Believe You Can

Regardless of when you began your journey, my advice (for what it's worth) is: don't give up. Even when some people tell you you're making a mistake, or worse: don't tell you, but tell everyone else.

Instead surround yourself with people who encourage you. That's what I did. And even though I've been blessed with an amazing support system, it's difficult not to let the fear wiggle its way inside once in a while. As a writer, if you're anything like me, you'll doubt what you're doing a million times. But, there will also be those days when you just know that what you're doing is the right path for you. I've learned to really appreciate those days. A lot.

Another thing: Sometimes it's easy to mistake constructive criticism for discouragement. But, true constructive criticism is something I embrace. I want to keep those people close to me. It means they believe in me and want to play a part in making me better at my craft. Sometimes it's hard to hear our work needs...well, work. But, after I take a step back and think about it, a lot of times, maybe even most of the time, I realize they're right. Not always, but often.

So, really, I just want to encourage everyone to keep on keeping on. And when I have those days when I'm wondering what the heck I think I'm doing, I might even come back here and read this post myself.

Write on!