When I was 23 years old I received some advice that I didn’t even know I needed.
Life is funny that way, sometimes.
Long before I ever had the courage to give voice to the words, “I want to be a writer,” I heard the advice that would help to set my course for today.
I only spent one afternoon with Charlotte Shaner.
She was the mother of my husband’s childhood best friend.
She was a small woman with a giant personality.
She had a rapier wit, a quick sense of humor, and the ability to inject her life-lived wisdom into our short, but sweet conversation.
Most importantly to me, she was a writer.
A real, honest-to-goodness writer.
And she didn’t just write “Stuff.”
No, that amazing woman wrote greeting cards. Greeting cards!
I may be weird, but I can spend hours in the card aisle. I think the best of writing, humor, and subtle sarcasm find their home in the folds of a greeting card.
I asked this inspiring woman, this newfound hero, “How did you do it?”!
How did she get this dream job? This once in a lifetime opportunity to make people laugh? This soul-satisfying, yet salaried position.
Her answer has stuck with me all these years. It has prodded me when I’m lazy, encouraged me when I’m at a loss for ideas, and motivated me when it seemed like my dream could never come true.
What was her advice?
Simply this… Write Every Day!
Charlotte told me that it didn’t matter what I wrote (poem, story, lyric, grocery list…) I just needed to write every.single.day.
Following her advice has changed my perspective on my dream. It’s changed my “If only,” into the reality of “When…” I know now that my dream isn’t going to happen unless I put the effort into making it happen.
That little habit of writing something, every.single.day, has produced results that would never have seen the light of day without Charlotte’s prodding. Without the resonating memory of her simple bit of wisdom, I would still be daydreaming instead of daring dreaming.
How about you?
Do you draw, or paint, or create beauty with food, or sculpt, or garden? Do you dare to dream with your life?
Do you want to see results for your dreaming? If so, may I encourage you? May I remind you in the same way that Charlotte reminded me? May I push you and prod you and propel you toward your dream?
Here goes…
Whatever “It” is… Do it everyday!
Do it everyday and watch your dream grow.
Do it everyday and develop habits of faithfulness.
Do it everyday and soon, your daring dreams will be your daily destiny.
Keep dreaming,
Megan
What dream should you be practicing every.single.day? Noone else can make you do it; only you can make the choice!
Megan Scheibner 