Last night, I dreamed about my sister-in-law, Rita. As some of you may know, she passed away very unexpectedly in a car accident just a few months ago. If I learned anything from this (besides how much I miss her), it's that life is very short. You have to decide what you want from life and go for it. You may never get another chance.
With that in mind, here are some positive thoughts (and other random advice) for writers who are striving to reach the top. I'm not claiming to know everything. I'm sharing what has personally helped me. I'm not as successful as I will be some day. (See, positive thinking.) But I've come a long way.
I'm sure that if you've read much about positive thinking, most of you have at least heard the term Law of Attraction. First let me say, this has nothing to do with religion. I will never discuss religion on my blog. The Law of Attraction basically states that we all give off a certain vibration. This is a scientific fact, not some mumbo-jumbo. We all vibrate at a particular frequency. Whatever frequency you are sending out into the Universe, you are also attracting more of that frequency back to yourself.
Basically, if you always walk around feeling like crap and thinking about how much you feel like crap, you will attract more circumstances that cause you to feel like crap. It really is that simple. I've seen it at work too many times in my own life to think it's bull.
1. Be proud of your story. If your book has been professionally edited and has great cover art, stop worrying. Provided that you've told a good story, you have done all you can do. Worrying will not sell more copies of your book. If you start to worry about sales, stop yourself in the middle of that thought and say something like, "I am so glad that my sales are up" Or, "I'm so thankful for all the new book sales."
2. If it is your goal (or one of them) to be a highly successful writer, try this exercise. Imagine what emotions you would feel if you were already successful. What would it feel like to sell a million copies? Think about it and write it down. Refer to this list at least once a day. As often as possible, walk around feeling like a success.
3. This is probably the most important piece of advice and it's one that I have to remind myself of often. Keep a good attitude. Being a dick (yes, a dick) sends the wrong signal to the Universe.
4. It isn't possible to be aware of every single thought throughout the day. Here is an easy way to tell what signal you're sending out. How do you feel? If you feel pretty good, you are thinking good thoughts. If you feel awful, find something nice to think about.
5. Never underestimate the power of visualization. If the only spare moment you have is before you go to sleep at night, then do this as you fall asleep. Picture yourself in whatever circumstances that you consider to represent success. Maybe you're at a book signing with lots of adoring fans. Maybe you're on a yacht. Whatever works for you. Take a few minutes, picture this as clearly as you can and imagine what it would feel like to be there for real.
6. If you worry about reviews you are only hurting yourself with worry. If the thought of, "Oh, no. What if someone hates my book?" crosses your mind, stop immediately. Replace that thought with, "I am so grateful for all the good reviews."
These may sound cheesy, but I swear they work. I'm about to take some of my own advice right now and focus on success. Good luck and I hope these are helpful to you.
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