When Doubt Comes from External Forces

I’ve had a lot of people in mylife tell me I’m too smart, too educated, too young, too pretty, too whateverto be reaching for the goal of being a writer as a career.

But, I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do for years. And yet, people throw contractions in your face like confetti. You can’t. You won’t make it. You shouldn’t. SHOULDN’T being the worst one. Because shouldn’t doesn’t attack my skills, it attacks the dream and the choice I’m making in going for that dream. In this society we armor ourselves for ‘you can’t’. We rise above it. We say ‘watch me’. But no one prepares you for ‘you shouldn’t’.

And as soon as these words leavethese people’s mouths I can point at it and say, hey that’s why I am insecure.That’s why I doubt myself. That’s why I feel like I am a failure. Becausepeople think I should be doing something better instead of living my life how Iwant to live it.

There is such doubt in writing abook. It’s hard. And especially so when you have not made it yet. (When do weever really make it though, seriously?)

So let us band together, let us armor ourselves against the ‘you shouldn’t’. If this happens to you on any scale or level please know you are NOT alone! Being a writer is hard, but if that is what you want to do more than anything, go for it! You are working towards a career. You are putting in your hours. It takes time like any profession. There is also no guarantee, but keep going and forget what all these other people have to say about your potential.

We determine our own value.Comparing yourself to others will be what cripples your creativity. So go do your creative thing. Go put in the work.Because it’s not about whether you can or cannot. You can. I can tell you that.You can.

It’s you who has to tell yourself you should.

Once you settle that, you can doanything.

Happy Writing!