We recently connected with Bret Kissinger and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Bret with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic comes from many places. The most obvious is from my parents. But as an avid fan of history, my work ethic stems from knowing how “easy” we have today. Go back to the early 1900s, and there was still child labor. Men who worked sixteen-hour days, seven days a week. Go back before employment and delve into slavery. Go back even further and contemplate the formidable task of just surviving. The modern amenities aren’t lost on me, and it helps me continue to work when I don’t want to when I compare myself to others throughout history. How can I complain about doing something I enjoy from inside my house, out of the rain or cold, when so many don’t have that luxury?
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a fiction author who predominantly writes historical fiction. I’ve always loved history and being able to dive into it when writing is such an amazing experience. It’s my goal and job as an author to create the same experience for my readers. To so many people, history is this black-and-white, grainy, blurry photograph we saw in our high school textbooks. But that isn’t how people experienced it. They saw the full spectrum of color we do now. There were sights, smells, and textures. Fiction writing allows me to bring to life history with compelling characters and engaging plots. One of the greatest compliments I receive from readers is that my writing inspired them to learn more about the topics I write about. When that happens, we keep history alive.
I have published four books: Forever Fleeting; Gone the Way of the Dodo Bird; The Final Edit; and The Winter Tiger & The War Eagle. All my books are available online on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that are most impactful are passion, discipline, and being uncompromising. Passion is first and foremost. Without passion, you will not have the longevity needed to fulfill your dreams. I advise anyone, no matter what profession, to not chase after something if the utmost driving force is not passion. You must love what you do.
Second, discipline. Motivation and discipline are not the same. Motivation is fleeting. It’s the flame that shoots up when gasoline is poured onto the fire. Discipline is a steady flame. It’s unwavering. It’s doing the work when you do not feel like doing it.
Third, yet equally important, is being uncompromising in your quest to achieve your vision. This may not sound selfish, but it’s mostly something we have to tell ourselves. Set a goal, set a blueprint of how to accomplish it and stick with it. Do not waver. Do not cheat yourself.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
We all need a creative outlet, whether it be writing, drawing, painting, or music. It’s self-expression that allows to release things we’d otherwise bury. When feeling overwhelmed, I take larger goals/problems and make them smaller. Accomplish mini-goals on the path to accomplishing a larger goal. It gives you a sense of accomplishment rather than a feeling of failure.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bretkissinger.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bret.kissinger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551999862947