Hockey and Writing by Karen Lange

Hockey and Writing?

By Karen Lange

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Wayne Gretzky

I’ll admit it; I'm a hockey fan. My sons are to blame - they played hockey and got me hooked. So it’s no surprise that this quote by Mr. Gretzky, aka hockey’s The Great One, caught my eye while at the bank.

Our bank posts inspirational quotes on a message board in the lobby. As a writer, these mind joggers provide food for thought. One seldom sees quotes from hockey players too, so it was a nice surprise. I chuckled as I left the bank and continued to mull over these words of hockey wisdom.

Mr. Gretzky’s words make sense; if you don’t shoot, you won’t score. If you don’t score, you won’t have a shot at winning the game, right?

So, I thought - how does this apply to life? If we don’t try, we can’t fail. But, if we don’t try, we don’t learn. And if we don’t try, we can’t succeed.

I wondered, how many shots am I missing because I fail to make an effort? How many writing opportunities do I pass by because I think I don’t have enough experience? What part of my calling isn’t fulfilled yet because I am afraid to step out, or invest the necessary time to grow?

Life has its challenges and surprises, hills and valleys, and days where we don’t want to take shots at anything. I don’t want to miss the benefits of the journey by not taking shots. Do you?

What do you think of Mr. Gretzky's advice? What writing shots are you taking this week?

Happy writing,

Karen Lange

Karen Lange is the author of Homeschool Co-ops 101. She and her family were active in co-ops during their sixteen-year homeschool journey. Her three children have since graduated, and she is now a freelance writer and online writing instructor for adults and homeschooled teens. Connect on Karen’s  Blog, on Twitter, and Facebook.