Well, it’s been a busy week, but I’ve managed to survive – by the skin of my teeth. It was Friday, and after working all day, I jumped into my car and drove up to Rotselaar, driving about 150 km to get to this writers event I was invited to, called ‘de Woordenwevers.’ It turned out to be a good ol’ reunion of writers, some of whom I’d interviewed before on my YouTube channel. I filmed the whole deal, and I’ve got a whole stash of footage, waiting to be released onto YouTube, as soon as I find the energy to edit the damn thing.
Sometimes, I find it interesting to look back, to ponder on how I got here in the first place. I mean, how the hell did I end up on that stage, invited to speak in the presence of several writers, some with decades of experience? Sure, it’s not anything earth shattering. I’m not claiming to have won the Nobel Peace Prize here. But a few years back, I wouldn’t have bet a dime on this ever happening. So, what’s my secret recipe, if you’d ask me to sum it up in a short few sentences?
Well, I set my sights on writing a book, fought tooth and nail when one draft after another didn’t work, and finally brought that book into existence, self-published and proud. Then, I took the plunge into the wild world of YouTube, started putting out videos, and crossed paths with other wordsmiths through interviews. And then, in one of those strange twists of fate, Filip Bastien throws me an invite to his gig.
Each step seems easy, and totally unremarkable. And I guess that’s where the real magic lies. One step at a time all adds up to something beautiful.
Now, I’m not done yet, not by a long shot. So, keep your eyes peeled, folks, because who knows what’s going to happen in the coming years? All I wanna say is this: take this as encouragement for your own goals. Even if you have no burning desire to pen the next great classic novel, just take that first step toward something that you do want, whether it’s running that marathon, or getting a new job.
It’s a cliché, but I’ve found that our own lack of self confidence tends to drag us down to even get started to go for the bigger goals. Often, we just don’t know where to start. Well, life’s a lot like chess: you can’t possibily plan out every move from start to finish. Do your best to come up with a plan, but be flexible, adapting to what unfolds before you. People assume that chess is all about coming up with brilliant tactical moves, and while that occasionally happens, it’s mostly about accumulating one small advantage at a time.
Small gains have a way of piling up, and with patience and a long-term vision, you don’t need to pull off miracles to get what you’re after.
Food for thought!
Kind regards
Vincent J. Dancet