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Evening, May 21, 2007. I feel an urge to write an essay for The Globe and Mail. I have been thinking of doing this since my return from China three days ago. Yet a tiny voice in my head has repeatedly questioned, "What if it don't get published?"

My interest in writing dates back to China when my mother helped me write revolutionary poems, inspired by those published by children of my age. In 1989, my second year in Canada, I became motivated to write in English after learning from my English teacher Debby Repka that early Irish immigrant women wrote letters to newspapers to voice their opinions.

Since then I published a letter and an essay in The Varsity a student newspaper, a letter in The Toronto Star, an essay and an interview report in fab magazine. I began to conquer The Globe and Mail by repeatedly submitting letters and essays in the hopes of putting my name on this prestigious national newspaper. But I failed.

This evening, I feel that If I don't write down my thoughts, I will lose my inspiration to the hum-drum of my routines in the coming days and will never write this essay. Now, writing down my thoughts matters even more than having them published. I ignore that tiny doubting voice and begin to write.

3:08am, May 22, 2007. I finally finish my writing and e-mail my submission to the Editor of the Facts & Arguments section in The Globe and Mail.

In the following week I hear nothing from the Editor. "You've wasted your time," the tiny voice scorns. A mellow, baritone-like voice from my heart responds, "I have no regret. I enjoyed writing it."

June 3, 2007. The Editor sends me an e-mail that reads: "It's a wonderful essay, very engaging and thought provoking." The Editor will try to let me know the date my essay appears on the newspaper.

In the following two months, I hear nothing from the Editor. The tiny voice quips, "See, you've wasted your effort!" "It's okay," the voice from my heart answers, "I feel good that I have gotten my thoughts out off my chest and put them down on paper. I have done it for myself. I have honoured my desire. I am happier than if I hadn't done it."

August 3, 2007. I receive a letter from The Globe and Mail. A cheque inside. I feel elated. My essay, "Fun With Frugality", was published on July 19th.

I now see even more clearly that achieving meaningful public recognition starts first and foremost wtih achieving meaningful recognition for self. We first take actions to fulfill our desires and make us happier than when we fail to act. Eventually, public recognition and results may come as a bonus, like icing on a cake.

The secret of taking action is to ignore that tiny doubting voice and just let the action happen. Deep inside each of us, there is a force that desires action. All we need to do is to set it free. Just…let it happen!