Why did I write a column called Write to Rise? Because if you write and get published, not only will you stand out amongst your peers and get the promotion over someone who has not been published, you will also build your own self-esteem and self-worth.
For years, I kept my writing a secret dream or some sort of hidden fantasy that needed to be tucked away in a locked box. I didn’t think it was “right” to call myself a writer if I didn’t have a PhD in English Lit. I feared judgment from everyone. Mostly, I shrank back in order to let others shine brightly. It was deeply ingrained in me that I was to listen and not speak. Creativity was laughed at. Starving artists were made fun of in my family. Creative writing would never pay the bills and I would be homeless. In a nutshell, I was oppressed.
Please stop waiting for judgment to disappear before you speak what’s true for you. Much like how they sky will always be blue, or night will always be dark, judgment will always linger, softly whispering to you that you and your voice don’t matter. Whether you speak or don’t speak, write or don’t write, stand out or blend in, judgment will always be present.
And it’s quite beautiful when you realize and appreciate judgment for what she is.
You see, judgment isn’t the evil queen in your story. No, in fact, she holds her own superpowers, which will be revealed in later chapters.
Judgment holds protection, curiosity, and deep reflection for others. We often judge to justify where we are at, to protect ourselves from feeling bad, and to avoid seeing what is in our mirror looking back.
As I wrap up this, my final column of Write to Rise, it is my hope for you, courageous young student, that you will unleash your fear and judgment and just write. As author and business executive Seth Godin suggests, “Be the purple cow.”
Mostly, write from the heart, write for you, write, and write some more, because your words are just as important as any bestselling author’s.
You never know where that first step will lead you.
Just begin.