cheerleaders

As I began working on this post, I woke up one morning depressed. I couldn’t motivate myself to focus and get going for the day. I had deadlines to meet and projects to start, but the desire to do them wasn’t there.

When I looked at my cell phone, I realized Thanksgiving was a little over a week away. That reality was just enough to jump-start my body and get me moving. While I was eating breakfast and watching the news about the pandemic, again my attitude went south.

After living with a brain injury for over two decades, depression has become an ugly truth that rears its head from time to time. While washing dishes after breakfast, I decided to slip back into my rehabilitation mindset — although cliché — take one step at a time, and one day at a time!

If you haven’t had a major health scare, let me share, recovery is a process that must be allowed to work itself out. Fall, but don’t stay down. Learn from your mistakes, but never deny them!

I learned quickly in the hospital each time I fell, getting up made me stronger both physically and mentally. Setbacks are humbling, but not the end of the world. I can still remember my neuropsychologist telling me if I know I made a mistake, then I am learning and learning is part of the process. She wasn’t the beautiful cheerleader, but the hard truth is always better than a feel-good lie.

Cheerleaders?

If you’ve ever seen any sporting event, you’ve witnessed the power of cheerleaders. They aren’t just there to cheer when their team is winning, they are most beneficial when the team is losing.

Cheerleaders’ spirit is contagious, the idea is to spark energy into everyone to change the mindset and cheer their team on to victory. Cheerleading is so necessary it has become its own sport.

Throughout my rehabilitation, I have had many cheerleaders encourage me to keep pushing and keep learning. Within the rehabilitation community, they are life coaches, experts, or survivors who cheer patients on and offer insight to help them on their recovery journey.

As we writers know, the writing life can be lonely. Hours spent behind computers or researching, writing, and editing. Pouring our hearts and souls into our craft. When we don’t see the fruit of our labor, the loneliness only gets worse; desperation and depression set in. Therefore, it is vital to have cheerleaders in our writing circles, I have been fortunate enough to have one of my writing mentors as a cheerleader for the last decade, and furthermore, to see her at an annual writer’s conference.

I recently reached out to other writer friends for their advice on staying encouraged on the writing journey. A friend shared how she gets encouraged by her writing group that also serves as her beta readers. The point is writers need encouragement daily. I found a shortlist online of how you can encourage your writer friends:

1. Ask about their work: Knowing that someone is genuinely interested in what you do can be a great encouragement.
2. Ask questions: Questions don’t have to be about what they are working on. Ask about the craft – characters, setting, description, etc. If you don’t understand something, just ask. Doesn’t it make you feel good when someone asks questions about what you do for a living and makes you feel like an expert? 
3. Encourage them to write: Tell them that you’re excited about their project. Another way you can encourage them if you’re not interested or unable to read their work is to provide them the right environment to write. Ask them to come to a coffee shop with you while you both work, or suggest a trip to the library. 
4. Buy their books: If your friend is a published author, buy their books. If they offer a free copy, don’t feel like you must decline, but buy a copy for a friend or family member. If they’re not published yet, consider buying them books for gifts and holidays.
5. Give honest and constructive feedback: If a writer shares their work with you, it’s polite to give them some feedback. Sometimes you’ll like what you’ve read and sometimes you won’t.[1]

After pursuing publication for nearly a decade, I am forever thankful for the cheerleaders who’ve come alongside me to keep me encouraged on my journey.

Just like I am grateful for all of the therapists and doctors who continue to help me while I live with a life-changing disability. If it weren’t for either of them, I wouldn’t have made it this far in my life, nor would I have the motivation to keep doing life.

Just Do It!

“Just do it,” are three little words that have changed lives for decades. But it isn’t that easy for everyone, especially for persons with disabilities.

Common psychological side effects include shock, denial, anger/depression, adjustment/acceptance. Add to these everyday struggles of life and it is a toxic combination.[2]

The writing life comes with its struggles and disappointments, all on the path to publication. Good writing is more than just a great story.

• Platform
• Message
• Voice

Each is crucial for a writer as they are just getting started. This is why writers need a tribe of cheerleaders!

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

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[1] Sarah Foil

[2] Disabled-World