What shall I do with the 45 cents?

That massive payday only took 14 months, 80 articles, and 120 followers. Not even the Chicago Bears defensive line can stop me now (that line can’t stop my grandma).

But seriously.

I hope I make mad money writing, but I’ll still be pounding the keyboard and scouring Word Hippo for synonyms for “amazing” if I make only 45 cents all year.

It’s not always about money

Writing isn’t about the money. I’ve earned a nice living for the last 30 years, which didn’t fill the hollowed-out part of my soul. Writing and I have flirted in a sweet, platonic dance for 20 years, but my fear of failure prevented me from putting a ring on it.

Going into 2022 and my 55th year, I begged the Lord, “What?!?” I felt His answer, “What is your slightest inkling, the faintest hint of what you want to do?” My only response was writing. And He said, “Pursue that.”

I considered what “pursue that” meant because my personal blog (that only my wife followed) was 12 years old, and I wrote the company blog for my employer.

But was I pursuing?

What does it mean to pursue?

Dictionary.com defines “pursue”:

1. to follow in order to overtake, capture, kill, etc.; chase.
2. to follow close upon; go with; attend.
3. to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish (an end, object, purpose, etc.).
4. to proceed in accordance with (a method, plan, etc.).

Pursue is a major league word.

Hunters pursue.

Warriors pursue.

Olympic athletes pursue.

Serial killers pursue.

Honestly, I wasn’t pursuing writing. I didn’t strive, seek to attain, proceed with a plan, or try to overtake anything.

I was lollygagging.

Flicker to flame

Yes, God gave me the raw skill, but I did nothing to sharpen the skill into a craft. So, I began to pursue. I joined Medium in hopes of getting more feedback than my personal blog. I took online writing courses through LinkedIn, HubSpot, and Masterclass. I read books such as, On Writing by Stephen King, On Writing Well by William Zinsser, Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, and many others. For the fourth time, I’m listening to Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller.

My first capture in this pursuit was a healthy helping of humility. I discovered how little I knew about writing and how far I needed to go. But I also caught passion, tapping into a vein of purpose and satisfaction I’ve never felt.

God puts a flame in all of us, and it’s our responsibility to kindle the flicker into a fire. Or we can binge Netflix and never enjoy how God built us.

“God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”

~ Eric Liddell (a gold and bronze medal winner in the 1924 Paris Olympics)

Liddell had to get off the couch and run to feel God’s pleasure.

Give your dreams a chance

You have bills to pay. I get that, but if your bill-paying job or career isn’t fueling your fire, pursue the thing that does. Start with the slightest inkling of an idea and chase after it. Get up early or stay up late to figure it out. Give your dreams a chance.

You probably already know what your flicker is.

By the way, my flicker turned into a book I wrote about how men can survive midlife without a crisis. It’s called Stronger Down the Stretch. Check it out.

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