For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing.
I’ve written poetry and stories since I was in grade school. I enjoyed sending my friends daily emails after school when Hotmail became a popular form of communication at the time. Most of the gifts I’d get were notebooks or writing utensils. Family members would say that I should become a professional email writer or an author. To this day, my colleagues complement my written pieces as well. This is a common theme I noticed, but even though it seems obvious this is my craft, I did not always recognize it as valuable. Sometimes, I’d even ignore it. In hindsight, I had imposter syndrome, especially in the absence of my craft. I attempted to fill a void that just could not be satisfied.
I learned that pretending and wishing my gift away is a curse rather than a blessing. Abandoning your craft and yourself creates a recipe for disaster; it has the ability to eat away at your confidence and make you feel as though you must blend in with the crowd. The erasure or hiding of yourself can quickly become a self fulfilling prophecy of truly being an imposter if it’s done consistently enough. It is impossible to function in a healthy way when the self is hidden; low confidence can impact the opportunities you expose yourself to, keep you around people who are not your biggest believers, and most importantly, you would be lying to yourself. Why hinder your growth and potential just to fit in?
There’s a reason we are given gifts and the freedom to explore our talents. Don’t waste those opportunities or wait until it’s too late. Reach for your dreams because they’ll make you stand tall and confidently, like a tree. Besides, aren’t we all thankful for that one sturdy tree that can offer you shade on a hot summer day? Hint: You can be that tree, if you deeply root yourself to your craft and let yourself branch out with it. That is the power of growth.