Turning Weaknesses into Strengths

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Do you tend to focus on your weaknesses or your strengths?

Have you ever considered that your greatest weakness might be your greatest strength?

Think for a moment about a weakness you consider yourself to have. What might be a corresponding strength?

Here’s what I mean… weaknesses and strengths are part of the same continuum. How they manifest in your life has a lot to do with your perspective.

The wrong outlook propels you toward disaster.

A positive perspective equips you to succeed.

So when my daughter, at five and six years of age, put up a stink every time I asked her to do something, I could have called her uncooperative or stubborn or any other number of not-so-positive attributes. Instead, I admired her ability to negotiate and her courage to express her opinion. More than once, through gritted teeth, I told her that she’d make a good lawyer one day.

For my own sanity, probably more than for her mental health, I was looking for the positives.

Can you relate?

If you’re a “creative” type, you may have been criticized by your parents and teachers as being a dreamer or lazy.

Yet, that ability to shut out the world around you and let your imagination run wild is an essential quality for a writer.

Or perhaps you’re criticized for being too obstinate as the heroine in my current wip is. But what is obstinancy?

It’s firmly adhering to one’s purpose or opinion. Not yielding. Not giving up.

Are you seeing the strengths in that definition?

I am. My heroine is determined and persistent and she won’t give up, and because of it, she’ll ultimately win the day, but along the way, her unyielding nature is bound to stir up trouble.

We tend to respond to fiction when it resonates with us. When we recognize ourselves in the characters or in their experiences or in their dreams or in their circumstances.

If, unlike the villains I talked about on Monday, the hero rises above a tragic experience, if she triumphs over impossible odds, we are filled with hope that we could triumph, too.

Your Turn: What’s a weakness you feel that you have and the corresponding strength? If you can’t think of what the corresponding strength would be, we’ll help!!

Praying you see yourself in a new positive light today!

Image courtesy of Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fun Friday – A Novelist Daughter Shares

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Today I’m welcoming Katy Lee’s daughter to my blog to share her perspective on what it’s like to live with a writer. Take it away…#1

For the past two years, I’ve watched my mom go from dreamer to success, and I’ve learned a few secrets along the way. Perhaps some of you will relate.

Here are my top ten observations:
10. Practice makes perfect! When following your dreams, never give up practicing. (Thanks, Mom, for this one. I won’t forget it no matter what I am striving for!)

9. Thinking about writing is NOT doing it. (I hear this one a lot—usually when she is driving me to all of my sport activities which is then keeping her from her writing. Once again, thanks, Mom!)

8. I love this one! The road to success has to include little mini-parties along the way. I especially love the parties with cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles on top!

7. Being an artist, I’ve learned from watching my mom that writing and drawing are related. While Mom is describing the human anatomy, I enjoy drawing it. (Get your minds out of the gutter! I mean people! I enjoy drawing people. Check out my latest drawing. What d’ya think?)

6. This one I’m still a little bummed about. I’ve learned just because you’re in the family, doesn’t mean you’ll make it in the book. In Momma’s new release, her character, Mel is a gamer. I made myself her “go-to” person on everything virtual. The character Cassie was based on me! I was so excited! Until Cassie had a run-in with the delete button.

5. Another thing I’ve learned is that typing cute messages into her manuscript is not as funny to her as it is to me. (I don’t understand why though, because it is pretty funny.)

4. I’ve learned that it is normal for her to carry-on full conversations with absolutely no one. If you have a writer in the family, don’t admit them to the hospital just yet.

3. This one goes along with number four. Remember! Their characters are real to them. Just nod and go along with them when they are telling you what so-and-so is doing today. And still, don’t admit them to the hospital!

2. I can’t stress this one enough. An “Enter at Your Own Risk” sign should not be taken lightly. Even if you’re bleeding, DO NOT DISTURB! (First Aid classes will help with this situation. You will need to learn how to stitch your own wounds.)

And for my number one observation of living with a writer…drum roll please!…..
1. “Get out of here!” means I love you. “Get the heck out of here!” means I really love you.

I love you Mom! I wish you the best success in selling your book.
And PLEASE, do not ground me…
Number One Kid

Thanks so much Audrey! I think your mom has another budding young writer in the family. 

Your Turn: Readers, this is your last chance to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Katy’s book. I hope you’ve enjoyed the introduction as much as I’ve enjoyed having Katy here.