Words to start your week

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Dr. Kent M. Keith

Another version of this sentiment - including other attributes - hangs on a wall of the orphanage Mother Theresa founded in Calcutta. Its source is unknown.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It is never between you and them anyway
---

I also suggest listening to Martina McBride's song, "Anyway" if you're looking for inspiration with a musical lift. McBride wrote the lyrics and music for this deserving megahit!

Want to be a writer?

The way to become a writer is simple.

Not easy, but simple.

Write.

That's it.

Write.

If you can write only one minute a day - creating your own work or copying someone else's (ONLY as an exercise! Not for publication!) - start writing. You can build from there.

The only way to write and get better at writing is to write.

Taking class after class of how to write, reading a bazillion books teaching you how to write, and watching every CD or DVD on the subject will NOT help you become a great, successful or accomplished writer.

Only writing and writing and writing will do that.

I know lots of people who have spent thousands of dollars on classes, books, CD's and DVD's about writing - but all it did was confuse them or make them feel like they were doing something to actually create a life of being a writer ... without writing.

Lots of professional writers check out these contributions to their craft for new insights or to support a friend's writing project, but not place of of writing every day!

Books, classes, CD's, etc., are fine as long as you continue to write, write, write.

It's the only way one succeeds at anything.

I write this today because I'm working with a couple of people who have been writing for awhile under my tutalege whose work is really kicking into high gear, these wordsmiths have become very professional. One of whom has already been making money for his writing for several months.

Recently he told me, "You know, there's really something to what you said about becoming a good writer. The more you do the better you get."

Um, right.

He's very excited about his future as a writer and he should be.

My other writer is a kiss away from being qualified to get a newswriting job at any major market TV station.

I'm delighted. And it all stems from the drive and willingness to do what it takes to write as much as they must to continue to improve the quality of their work.

When people realize what I do, they inevitably tell me they've "always wanted" to write a book or screenplay or article.

It's not enough to want to do anything. The only thing that makes it happen in real life is to write.

And write and write and write.

Oh, and reading tons of good stuff doesn't hurt, either. Especially if you find someone who creates work that you're *crazy* about!

Hopefully? One day that person whose writing you love will be *you!*