Scarlett O'Hara's Unknowable Secret

What’s in a name?  Well, let tell you a story. . .

Once upon a time lived a young girl who was the belle of three counties in Georgia.  She loved to wear fancy dresses and always had a bevy of young men buzzing about her.  But that Southern paradise was rent asunder with the coming of the Civil War and the young heroine found herself forced to adapt to this new life or perish.  This heroine was none other than. . . Pansy O’Hara.

What?  Something wrong?  Well, that was the exact same reaction Margaret Mitchell got from the editor who read her story.  Somehow that name Pansy didn’t jibe.

And thus Scarlett was born.  And Gone With the Wind went on to receive the Pulitzer Prize a year after publication.

So what is in a name?  Well, maybe nothing special, but I believe Pansy would beg to differ. . .

Key To Knowing Your Idea Is Good

JK Rowling and her Masterpiece

"You can always tell if it's a good idea because you get a physical response to it, you get this sort of big leap of excitement."

~J.K. Rowling

A great quote, isn't it?  And one I heartily agree with.  When inspired with good ideas, I always get this rush of adrenaline.  Whereas when I'm uninspired, I know that my story has turned into a dreadful quagmire of boredom.

Disclaimer:  I say that I find my ideas good, but that's an entirely subjective point of view.  However, I'm a complete adherent to the philosophy of "write what you want to read," so I'm perfectly fine with that statement!

Lucky or Unlucky? You Choose.

Studies have been made to discern the difference between people who consider themselves lucky, and those who don’t (see Luck Factor).

Of course, chance does bear its weight of responsibility in the matter, however it turns out that a lot more has to do with your own way of viewing the world.

Professor Richard Wiseman has narrowed it down to a set of principles which can be summed up thusly:

1. Be open-minded: you’ll notice a lot more opportunities surrounding you which can give you a “chance” to progress in your endeavors, sometimes in a completely unexpected way. 
2. Trust your instinct (see a previous post as for a reason why) and try to remain relaxed.
3. Stay positive: even if you’re having a $*%&# time—those who remain positive persevere and don’t waste their time complaining over and over about their miserable state.

Conclusion? Don’t worry, be happy!


Note: Professor Wiseman also found that those who feel themselves lucky have a tendency to smile a lot more and make eye contact with people.

Ref: You make your own luck blogpost.