Last week when I blogged about Rachel Hollis and Lady GaGa, a friend told me that her dreams are similar to Octavia Butler's so of course, I had to go find out what those were.
Here's an image taken from The Huntington Library where he work is now housed. You can read more about this letter to herself here and here.
When I read her words, it reminds me that each of us has to be the first to believe in ourselves. I have to be the first to believe in myself if I hope someone else will believe in me. It reminds me that I have to put in the work in order to get to a place where I believe in myself strongly enough that others will too.
I really love that. Reading it made me reflect on my own mantra which is: I believe I can and I will. Some days it's harder to live by it...those days when I'm struggling to believe. It's an interesting thing, believing. It's full of hope and faith and but also a bit of knowledge and trust. While I know I have to be the first person to believe, I've had friends lately who have reminded me to keep believing and that has meant a lot. For me, writing is a very social activity. I'm sure it's because I'm an extrovert and most everything is a social activity for me but I truly believe a writing life is better with friends. I can't imagine navigating the writing process or the world of publishing without others to help me along the way.
Or even without writing mentors like Octavia Butler who remind me to just get it done. I'm off to write out my own hopes and dreams. If I can dream it, I can believe it. And if I can believe it, I can and I will.
Do you have a mantra?
What about your dream for your writing life?
Or maybe you have writing mentors in your life?
I'd love to hear about them!
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