What I’ve Learned from Twilight’s Author
I have to say, some of the things I’ve attempted in my life, some of the things I’ve failed miserably at, were the things I chose to do for inauthentic reasons. When I say inauthentic, I (at those times) was thinking, “If they can do it, I can too”. In the majority of cases, I didn’t have any passion for what I was pursuing. That was the problem…the reason for my failures.
I recently saw this quote from Perry Marshall, an internet marketer, “Most of our failures are in races that others enter us in. Most of our successes come from races we ourselves want to enter. We fail to win most races because we enter too many of the wrong ones – their races, not ours.”
I’ve lived this quote too many times, jumping on the bandwagon of another’s goals because that person appeared to be doing well. This can mean getting into banking because you know someone else is making a good salary in their banking job. Or, it can mean becoming a teacher because your best friend loves teaching (and loves having her summers off). These examples make for terrible reasons to pursue a career.
We are all born with our own talents and skills that most likely are unlike those of our neighbors, friends, or family members. When I recently found out the writer of the Twilight series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn) was a stay at home mom of three, I became completely fascinated by her story.
Stephenie Meyer saw her characters in a dream one night and then woke up the next day and began to put the story on paper. She had not written prior to that, although she did have a degree in English. Writing stories about vampires was nowhere in her thoughts at that time. And, if she had asked someone about should she write a novel about vampires, they probably would have discouraged her. (Oftentimes, people offering advice may have good intentions, but they may be giving guidance based on their own fears and judgments. If you need guidance, seek it from those who are where you envision yourself being.)
What fascinated me most about her story is I was certain the Twilight series was written by a male novelist, who probably had a fascination with the occult. She did not fit the mold (whatever that is) of what an author who writes about vampires would look like, or for that matter, be. In essence, Stephenie created her own path, based upon an inner urging she had to bring the characters from a dream to life, initially in the pages of a book. She made her own way and look where the journey has taken her so far!
So, in finding what you’re meant to do, remember these tips: 1) Don’t make someone else’s life course yours, and 2) Pay attention to signs that appear in your life suggesting where you should head. Your dreams, and the signs that are a recurring part of your path, will get you on the correct road to YOUR OWN personal fulfillment. Enjoy the journey!