Drawing Inspiration
Posted on October 21, 2005 - Filed Under Personal |
I’ve chatted with a number of people, who have set large goals for themselves. These people either achieved those goals or failed. In talking with them, I think the key to any success is dedication. In other words, just how dedicated are you to a goal.
The people who have set large goals for themselves most often draw inspiration from other people. I’ve studied extensively, the great capitalists in US history as well as renowned military leaders. I glean what I can, incorporate what I feel is relevant to my life, and move on. More often than not, these people I study have already passed on. But finding someone in your current time frame that you would consider a hero, a true success can be more difficult.
During this time, I’ve had one person bring inspiration to me. Lance Armstrong. But now I’m proud to announce that another has joined this rank. For me, this is an arduous process. I’m extremely picky about who I spend time with, let alone consider to be inspirational. There are certain things I look for and this new person has those qualities.
A few years back, I discovered on a Google search this website called "French Word of the Day". For quick background, this woman from Arizona moved to France and is living there with her husband and two children. Each day, she would send out a French word and a story to go with it. The stories reflect her life and experiences being submersed into a different culture. Some stories were funny, others sad, some inspirational. It has been a real treat to check the email first thing in the morning and find a new story in there. Her name is Kristin Espinasse and I’ve kept every single one of her stories.
One of her dreams is to be a published author. Sounds simple? Not really. In a sea full of fledgling authors, it can be difficult to be the one that stands out and get noticed by the big publishing companies.
This did not deter her.
Kristin decided to self publish. And when enough new stories were created, a new volume would appear on her blog. She would handle all the orders, fill them, process them, and get them to the post office all by herself. For those of you who have never experienced a french post office, that last item is a major feat in and of itself! Only in France can one go to the post office and be told "We don’t have any stamps."
I joined this free "word a day" service when it was still less than 1,000 people. By now, it has exceeded 10,000 subscribers from all around the world. Not by doing fancy marketing or advertising but mostly from pure "word of mouth". I myself have turned a few people onto this service who are fellow francophiles.
Of course, Kristin has had to endure all kinds of set-backs. One day, the blog service wouldn’t function properly. The need to produce daily stories got to be a bit overwhelming for a while. Because the service is free, the need to find sponsors became daunting from time to time. Then someone was maliciously sending nasty emails to her sponsors using her name. Murphy’s Law seemed to take a particular interest in her. In the end, she kept her eye on her goal and continued unabated.
One day, fate tapped her on the shoulder. She was contacted by a major publishing company. Her book is now coming out and will be available on Amazon.com. She’s done it.
My mentor would say of her "Cliff, at least she tried. Not many people even have the courage to do that." And he’s right. However it’s not just a matter of trying. I admit that just starting for most people is daunting. It’s also a refusal to accept "No" as an answer to ones dreams, one’s goals. And for that, Kristin joins Lance as being one of my sources of inspiration.
Congratulations to Kristin on your book being published. You’ve definitely earned it. If Madame Clicquot were here, she’d toast to you as well.
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Cliff,
I like your new pic and the new logo. Good to see your blog is about more than being a slumlord.