Many of you know by now that I have a passion for writing. This passion
has taken me to the next chapter in my life, becoming an author. This brave
leap into professional writing was not one that I ventured down easily. It had
always been a passion of mine, but not one I sincerely considered doing
full-time.
You see, becoming an author and focusing on my writing meant giving up
my other career pursuits, ones that I had given much of my time and money to.
It also seemed very risky to me, putting all my eggs into one basket, if you
will, with no guarantees of success. If I should fail as a writer what then was
left for me to do?
Again, I didn’t come to this decision easily. In fact, it was a decision
I realized I needed to make after experiencing chronic pain for the last two
years. It was the chronic pain and the inability to work or pursue my doctorate
education that led me to the realization that something had to give. I had to
come to terms with my new normal, reevaluate my life goals, and rediscover my
life’s purpose. I had to learn how to make lemonade with the lemons I had been
handed in life. I realized then and there that everything I had worked so hard for
wasn’t for nothing, after all. In fact, if anything, all that I worked towards
and have experienced along my life’s journey, only made it all the more
beautiful by the time I discovered my life’s purpose.
This brings me back to writing. In fact, I am in the middle of writing a
self-help book for those who struggle with chronic pain. I certainly never
would have thought that after completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and
a master’s degree in counseling, volunteering my time as a relationship coach,
and considering pursuing a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy that
I would end up putting that all to the side to instead become a writer. What
can I say, God works in mysterious ways.
God, what could God have to do with any of this, you may be asking? God
has everything to do with it in my opinion. At least I believe so. You see, I
worked towards a goal of becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist for
the last eight years, but it never felt completely right. I was doing it,
because I had to do something with my life, right? It was almost as though I
had tried on a bunch of hats and looked good in all of them, but never truly
found the one that I knew was made for me to wear. Now though I truly feel I
have found that very hat. My calling. My purpose.
Since discovering my purpose, I plan on using my talents, learned-knowledge,
and yes even my own experiences to help others by instilling within them hope. I
have begun writing self-help books ranging from chronic pain to divorce,
fantasy novels I had begun writing years ago for fun, and starting up a support
group for those in my area who are learning to live with chronic pain. It is my
goal that this will then become a non-profit to help people further in my own
community.
So, if I could leave you, my audience, with any final message it would
be to understand that God works in mysterious ways. Not everything works the
way we have planned or expected it to, but somehow it all comes together
beautifully. So, have faith and never give up hope. A better tomorrow is in
sight if you are only open to it.
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