Make the most of those detours

Is anyone else in the Noblesville area sick and tired of detours? Or, heck, central Indiana in general?

While the detours that start with orange signs can generally drive us crazy (pun intended), last weekend reminded me that the detours in life often lead to good things.

Some of you may have seen the front-page photo of a few Reporter columnists and I attending the Taylor University writer’s conference last weekend. Special thanks to superstar and conference presenter Jan Hart Leonard for telling us about this exceptional program.

Like so many attendees, I learned a lot during this event. But it also highlighted a tremendous struggle that writers like me often face – rejection.

You must get used to rejection if you want to succeed as a writer. I even experience it through my grant consulting business. We tell our clients that you can have the perfect proposal that checks every box for a funder, and they can still tell you “No.”

As a little girl, I dreamt of becoming a famous author as I sat down on our shag carpet in the  living room typing away on my K-Mart Snappy Blue typewriter. I imagined that I’d write books full-time and make an incredible living out of it. The money would just roll in.

I’m sure you’re laughing just as much as I am as I type this.

I’ve sent book proposals to various publishers and agents throughout the years. I’ve also entered contests. I’ve been rejected more often than I’ve been accepted. Those rejections have been some of the biggest detours of my life.

But if I hadn’t encountered those detours, would I be the grant professional that I am today? I’ve done this for almost 23 years now, and I still love it. I have an amazing partner, Anne, and three other team members.

Our business is doing well, and it helps nonprofits both in and out of Indiana. I feel like we’re making a difference in the world. Those same nonprofits have shaped who I am on a professional, personal, and even soul level.

I’ve given local, regional, and national presentations on various grant topics. And I rarely encounter the Sunday evening “scaries.” Sometimes I even look forward to Mondays! And, of course, my business still involves quite a bit of writing.

I’m sure I’m not alone in having a dream be delayed through various detours – ones that can also be described as brick walls. As Randy Pausch once said, “The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

I’m not going to give up my dream of becoming a full-time author. I know there are more detours ahead, but I’m working to embrace them and see what adventures they lead me to.

If you’re feeling discouraged about life’s detours, take a moment and look back on the ones you’ve faced in the past. I’ll bet they shaped who you are today and have often led to you to some wonderful surprises that you never imagined.

Make the most of life’s detours … and know that the ones highlighted by orange signs won’t last forever!

Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs, and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.