F = FAILURE

When it comes to failure I always tend to feel a little self-conscious, because I have failed at many things in my life and it is not a thing that I like to share. But do you know what? I might have made many mistakes and failed horribly at many things, yet I am stronger for it. I can’t say that any of it is a wasted experience. It might not always seem like it, but we need to fail in order for us to get better. Yes that cake recipe didn’t work out and the end result was closer to a brick, but the next time you bake it, you will improve.

E = ENOUGH

There comes a point in everyone’s life where they have reached a certain limit and feel like they need to blow their lid or just go crazy. I know from experience what this scenario feels like and because of this, I would like to mention that it is okay to know when you have had enough of a certain situation, relationship or even a certain experience and take the necessary steps to prevent yourself from ever reaching your breaking point.

D = DETERMINATION

I love to read the success stories of all kinds of people. I especially love reading the “How I got my agent posts”, that is on so many websites and blogs. I think I like it because when these various people succeed it makes me feel better about my chances of succeeding.

C = CRY (IWSG)

It does not matter whether you are happy or whether you are sad, it is okay to cry. It does not symbolize weakness, but rather the expression of emotion. I know that for many of us showing too much emotion can seem like we are giving away too much of our pride, but every now and then, I don’t care who you are, you need to cry. It is okay to break down every now and then, have a good cry and just move on. You will feel better afterwards.

The Insecure Writers Support Group was created by the wonderful and talented author and blogger, Alex J. Cavanaugh. You guys can visit Alex over at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com.

B = BEST

It is so easy for us to be really hard on ourselves and believe everything everyone else has to say. I don’t know why it is easier to believe what everyone else has to say, but we do tend to listen to other people. I know when we give our best and we have done all that we could, we still allow ourselves to think that our best was not good enough and that by some miracle or something similar we could have done even more. But what we need to tell ourselves and remind ourselves of constantly, is that our best is enough. We do not have to please others, just ourselves, so remember, your best is good enough.

A = ATTITUDE

Before I start my post today, I want to say a big thank you to Arlee Bird from Tossing It Out, who is the original person behind the A-Z challenge. Thank you so much for creating such a great blog hop and presenting such a unique and brilliant opportunity for all of us in the blogosphere to meet, greet and interact.

I have always wondered what it is that can make certain people just handle life and certain situations so much better than others and the answer I now know, is attitude. The type of attitude one approaches life and difficult situations with is very important.

I personally, do not have the best attitude around. I get frustrated easily, not to mention when people get difficult, my temper tends to flair. I am definitely the first one to admit that I could do with an attitude adjustment, because we all know I definitely need it. I can also surprise myself certain days by how kind I can be and the next day, when I meet someone that is obnoxious; all my kindness goes right out the window. Not to mention that one day I can be patient about my writing and the next day when I don’t get the results I want, I lose all hope and get dejected.

But for those of you that have that great attitude and that are always an inspiration to me and who makes me want to be a better person, thank you and good for you. You are just amazing.

EXCITING DAY

First of all, I want to wish all the A-Z participants the best of luck. It is definitely going to be tough, but it is also going to be a lot of fun.

Then, on another note, my family and I went to Newlands today to go and watch a rugby game and the experience was wonderful. Unfortunately my team, The Stormers, lost but it was a good game. I even got to see my favourite player Rynhardt Elstadt in action, even though I didn't manage to get an autograph or anything. It was just one of those really unforgettable experiences.

My favourite player, Rynhardt Elstadt 

(Picture courtesy of http://www.sportal.com.au/)