Why Not Me?

I get a lot of emails, probably because I sign up for a lot of stuff. Some I delete right away (why did I sign up for this anyway?), others I skim through, and some I actually read. One of the few newsletter-type emails I actually read is from Joseph Michael. His “Cup of Joe” email is interesting and often has some information I can use. A recent Cup of Joe really resonated with me.

My post on Word Wranglers a few Saturdays ago was about finding motivation. I need inspiration to help me finish writing/editing my current project and do everything necessary to self-publish it. To be honest, I’ve been terrified. What if self-publishing this series is a huge waste of time and money? Really, can a small potatoes author like me even hope to break even? Maybe I should forget the whole idea.

Then I read Joseph Michael’s email in which he shared an article he’d been featured in with Forbes Magazine. He says “if an "average Joe" from Missouri can do this -- then so can YOU!” I loved his video about pushing through. So, I started thinking, ‘Why not me?’ Why can’t I be the one who’s novels do well? Best-selling, even?

It’s not easy for me to believe that exceptional things will happen to me. I wasn’t exactly raised to believe I could be or do anything I wanted. No knock against my parents; they doted on me. But they had a narrow view of the world that communicated itself to me. Other people did big things, not us. I’ve probably let opportunities pass me by because of thinking like that.

In the article in Forbes Magazine, Joseph Michael talks about wanting something better than his corporate job. There was nothing wrong with it, but he wanted to be an entrepreneur and he wanted something better for his family than living paycheck to paycheck. So he kept trying. And working hard. He talks about spending every lunch hour in his car working on his own projects, parking close to a coffee shop so he could use their Wi-Fi. Eventually, all his hard work paid off and he came up with a course to teach people how to effectively use Scrivener. Other ideas and courses followed and eventually he was able to give up his day job. He never stopped believing he could make a living as an entrepreneur. He wanted to break free.

The idea of self-publishing appealed to me because I want at least a few books that I fully control. Self-publishing means I control the price and the cover, and every aspect of publishing and marketing. It’s a huge responsibility and a scary one.

I have to get over my fear. I believe I have a good product and I’m working hard to make it even better. I need to believe in myself. When I get worried about the costs and whether these books will sell, I have to ask myself, why not me?

What do you do to inspire yourself? If you’ve got any inspirational quotes you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them!