Positive Thinking Truly Matters

"I don't think I'm a very good author." "My writing sucks." "I don’t write books for the money. I’m just happy if I sell a copy here and there." "I received a bad review, the world hates me and I feel like a failure."

I see that kind of comments on social media pretty much every day.

Writers and authors, please stop.

Stop telling the world you aren’t good enough.

Stop selling yourself short.

Stop giving others an excuse to treat you like amateurs, disrespect your work, and avoid buying your books.

Why? Because other people are like mirrors. The way they treat you is a reflection of the way you portray yourself to the world.

Yes, publisher rejections suck. Yes, bad reviews suck. Yes, poor sales suck. Yes, low traffic to your Vocal or Medium stories sucks. Yes, limited funds suck. Yes, non-supportive friends and family members suck.

But you know what? So do negativity and constant whining on social media. Twitter and Facebook are public forums: Everybody can see your posts.

(Yes, everybody. It does not matter if you think your accounts are in private mode. All it takes is one screenshot from a friend or follower for your complaints to become public and attract bad publicity.)

The brain is a fascinating machine. You can train it to believe in anything. You can train it to have a healthy belief in yourself, for example. But it takes time and work, especially when you have been allowing your critical inner voice to guide your steps for years.

So today, I would like to invite you to start changing your status quo. Here is how.

The next time you feel like venting or ranting on social media, do yourself a favor: Turn off your phone or computer. Instead, grab a pen and a piece of paper, and write your thoughts. Then, do something relaxing for a couple of hours: Call a friend, listen to nice music, read your favorite book, go for a walk in your neighborhood, etc.

When you get back to what you wrote, ask yourself the following questions:

• Why did I need to share those particular thoughts with the world?
• Was there a specific event that triggered them?
• If I were one of my readers, how would I react?

Then, have a look at your last 10 or 15 Tweets and / or Facebook posts. How positive / negative are they? Do you see a pattern? How does it make you feel?

Use your answers to turn the whole thing on its head. Help others who may feel like you did. Show them that there is a good way around.

Here is mine.

During a parent-teacher conference in 8th grade, my English teacher told my mother that I was a lost cause. I struggled so much to learn English that he doubted that I would ever be able to speak or write it properly. He felt that I wasn’t smart enough. This is what he said: “In fact, if she ever speaks English well, I will become a priest.”

Years later, a university professor laughed at me in front of my friends for saying that I wanted to teach and work in English. “I hope you are kidding! Not with your accent and poor level.”

Many people have mistaken my (sometimes extreme) shyness and the fact that I am an introvert for signs of dumbness.

I have used the smirks and comments (they think I cannot hear) as fuel to motivate me to be as great as I could be in many things. Photography is one of them. I spent years learning and perfecting my skills.

I may not be the best in my field, but photography and poetry are my jam. (I have been featured in many blogs and magazines over the years.)

I also self-published more than 35 books in several genres. From journalism to translation, art criticism, teaching and social media coaching, my experience is varied and solid. I also co-founded several artistic projects focusing on inspiration and positivity, and many literary forms. And yes, everything is in English.

Had I listened to the naysayers in my younger days, I would have never become an English major. I would have missed great opportunities, including the greatest one of them all: Being a well-rounded artist. I have had a wonderful career so far.

The moral of the story? If you want to be successful in anything you undertake:

• Hone your skills and talent;
• Listen to constructive feedback;
• Never take negative comments personally;
• Do not wait for opportunities to knock on your door, create your own;
• Build a solid, long-term strategy;
• Be patient and consistent;
• Write for your ideal audience instead of trying to please everybody;
• Learn the importance of bartering;
• Give more than you take;
• Build relationships with others artists and collaborate as much as you can;
• Finally, treat others the way you would like to be treated.

You are uniquely talented. Believe in yourself because nobody else can do it for you.

Then, watch what happens!

That's it for today! Thank you for reading!

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.