Happiness

Happiness does not depend on:

• partial requests
• full requests
• invitations to revise and resubmit
• signing with an agent
• landing a book deal
• landing a multi-book deal
• making the New York Times bestseller list

It's a good thing. Really and truly. It would be an absolute tragedy if my happiness depended on things that are a) outside of my control, and b) really not all that important when it comes down to it.

People are important. Family, friends. Love is important. Book deals pale in comparison.

Book deals are epic. But they will never make you happy. Ever. And if we're depending on the New York Times bestseller list to make us feel complete, well...it's not going to happen. Only Jesus can do that.

Sometimes I feel like I'm focusing too much on my book. Not in a good way, but in a this-must-happen-or-I-die way. And that's not cool. My book is not that important. It's important. But not that important. It doesn't define my happiness, and it will never complete me.