one eye forward on the future, and the other on whatever may come your way. Because failure doesn’t need to dictate your life, you need to. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, and sign up for my mailing list for new up to date things as they become available. Until the next time you want to take a trip through the gates of hell and into the demons’ head, I’m Kyle Robinson wishing you a safe trip back to the surface.
But the semi-chaotic start to my 2017 isn’t why I’m writing this post today. Quite the opposite actually as I am writing this post to discuss something that not only creatives face, but something that I feel plagues pretty much every human being that ever steps off the beaten path for longer then 10 seconds, that something is failure.
Now let me preface this by saying, I’ve been failing a lot in regards to my writing, to my professional journey, and in trying to get myself in a position where this is what I do full time, but that hasn’t stopped me. In fact, failure hasn’t done much other then fuel my fire to actually reach the goals that I set out for myself.
Take this example: I’ve been working for my current employer for 3 years, I won’t mention names mainly because they frown upon that if you do the research that’s on you. Either way, I put in for a manager job over the department I’ve been in for almost 3 years. Now, there were others who put in for the job and that is what it is, but, somehow a guy whose been with said employer less then 2 months got this job over me. This happens, and I don’t have the ability to comprehend it, but it has taught me one thing, I will continue to chase this dream of writing because right now it’s the only thing that seems like a sure bet to me.
But that failure goes further then just my job. It also hits my own writing career. However, unlike a lot of people who are trying to do this for a living. I can try and pinpoint the problem and if I had to guess, I think it’s because of my inability to commit. Here, let me explain.
When I started writing trying to get published in 2012, I went the stupid route. In fact, my first published book was called “More Than Memories” it was a collection of poetry and short stories that I published in the fall of 2012. That book has been widely downloaded as a free book over the last four years. But, in the last four years I tried to release more short stories, and poetry collections. I wanted to try and write a novel, but honestly I didn’t know how. It took a lot of writing, reading, and learning before I realized that not only should I write a novel but how I should have written a novel.
It’s been a hell of a learning curve for me. However, I can personally say after writing 6 novels, and gearing up to edit and release my second one here in a couple of months. I think this is the path that I need to be on. I guess when you think about it, the point of this post is pretty simple, don’t let failure dictate what happens in your own life. You’re going to get knocked down, pushed into the dirt, and have to get back up. It might sound cliche but it’s not about how many times you get knocked down, its’ about how many times you get back up.
With that said, keep one eye forward on the future, and the other on whatever may come your way. Because failure doesn’t need to dictate your life, you need to. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, and sign up for my mailing list for new up to date things as they become available. Until the next time you want to take a trip through the gates of hell and into the demons’ head, I’m Kyle Robinson wishing you a safe trip back to the surface.