Saturday, July 7, 2018

The Birthday Present

My brother gave me this notebook for my thirtieth birthday. With it came a beautiful little handmade artisan gift card. Inside the card were three words: never stop writing

I shall heed my brother’s advice. From this day onwards, I shall write every day. This is a promise that I make to myself. I am a writer at heart, and I shall not let anything get in the way of allowing me to pursue my true calling in life. 

I am a writer. I have always been one and I will always be one. I forgive myself for neglecting this part of my life for so long. I must admit that it is not easy to listen to one’s inner voice, especially in today’s world. Others always have an opinion on what path you should take in life: family, friends, mentors, teachers, preachers, and the list goes on. It’s difficult to stay true to oneself amidst all the noise. 

It’s a shame that the world doesn’t always reward one for pursuing their calling. How can one make a living from writing? The world only pays for tangible products and efficient services. The world only pays for what has a price tag on it. The word doesn’t always pay for self-expression, creativity, and inspiration… the things that actually matter in life. What if writing makes me feel alive? What if it makes others feel alive? Is it not a worthy pursuit? Whether it pays or not, I shall continue to write.

This notebook will document the story of how I returned to writing and stuck with it. This will be the best story I will have ever written because it will be the story of my life. It will be the story of how I pursued my dream to become a writer. 

A writer is someone who writes. So, if I write today, I am a writer today. If I write tomorrow, I will be a writer tomorrow.

If I write every day, I will have lived my life as a writer.

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