Tell-Tale Publishing Group and its affiliate company, Wise Words Publishing Group, begin taking submissions April 1st—no fooling! So, tomorrow is the big day. Like Easter morning, we have been looking forward to this day for months. It symbolizes Spring and new beginnings, a very special time of year. So we’ve been arranging a beautiful bouquet filled with Dahlia, Nightshade, Stargazer Lilies, Thistle, Cosmos and even some Ivy. We have cleaned the place up, getting organized, sending out invitations for the big hunt. We can’t wait to begin collecting all those brightly colored Easter eggs. Each egg has been carefully decorated and delivered by someone hoping to have it turned into a magical golden egg. Unlike the golden egg on “The Biggest Loser,” the winner here won’t get the only vote or even the only golden egg, but they will be placed on the top of our Easter basket. It might be yours!
For me, mixed with the excitement are the anxieties of all new beginnings. These include the letting go of past careers and weekly if not daily associations with colleagues who have become friends. It even means some very drastic lifestyle changes. Long hours and hard work will still be a part of my life, but I move forward with the certain knowledge that I will finally be doing what I love the most, all day, every day. I will be reading wonderful stories and guiding writers through the critical stages of final revisions to the ultimate reward–the successful publication and marketing of a fantastic story. Who wouldn’t be excited about that?
For anyone who has never taken a chance, for those stuck in ruts or ready to make a change for whatever reasons, I highly recommend willfully choosing to do something you love. It is the most liberating, exhilarating feeling. There will be those who are ready to knock you down or hope to see you fail, but there will be many more that will lift you up and wish you well. My grandma used to tell me a quote from Henry Ford, which was, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.” No matter what, believe in yourself and always follow your bliss—which is within you. As Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”