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"What job are you going to get with that?" people would ask. "Do you want to be a teacher?" I said I didn't know, but that I hoped I wouldn't have to worry because my music career would take off. But studying English flicked a switch: Hey, I can actually write. Excellent. Now I've got two career paths that are considered impossible to be a success in.
Did I care? No. And because I didn't give a toss what other people said, I pushed and pushed until I got what I wanted. I now work as an editor and writer for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, AND have a novel coming out, AND have an album coming out with it.
So. My point is: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. If you want something. You reach for it. Because if you don't, you'll never know what could become of you.
Anyone ever said you couldn't do something, then proved them wrong? Tell me your story.
Great post Jessica. Nothing is impossible, but it's hard to hold on to that when times get tough. This post should remind people to keep on going :)
ReplyDeleteGood for you Jessica, sometimes we have to listen to what our heart and mind are telling us. as you say NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE,something more people should think about,
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Yes, persistence pays off. I've not gotten any negative verbal jabs...just sighs and a roll of the eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how things worked out for you. I need to keep my hopes up right now.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Yeah, when I was writing my first book, everyone said science fiction was dead. I wrote it anyway. Glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI don't tell that to anyone because I don't want to hinder their path, however, I notice most people will put up their own barriers. Take down the barriers, people.
ReplyDeleteI'm the wrong person to ask. When it comes to careers, I've made all the wrong choices. Hopefully in a few year I'll look back and say these were bumps in the road.
ReplyDeleteI just love posts like this. Yay!!! Cheers for everyone who pushes through and achieves their dreams!!!!
ReplyDeleteNothing is impossible but just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s necessarily advisable. Yes, sometimes, people can dwell on the negative and for the best of reasons. Erring on the side of caution is sometimes the right thing to do if the risk is high and especially if the risk involves other people. The important thing is a) not to act hastily and b) to make an informed decision. You might not have the answer to all the questions and even if you do the world is changing and the idea of a job for life is becoming a thing of the past. You can’t have a contingency plan for every eventuality. But that’s no reason to behave rashly. If I sound like your mother talking then I apologise. Put it down to my age. I am, and always have been, a practical person.
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter quit university and was basically directionless in her early teens I encouraged her when an opportunity arose to take a job in the civil service which she did and things hadn’t changed that much from when I’d been there, it was still a cushy number and as about as secure a job as she was ever going to get. And for about ten years she was happy enough to rake in the money for not doing an awful lot of stuff but in her late twenties she decided to take an Open University degree in psychology and she’s well on the way to achieving that goal. When she does she intends to change her job. She never expressly sought my advice but she got it: I stated the pros and the cons and left it with her. Irrespective of what she does eventually she’ll have my support.
Success can be measured in more than one way. Unfortunately the most common benchmark is financial success: can you do what you want to do and still pay your bills at the end of the day? In many respect that’s the only true measure of success because the bills aren’t going away. I have always paid my bills in full and on time but for the longest time I lost perspective and thought that that was a sufficient measure of success. It is not. I needed to be able to pay my bills and do what mattered to me without jeopardising my mental health. The solution was one I had been aware of for many years but was afraid of attempting and that was to reduce the bills. We live in a world where TV screens and adverts and our mates are telling us all the time what we need to be happy. They’re wrong. I don’t need a car to be happy or to wear fashionable clothes or go on expensive holidays or have the latest technology. I do need accommodation and food and to get someone to take my rubbish away and as long as I have enough coming in to make sure those bills are paid the rest of the time is mine to do with what I want.
And so I’ve managed the impossible, to be able to sit and write all day but it’s still impossible for that writing to pay my bills.
Sheer willpower and determination are not enough. They are a starting point, nothing more. Yes, the future is an unknown country but only an idiot wanders into one without proper walking shoes, a compass and a backpack full of stuff to help him survive in it. No one should factor luck into any equation that involves their survival: luck should always be the cherry on the top of the cake. The quote is flawed and romantic: shoot for the moon, if you miss you’ll shoot off into space and die of old age before you reach the nearest star if you don’t die of starvation or asphyxia first.
Well said, Jess. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a firm believer in determination, dedication and a positive belief. Most of the things I've accomplished, I was told I was crazy for trying (degree in 2.5 years with honors, working as a writer, moving to Maine, etc). Never accept the negative.
woo hoo!!! You go, girl. It seems we're on the same inspirational wavelength today. Nothing's springing to mind as far as people telling me I can't do things. I've been lucky in that I'm the biggest person who tells myself I can't do things... :D <3
ReplyDeleteYAY! Thanks for the inspiration! And congratulations to you for doing what you want and succeeding!!
ReplyDeleteLuckily my parents instilled such confidence in me that I really thought I could do anything I set my mind to.
So that's what I'll do and I will get that book published one day!
Very inspiring, Jessica. I just read another post from an english major who heard the same things 'what are you going to do with that degree?' Most of the people in my life don't understand the career path I've chosen but now I have a job where people actually pay me to write for kids. And I'm working feverishly towards the whole 'published author' thing. Like you said, nothing is impossible!
ReplyDeleteGood words to hear. Thanks for writing this, Jessica.
ReplyDeleteI'd be shocked if 90% of successful writers didn't have some form of "nothing is impossible" story because it kind of goes hand in hand - the odds of publishing are small, the odds of making money and publishing are even smaller. I do believe that "chugging along", coupled with talent and luck make the difference.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. There are times when you truly need to do what you feel is right, no matter what anyone says.
ReplyDeleteI had a voice teacher who told me that I would never make it in opera. He was probably right, but it bothered me for a long time, even after I changed to a Classics major (yeah, if you don't have the money for a masters/PhD after it or don't want to teach, it can be about as useful as an English degree). It doesn't bother me now because I didn't have the discipline or as much passion to make something of it, but it made me realize how important it is to support dreams all the same. :)
hi miss jessica! im just soooo happy for all those moons you been getting to! for sure youre not just one of those star gazers. Youre a astronaut!
ReplyDelete...big hugs from lenny
You see, you CAN have your cake and eat it too!
ReplyDeleteTrue, true, truer. Really wanting something is the answer. When we only think having something would be fun or novel, we don't give it our all.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on all you have accomplished.
Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck
You're putting out an album that compliments your book? That is so cool! I've thought of doing that, and I'm surprised that more authors don't, since artists usually have a Major and a Minor. Perhsaps it will become more common whith the technology getting more available.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just love that! I think I'm still trying to prove people wrong. But a little at a time. Right? =)
ReplyDeleteI think I was my own worse enemy when it comes to writing. I've wanted to write since I was little, but the thought of doing a WHOLE book felt so daunting, so I never even attempted - and this is TOTALLY not like me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I did finally sit down and start writing, I couldn't believe how long it had taken me.
nah. Most the people in my life have been supportive. I mean, i guess my parents made fun of me when i wanted to be a singer and a vet when i was like seven, but if i had shown them that it was what i really wanted, they would have supported me.
ReplyDeleteAnd archaeology? That is so badass. I loved my archaeology classes in college
I spent years hearing people 'encourage' my writing while making veiled comments about how it was never going to happen and it wasn't really a real job. And now I have a book deal. So anything IS impossible - and you just need to know when to ignore everybody around you! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jessica!
Of all the Blogs I could visit, I really had to come back and hear the String Bridge song again! It haunted me at work all day. The vocal echoing really textures it beautifully!
ReplyDelete