Positioning Yourself for Success by Diana Flegal

I was in the right place at the right time.

We have all heard someone that has met with success say that, and most of us believe it is a chance thing. They are just lucky like that, or we spiritualize it and say they are highly favored of the Lord, blessed. We do not expect good things to come our way.

I think though, that we can arrange to be in that right place at the right time.

You are fresh out of college and ready to go- DO YOU seek out those who have graduated, and baby stepped their way to reaching their personal goals? OR the friend who is living with mom and bad mouths the establishment, spouts conspiracy theory, or believes the universe will bring it to you- so you might as well play tomb raiders 24/7?

You are newly divorced; betrayed by your spouse- DO YOU seek out the woman who has been there and moved on to establish herself in a new career and is helping others do the same thing? OR head to the bar to drown your sorrows and show that good for nothing you have still got it? (BTW: That good for nothing is not paying attention to you.)

Your company is downsizing and heads are being chopped right and left. DO YOU continue to give 8 hours for 8 hours of work while you quietly begin to seek out available opportunities? OR post Facebook tirades against your present work place and throw fellow team members under the bus?  (You best remember it is a very small world.)

Most of us can see the value of good behavior and handling yourself professionally in difficult circumstances.

But what does this look like to an aspiring writer?

You spend every spare moment you have writing the next great American novel. You aced the Writer’s Digest Novel Writing courses, and your instructor has encouraged you to find an agent. DO YOU research agencies looking for your type of material, read over their submission guidelines, choose an agent within each agency, and send single emails in the manner they requested? OR do you group email twelve agents your full manuscript, then check back in with them every day- warning them they are missing out on the next big thing?  

You have written and rewritten a Historical Romance, and procured an agent. While your novel is a well crafted inspirational tale of redemption, no one is looking at HR right now. You have seven rejection letters kindly expressing hope you can place this story elsewhere. Your Facebook writer friends and your agent have mentioned the benefits of meeting professionals in this business face to face. DO YOU sell a few dusty figurines on Craig’s list, hold a yard sale, and squirrel away a year’s worth of birthday, anniversary and sock drawer savings and register for a quality writer’s conference where you can meet acquisition editors that have successfully sold HR face to face? OR do you despair and delete your manuscript files, scrub your hard drive, and apply for a job at Taco Heaven?

Proverbs 10:3 in the message bible tells us: God will not starve an honest soul. I like that. Too much credence has been given the ‘starving artist’ adage. “You will never make any money painting pretty pictures or writing sad stories. You need to train for a real job.”

Phooey.

Yet, success most often comes to the one with sweat on their brow. 

Proverbs tells us the how’s and the how not-to's of success. Listed here are chapter and section headings the writer of the Message Bible chose. Peruse them. I believe you will be directed to position yourself as you dig into this treasure trove of wisdom.

An Honest Life (10:1-7)

Fear of God Expands Your Life (10:22:29)

Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way (11:1-8)

A God Shaped Life (looks like this) (11:17-31)

Love Learning (12:11)

Wise People Take Advice (12:13-28)

Walk With the Wise (13:1-19)

There is a Way That Leads to Hell (14:1-13)

Sift and Weigh Every Word (14:14-28)

God Doesn’t Miss a Thing (15:1-13)

Life (can) Ascends to the Heights (15:12-26)

Everything With a Place and a Purpose (16:1-9)

It Pays to Live Seriously (16:10-27)

A Whack on the Head of a Fool (17:1-16)

Words Kill, Words Give Life (18:1-24)

If You Quit Listening (19:1-21)

Deep Water in the Heart (20:1-11)

Drinking From the Chalice of Knowledge (20:12-20)

The Very Steps We Take (20:21-26)

God Examines Our Motives (21:1-8)

Do Your Best, Prepare for the Worst (21:9-30)

The Cure Comes Through Discipline (22:1-16)

The Thirty Precepts of the Sages (22:17-22)

Restrain Yourself  (23:1-15)

Buy Wisdom, Education, Insight (23:16)

Intelligence Outranks Muscle (24:1-23)

Rescue the Perishing (24:25)

A Person Without Self-Control (25:16)

Fools Recycle Silliness (26:1-15)

Like Glaze on Cracked Pottery (26:16-18)

You Do Not Know Tomorrow (27:1-15)

Hard work has its reward. Food and shelter, yes. But more than that- there is a satisfaction like no other when you live in the place you were meant to live. Are you practicing the art you were meant to practice? Have you positioned yourself for success?