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Keep doing the work. Writing, networking, honing my craft, rewriting. Keep doing the work. I’ve been so busy doing exactly that, so much so that I missed the one-year anniversary of my workplace liberation. I hadn’t planned on celebrating with a bottle of champagne at the stroke of midnight or by chucking my middle fingers up in the air and belting out an appropriate Beyoncé lyric, but I was surprised at how quickly the time came and went, and how much things have changed.
A year and some change ago, I was working a dead-end, mind-numbingly boring full-time job that left me feeling empty, drained and divorced from what I know my calling to be. I am a storyteller through and through, but I had almost forgotten that while working there. And while I was far from comfortable at that company, I hadn’t made many strides to set myself on the difficult yet rewarding path of pursuing my passion. I was lost in the rat race and needed nothing short of a miracle to make that happen. And then I got one. I was fired.
The shock and the frustration of how it all went down blindsided me. I wanted to leave that no-good job on my own terms and with another job lined up, but I didn’t have that luxury. My ego was definitely bruised. But what stung even more was the realization that I had to make good on my promise to do the work. No more excuses. If I wanted to pursue writing full time, I’d have to give it my all – I’d have to write like crazy and keep the creative machine flowing. I’d have to trust my gut, be open to new possibilities and seek out different opportunities. And though it hasn’t been easy and at times slow, I’ve learned a lot.
For instance, I’ve learned to quit operating from a place of desperation. It was desperate thinking that led me to apply to several jobs that weren’t worth my time. Never mind the fact that I was overqualified for most of them and would have been severely underpaid for all of them. That, unfortunately, is a reality for many people. But it was knowing that I didn’t cast a wide enough net that made me realize the flaw in my thinking. I was willing to accept any ol’ thing, jobs I had zero interest in and that weren’t even remotely creative or creative adjacent. Jobs that I wholeheartedly knew would set me giant steps back. Ironically, every in the meantime job I’ve ever had ended up being long-term positions. Yes, I needed the money, but if I accepted those jobs, I would have done myself a huge disservice by thinking that was the best I could get…and then I would have overstayed my welcome. So I allowed myself to say no. Every time I said no, an unexpected and resoundingly better opportunity presented itself. I trusted my gut and my instincts and knew that better opportunities were ahead, self-created and otherwise.
Under my keep-doing-the-work mantra, I’ve been offered writing jobs and assignments from clients I’ve been working with, including an opportunity that took me out of the country for the first time in years, and gave me my first foray into an industry I’ve been longing to break into for a long time now – travel writing.
I also learned that I will never fail, not with the tremendous support system I have in place. My tribe of family and friends – they push me, encourage me and often believe in me more than I believe in myself. They’ve helped find me rewarding opportunities and always have my back. I have to keep doing the work, of course, and I’m still susceptible to a host of challenges, seen and unforeseen, but I’m not giving up on myself. It might take a little longer to get where I want to be than I initially anticipated, but I’m doing the work. And it feels great.
