Every morning that I manage to wake up early and sit at my computer to write, I feel renewed, excited, energized. When I am writing, I feel like I am doing what I am meant to do.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the years trying to figure out what I should do with my life (even though I’ve been passionate about writing since I was twelve years old). I used to think I was alone in this endeavor and that most people had figured that out by the time they reached their mid-to-late twenties. I remember carpooling to work with a very sweet woman. We both disliked where we worked and would talk about finding new jobs. She used to joke, “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.” She was forty-one at the time, and I was twenty-seven.
Perhaps part of the reason that so many of us struggle with this question is that we spend too much time pursuing what we are “supposed” to do. My co-worker had spent a number of years pursuing high-paying jobs but then she got laid off and took the first job she could get. She hadn’t really asked herself what she liked to do.
Another reason, which is probably my top reason for resisting my life’s purpose, is fear of failure. I was always afraid I would fail at writing. At thirty-seven, I step back and ask myself what the really means. I always though that failure would mean I would write books that nobody would publish. I would write a blog that nobody wants to read. I would write on topics that others think are silly. I would write pieces that people criticize.
Now, I realize that failure would mean I wouldn’t write any books that might not get published. I wouldn’t write a blog that might not get read. I wouldn’t write on silly topics that people might criticize. Failure means not doing what I love to do, no matter the outcome.
Start doing something that you love. Even if it doesn’t turn into your dream job, I believe that it can help you wake up feeling excited and energized to do that thing, even if it is for a few minutes each day. If you’re lucky, if I’m lucky, maybe it can lead to some beautiful “failures.”
