What Writers Can Learn From Diana Nyad

If there's one takeaway from the 64-year old's 110 mile swim from Cuba to Key West, it's never give up. She made several attempts over the years and came up short of her goal. A lot of people would have just quit. It's in our nature to want to succeed right away. Anything less than immediate victory and we're talking ourselves out of our dreams. Ms. Nyad's story is proof that with intense focus and a can-do attitude, the world is there for the taking. I sometimes wonder how many writers have quit over rejection by an agent or dismal book sales. Writing is tough and selling your work is beyond difficult, at least in the beginning. The ones who stick to their plans will be rewarded for their efforts.

Life is pretty great, even when everything isn't perfect...

Summer is winding down and I'm reflecting on what has been a hectic year so far. My son fell ill in January with a rare autoimmune disorder called HSP. By May, he cleared the hurdle with help from gluten-free eating. He doesn't have a wheat allergy, but it really helped get his system back on track. The photo below was taken in January.

Since recovery, he's been able to cross two important things off the list. One, he learned how to ride his bike. Secondly, he learned how to swim. Life was at a standstill for awhile, so it was easier to embrace even the things that scared him before getting ill. It reminds me that we all have to accept life's shortcomings in order to benefit from its miracles. The below photo is from last weekend's trip to Galveston. Hard to believe it's the same child.