Dove Self-Esteem Fund – Saying “YES” to What You Want
Last year I wrote a monthly column for a rural high school magazine called “Ambition”. The editor said it was a start-up and didn’t have any money yet to pay her writers but was hoping that would change soon. Well, I wrote the articles last year and it was a good discipline to write regularly and with a topic and focus… however, as far as exposure goes, I never even got one email response and no business referrals.
So this year the editor contacted me again and gave me the deadline for the fall submission and I asked her about getting paid. She said she was still not making a profit and couldn’t pay her writers. Hmmmm… I thought about it and prayed about it and then asked God to give me a clear sign as to what I should do.
A couple of days later, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and went to my room with my journal. I decided to read my entries from the beginning and stumbled upon some notes from a writer’s conference that I had attended. On one page, I saw my notes from a prominent Boston writer who said “As writers, it is important to value our own talent and expertise… if we don’t – no one else will. Don’t write for free.”
I jumped off the bed and went and emailed the editor, thanked her for the opportunity and graciously declined. THE NEXT DAY, I got an email and an invitation to be an Editor for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and they offered to pay me!! How cool is that???
It just goes to show you, when you say “No” to what you don’t want, it is like a giant “YES” to what you do want and God takes care of the rest!!