How’s your week been?
I’ve been mad busy, lots going on, and my daughter has been off school with a stomach bug as well. It’s typical isn’t it? I plan one of my busiest work weeks, and my kid gets ill!
She’s fine now, by the way, in case you think I sound totally uncaring writing this! But it got me thinking, we all think we have an idea of what tomorrow or next week is going to look like, but we’re just guessing aren’t we?
We get lulled into this false sense of security, when really, anything can happen at any time.
Good stuff as well! Not just kids being off school, but an email can arrive, someone can comment on your posts, your video could go viral and so, with that in mind, I wanted to share one of my favourite stories.
It happened in February, and I still go back to it now whenever I want a little heart-warming social media love.
An author’s daughter, created a TikTok account for him, posted up a 16 second video about his book Stone Maidens that was published back in 2012.
‘He doesn’t even know what TikTok is,’ the text reads at one point and then, social media magic happened.
The video took off.
It went viral, his book became a bestseller. The video is now at 50.3 million views and counting.
When you listen to what the author, Mr. Richards, says about it when he was interviewed on The Today show, it’s just so lovely.
And if you do a search now on TikTok, with the name of the author, or the title of the book, you can see videos from all the booktok community who have read it and loved it.
In an interview with Vermont Public, his daughter Marguerite who made the video said, “They actually love the book. He is so deserving of this as a human, a father, a writer. And I hope this helps him realize that and other people out there struggling with that same impostor syndrome.”
And isn’t that so true?
This book was out there for ten years, ten years until people read it and it became a bestseller.
Stories like this are just a little reminder that things can seem predictable, like you can see the road ahead, but it’s anything but.
Exciting, thrilling, superb things can present themselves at any time.
So I just wanted to share that story, and have it here in my newsletter backlog for times when you feel you’re shouting into the void.
The more you post, the more you tell people about your work, you’re increasing the chances of the unexpected taking place.
You have no idea who’s watching. Who’s taking note. What can happen next.
So keep showing up, keep doing the work, keep posting and don’t think anything is set in stone.
Magic can happen at any time.
Have a great weekend,
Zoe x
Oh I love this! And yes we make the ripples and the ripples talk to the world oceans - gorgeous!! Hope your little one feels better. ✨
Such an heartwarming and inspiring thing, wasn’t it? Hope your daughter feels much better, too 😀📚