Become A Squirrel

On my journey to becoming a traditionally published author, I may have found the key to success.

It all started in my backyard.

One day, as I was looking out of my kitchen window, I spotted a squirrel on the bird feeder. He was as content as could be, the chubby little bugger, flicking his tail with attitude and scarfing down the precious birdseed I so generously provided to my avian friends.

I have nothing against squirrels. They’re cute, curious, and intelligent, but this little furry glutton could empty a full bird feeder in under an hour, leaving nothing for the birds.

At once, my indignation flared. How could he be so rude? I know survival is instinctual, but he (I’ll call him Harry) was just plain greedy and had to be stopped. Subsequently, our battle of wills ensued.

Now anyone who has engaged a squirrel in a battle for the bird feeder knows what formidable opponents they are. Being an animal lover, I tried every non-lethal means I could think of to encourage him to move along. Some methods worked better than others, but no matter how many times Harry failed…and failed…and failed… You get the idea. No matter how insurmountable his objective seemed, Harry returned. Despite failure, despite fear, despite doubt, Harry showed up for the battle.

Eventually, he succeeded.

Squirrels, by nature are tenacious. Quitting simply wasn’t in his DNA. Once I realized this, my frustration evaporated and a new respect for Harry emerged. Part of me even enjoyed watching him work out new ways to circumvent the obstacles I devised to thwart him. It wasn’t long before I considered what I could accomplish with Harry’s tenacity. If I focused on my writing goals with such single-minded tenacity as Harry, failure wouldn’t exist as a possibility, and the possibilities would become endless.

Needless to say, Harry won the battle of the bird feeder. He’s fat, happy, and living his best life in my backyard, his tenacity a constant reminder of the secret to becoming successful on my writing journey. I’m grateful for the lesson Harry taught me, and when obstacles come up as they inevitably do, I take a page from Harry’s book and “become a squirrel.”

Happy writing.

Lynn.