Yesterday a fellow writer made me cry. 

Not sad tears – happy tears, tears of acceptance and recognition.

I’ve been called many things professionally – barmaid, waitress, cleaner, lab technician, analytical chemist, Lean practitioner, manager, leader, blogger, travel photographer and possibly a few less professional adjectives 🙈

Yet I’ve never been called a writer or if I have it hasn’t hit me as hard as it did yesterday.

It was a simple comment.

Eddie Shleyner (copywriter extraordinaire) thanked me for commenting on his post and said it meant a lot coming from a fellow writer.

Fellow writer.

Eddie views me as a fellow writer.

I am a writer, I’ve been writing all my life and writing online for over 12 years yet why did that comment literally bring tears to my eyes?

Because I’ve given up a lot to be a writer.

• I’ve given up everything I’ve ever known professionally.
• I’ve given up the financial stability of the corporate world – my salary, my bonus, my pension and all future earnings of same.
• I’ve given up all sense of professional certainty.

All to focus on writing, the sheer joy of putting one word in front of another.

My writing was always on the side, never given the spotlight it deserved, it hid in the shadows behind a day job that kept me safe.

That safety net is gone now and I’m on a tight rope wondering what I am doing and how I even got here. I look around and there’s no equipment, it’s tricky and it’s a real balance but I must move forward, there’s no going back.

Yet I’m not alone – I’m with my fellow writers.

I am a fellow writer.

• Steve Jobs taught us to find what we love and not to settle until we do
• Seth Godin taught us to find our tribe

I’ve taken Steve and Seth’s advice, I’ve found what I love and I’ve found my tribe.

I am a fellow writer.

Gratitude to Eddie Schleyner for his acceptance and recognition

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Thanks for reading 

Siobhain

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