My Dragon

“On the field of the Self stand a knight and a dragon. You are the knight. Resistance is the dragon.”

Do The Work, Steven Pressfield

I always believed overnight successes were impossible… or in other words, one’s success may appear to happen overnight, but in actuality that’s never the case. But then, a real overnight success asked me out on a date.

Over dinner, he explained there was prep-work and lots of talent behind his good fortune, but he did ultimately agree he was an overnight success. I couldn’t help but hold a mirror to my own life… this mirror A.K.A: my dragon of resistance screamed:

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH THE LAST 24 YEARS, MALORIE?!

WHY ARENT YOU FAMOUS?!

WHY HAVENT YOU CREATED SOMETHING BRILLIANT?!

An achy feeling over took my body. My dragon told me to curl up and die. She insisted I drown my sorrows in someone else’s bed. And she continued to remind me how shitty my artistic journey has been, and yes, how unproductive.

Despite the intense flames from my dragon, I kept my cool, and the Overnight Success didn’t seem to notice my raging fury. Dinner ended, he kissed me on the cheek and we parted ways.

As I walked home… the pity parade gallantly followed my every move, singing gleefully “You Suck, You Suck, la la la!!”

I was losing the battle.

And then…

I began to write.

I scheduled artistic meetings.

Embarked on a new book.

And sang with all my heart.  

The achy feeling dissipated.

This wasn’t the first battle and it wasn’t the last. And for the time being my dragon has been pretty quiet, but I know she’ll creep up again soon. It’s a good thing I know her weakness.

And who knows maybe you’ll be the next overnight success… and until then create while you wait.