Where I'm Coming From - Words 4 Life: The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NLT)

A few months ago, I began developing a promotional plan with the goal of increasing 1) the exposure of myself as a producer and 2) sales of the music in my current projects. The cornerstone of this plan is the upgrading of this website. I wanted to add features that would get people to not only visit, but return and pass a link to friends. So I’ve added the ablility to purchase tracks right from this site, lots of free tracks to download, and I even dusted off my Djing skills and posted some hot mixes for your ipods and mp3 players (I must confess that making the mixes is more fun than it is work, but it does serve a purpose). I’m in the process of adding some new photos and redesigning the site as well as completing the cover art for my current projects. I am very close to completing this part of the plan. Money is extremely tight for me just like it is for you, but thankfully God has blessed me with the ability to do many of these things myself.

The point is, I’ve had to hold back on many other aspects of my plan until I finish this portion of it. It wouldn’t be beneficial to drive visitors to a site that isn’t finished. I am very eager to complete this portion of the plan so I can move on to the real work of promoting my projects. It has to be done properly, though. I have to make sure that if someone hears a track they like, they can immediately go somewhere and buy it. Knowing myself, however, I run the risk of “getting stuck” in this phase. It’s a very comfortable, low-risk part of the process. Frankly, I need to hurry up so that I actually do get to the next phase…

My biggest challenge is balancing my determination to fight through the inevitable resistance you meet as you approach the completion of anything worthwhile with my determination to not neglect my wife and children. This is the daily struggle. When all is said and done, I don’t want to be another man who is successful in business but a failure at home. However, the fact remains that effective promotion requires time plus I still have to work my 9 to 5 to keep food on the table. Add to that my commitments to my church and my ongoing battle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to get my weight down where it should be… as I said, this is the daily struggle.

To be honest, this is the point where I have fallen off throughout my life – when it’s time to step out of the isolated, comfortable phase and really put it out there and take the risks. I have persistently prayed for more strength and courage and The Lord has brought situations into my life to build it. I’ve been working at this for a lot of years and I’m no longer a “young cat doing his thang”. Frankly, a large part of me wants to call this a “do or die” season – if something major doesn’t happen this year, I throw in the towel and move on to something else. But that is just discouragement talking and I cannot allow myself to be led by that.

Right now, I must stay focused on the light at the end of this tunnel. And when I get there… I’ll write here and tell you about it.

Leave a comment