All this talk about fear has gotten me scared. I mean COME ON after reading a handful of articles about writer’s who ate only raw food or fast food for a month, or worked in an Alzheimer’s care facility, I started to ask myself, “Do I have the balls to be a writer?”
What does it take to be a writer? What does it take to do anything we dream of doing for that matter?
Sure there’s talent, skill, experience, luck…Wait, I just watched Oprah today and ventriloquist Terry Fator said luck had nothing to do with his recent multimillion dollar contract with the Mirage Hotel in Vegas. This sucks because I was really hoping to at least get 1 out of 4.
But seriously if it ain’t luck and I’m too much of a chicken to eat tasteless food or take care of Alzheimer’s patients, then what good am I?
If you’re asking yourself the same questions and are thinking “what’s the use in trying,” I’d say think again. Sure there may be hundreds of thousands-even millions-of people trying to do what you do, but there is also no one else in the world like you. The best way to transform your dreams into a reality is to find something you are truly passionate about and don’t stop trying.
When I think back on my life as a young girl from a small island, I never would have believed that I would one day travel to Italy and Greece or see my name in a book or a magazine. I’m sure you have your own story too. We all need to believe that we were put on this earth for a purpose. That our individualities, our quirkiness, what makes others think we’re weird, is all part of what makes us unique. Let’s celebrate that instead of spending time hiding it!
Oprah has said countless times that we should embrace who we are and be good at that instead of trying to be someone else. I agree and think that courage comes when we let go of the crutches that give us a false sense of security, a pseudo protection from the world. We need to let go, risk failing and falling hard to grow, hope and dream.
When I was in middle school, probably my most hated time in life, all I wanted was to be like everyone else. Now in my thirties, I am a cheerleader for my differences. The more different, the better! That’s why I think that although I might not have the courage to do any great feat, I can write because I can do one thing right-believe. Belief in yourself can get you everywhere. Although you need to talent, a bit of luck and experience to push you through, you can’t go very far unless you believe that you can.
So here’s hoping that with every new endeavor, you carry a stroke of luck, a gift of talent and skill, that you befriend courage and hold belief close to your heart. That, my friend, is the balls you need to get you through any scary obstacle toward your dreams.
