Stumbling Into Your Magic
I’ve always loved writing.
At five years old, I told my mom that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I dreamed of a bookcase full of books with my name on the spine. I loved the smell of paper and the feel of a good ballpoint pen in my hand. I filled notebooks with poetry and short stories.
But somewhere along the way, I got discouraged.
I started to believe that writing was a hobby, not a job. I decided to major in English because it was the closest “real” degree I could get to what I wanted to do.
When I graduated, I got a teaching job. (What else do you do when you get a B.A. in English?) I got my teaching certificate. Then my Master’s in Education. Then I started my Master’s in English. Then I had a baby. Then I had two more. And suddenly, I blinked and I was thirty. I hadn’t written for nearly ten years.
My greatest and earliest passion had died a slow and painful death without me even noticing.
One day, I got an idea for a presentation on motherhood. It was funny and real and I got excited about writing the content. I was asked to speak at my local M.O.M.S. group. Randomly. But not. You know how that goes.
And I was terrified because I felt a lot better about writing and hiding behind my computer than I did stepping in front of an audience. But I did it afraid. Surprisingly, I didn’t die of stage fright and those sweet ladies actually laughed and nodded their heads and “got me.”
Soon after, I was asked to speak at my church. And then at several other churches. And then I was asked to teach a course on my material. I called it Welcome to the Circus. Before I knew it, I was writing again. For a real audience. One who seemed to need what I had to say.
And that changed everything. I didn’t know it then, but those opportunities opened a door for me. I began to see myself as a writer and speaker.
I don’t know how it happened, but I had stumbled back into my magic.
At that point in my life, I knew there were two things that I did well. I could write and teach. And even though I know a lot more about my “magic” today than I did then, those two things are still at the core.
I don’t know where you are on your journey, but I hope my story encourages you.
Do you sense that you have something bigger to give? Is there something that you’ve always loved, or loved as a kid, that you’d like to start again? What stirs in your heart when you read these words?
If you are still looking for your magic, keep looking. It’s a process.
Or if you had already given up on your magic, then I ask you to consider searching for it again.
Either way, this process starts with belief. Give yourself permission to explore this idea that you have something special to share. Because you do. And if you haven’t found it yet – then, there’s no time like the present.
This post is part of a series! Don’t miss:
Post 1: Share Your Magic
Post 2: Wait, I Don’t Know What My Magic Is