"THIS IS ONLY A TEST!"

                                                   

                                                       Facing Trials

How do you deal with trials? Do you sulk about them and hide yourself from further scrutiny? Or do you get back up and try again when you fall down? For most people trials are like a dirty word flung at them.  They don’t know how to deal with it or simply unprepared to approach the issue.

Trials are a daily part of life. Some we ignore for this reason because we’ve become desensitized and view them as if they are the most natural part of our existence. Whereas, others respond to them in a more toxic way and have complete meltdowns as a result.

I’m not suggesting that trials aren’t variable or bearable because they are.  Such as a broken shoelace without a replacement. Or, the last slice of bread on a holiday weekend and all the stores are closed. These are manageable trials that do not create a lot of friction in our lives. Then there are some like losing a job or someone we love that packs a walloping punch that almost knocks us off our feet. That test our resolve.

I get it! No one likes trials, but they are there to torment us every single day. Either you deal with them or succumb to the pressure they can create.

As a writer and author, I have faced many trials on my journey to success. The hardest one, I will admit is the threat of not seeing my work come to fruition. Just to give you a little history.

I dealt with rejections from publishers, because I didn’t meet their qualifications of the status quo. I have been dropped from publishing companies because they realized that they had taken on just too many artist and someone had to go.

Low sales and other qualifiers are also reasons for dismissal. There are other setbacks too, such as the internal kind like writer’s block, and becoming discouraged or disillusioned with the entirety of it all.

How we overcome these obstacles is largely based on endurance. Are we in it for the long haul or stay until the first problem arise? Remember, the race isn’t given to the swift but to those who endure.

Now let’s look at the other end of the spectrum. The one where it seems trials don’t apply like to seemingly overnight success stories. The literary world is filled with them. At least it seems that way sometimes. We read about unknown authors who are blazing the charts with bestsellers. And wonder, how did they accomplish something so miraculous when the rest of us are still working toward that goal?

These are things that baffle the mind of starving artist.  But relax, this is only a test. One that I’m sure even the overnight sensations faced before their big break. Everyone has a back story, and has to pay some dues to get to where they are, I’m sure of it.

Overall, trials were not meant to weaken us but make us stronger. More resilient in our everyday existence. Trials are character and muscle builders, and were meant to protect us like armor was to medieval knights. They show us were our weakest areas are and how to strengthen them.

If you are to remain a contender in this world no matter what profession it applies to but most certainly the world of writing and publishing, then you’d better have thick skin. It takes it, because you will be subjected to criticism and held to a higher standard than most.

Hey, a trial a day keeps the doctor away. It doesn’t really but it certainly keeps us on our toes and A game.

Let’s face it, a world without trials is like a world without choices. We need them to keep us strong and ready for the next challenge.