 |
| Myra Johnson |
A few years ago, while searching for some inspiration, I came
across a great little book that’s full of big ideas on how to stay motivated
and prioritize your life: 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever, by Steve Chandler. Here are
some sections I found especially helpful:
#4. Keep your eyes on the prize. Chandler points out that a huge
obstacle to success is letting our worries and fears distract us from our real
goals. As writers we can allow fear of failure to keep us from either
completing a manuscript or taking the risk of submitting it to an agent or
editor.
#40. Find your soul purpose. You’re not going to be much good to
others unless and until you’re happy with yourself and excited about your work,
so take the time to discover what really
makes you happy. That may mean you need to write the book of your heart instead
of chasing market trends.
#59. Upgrade your old habits. According to Chandler, bad habits
can’t simply be broken. You have to replace
the bad habit with positive action. Like eating a healthy snack instead of one
heavy on calories and fat. Like doing a workout video instead of watching TV. Like
exchanging web browsing time for a concentrated period of work on your
manuscript.
#68. Get up a game. Competition can be healthy. It forces us to
reach deep inside ourselves, helping us grow and improve. The real victory
comes not from besting someone else, but from bringing out the best in
ourselves. Is there a manuscript contest you’ve thought about entering? This
may be the year to give it a try!
#73. Use the 5% solution. “Great things are often created very
slowly,” Chandler writes. What if you brought 5% more purposefulness into each
day? What kinds of changes would you see in your life? How many more words
could you write in a day?
#74. Do something badly. We’ve all heard the old adage, if
something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. But what if that isn’t
necessarily true? Can you let go of perfectionism long enough to draft the next
scene, or perhaps begin that new story you’ve been dreaming of writing?
#101. Teach yourself the power of negative thinking. This one
might well be my favorite. Saying no can be a powerful thing. It means standing
up for ourselves and our beliefs, taking a stand against things we simply won’t
tolerate. Ask yourself what you really don’t
want in life, and experience a burst of energy to turn that into positive
motivation!
 |
| A Horseman's Hope |
Four years after his girlfriend, Shana, became pregnant, Ryan still can’t believe he’s a father . . . and can’t imagine being anything else. His daughter is the light of his life. Now if only Shana could embrace motherhood and the three become a real family. . . .
Then Ryan receives shocking news about Shana, and his world is torn apart as he faces losing his daughter. Suddenly old feelings for Grace resurface, but is a whirlwind marriage of convenience the answer?
About Myra Johnson: Award-winning author Myra Johnson is a Texan
through and through, but she has no regrets about recently making the move to
the more temperate climate of the Carolinas. She and her husband of over 40
years are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters who, along with their
godly husbands, have huge hearts for ministry. Four rambunctious grandsons and
two precious granddaughters take up another big chunk of Myra’s heart. The
Johnsons also enjoy spoiling their very
pampered oversized lapdogs. Myra writes inspirational romantic fiction
for Abingdon Press and Heartsong Presents. Her latest release is A Horseman’s Hope (Heartsong Presents,
January 2013).
