Braver With Age + Writing With Courage

There is a quote I stumbled upon recently that gave me pause. “What would you write if you weren’t afraid?” I’m going to come clean and say I have been afraid most of my life. Afraid of messing up, hurting someone’s feelings, failing, not being good enough, not trying hard enough, missing an opportunity or better yet getting it and totally blowing it. Guess what, it’s been exhausting!

What would you write if you weren't afraid? Brene Brown

We all have hang-ups that affect our worth. Mine happens to be from childhood and although mine was pretty awesome in a lot of ways I have recently unearthed some deep insecurities from it. Let me start by saying I was very lucky to have such a loving family. I was the baby and much younger than my siblings. My oldest sister was 15 years older, then 11 and my brother was 9 years older. With that came a lot of fun but when the party was over they all left. They ventured off to college then moved out of state after they got married. So from the age of 6 on there was constant shift in my house and for a girl who loved her older sisters it was heartbreaking to say the least. I remember crying uncontrollably on the foot of my mother’s bed when my middle sibling left for Indiana the day after her wedding.

For a long time I blamed myself in some weird way for them leaving. I created an unspoiled universe around perfection and even thought if I could be “perfect” then people wouldn’t leave me. Yeah, heavy stuff right?! Then add in I was creative and highly sensitive to the world around me. I put perfect on a pedestal and often thought if I could be perfect then I had some control. For me it was how I held myself and what I created.

The hard thing, it wasn’t an easy task. It turns out that even when I felt I did something close to perfect, I sought the next perfect thing to conquer. That is what I mean by exhausting. For a long time I discounted the importance and value in failure and struggle. I have learned a lot about myself over the last decade and even in this last year. My conclusion, for me it has something to do with writing. When Covid hit I spent the first month directionless then something inside my soul told me to finish the book I had been writing for years. Guess what?! I finished it in late August!

Let me say, writing a novel isn’t for the faint of hearts and neither is trying to get an agent. What I did realize was, it allowed me to share things I never felt empowered to share any other way. In some ways writing is a great exercise for someone who is timid and reserved because it feels safe to write about fictional characters and circumstances.

City Farmhouse

The virtue I learned through the process is patience. I thought I had it before but this is process is on a whole other level. I have worked so hard on this novel, honed my craft and yet I still wait. Wait for feedback, interest and rejection. When I say “braver with age” it’s because I’m not sure I would have the guts to write this book the way I did a year ago or five or ten years ago. And I certainly couldn’t have written like this in my 20’s. There is a certain boldness that comes with age and I am fully embracing it! Hopefully you are too, no matter what your age.

Happy Friday friends!

Similar Posts

11 Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing yourself so openly today, Jen! I love to read and especially when I “know” the author! Please let us know when your novel is available. Congratulations on finishing your first book!

    1. What to go Jen! Your transparency makes you More “human” and Relatable 😊. If we lived in the same town we would probably have coffee, share the latest lipstick colors and paint colors and talk about our ups and dowNs. We all haVe similar challenges!
      Keep us updated on the release of your Novel. Look forward to reading it!

      1. Anne, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! It’s true, vulnerability is the key to connection. I will definitely do that! Jen

  2. Thank you for fearlessly sharing a little about yourself. As a fellow perfectionist, it took most of my life to learn to ease up on myself a bit and like who I am…not perfect in the sense of “without blemish,” but perfect in the sense of “Mature and complete.”
    congrats on finishing your book as well.

    1. Thank you for sharing some of your story with me. It’s very difficult to grow as a person if you are wrapped up in perfection. Thank you so much Meredith!

  3. I too am the youngest and everyone left the nest leaving me alone. I have to say that it’s made me able to be by myself as I married someone who works 7 days a week..nights too, then Covid happened. I am very capable entertaining myself due to those quiet years of begging for a sister. Perfection to be accepted, liked i know that all too well. If you happen to be pretty as well you learn it’s hard to find true friends or nobody wants to be around you because your just too darned perfect (my exact mother’s quote)…so I try to just be me, be kind and giving and I’m a superb listener! I’d love to know when your book comes out. I’m sure it’s lovely and you should pat yourself on the back for finishing it. Great job! You are awesome!

    1. Hi Lori, thank you for sharing a little of your story as well. Ha, that’s interesting and true. I am extremely self sufficient as well although I love being with people I love and trust. Be you and the rest will follow, right?! Thank you for your kind and supportive words! Jen

  4. Congratulations on your book!

    sort of an “emancipation” / “freedom with age”

    best of luck!

Comments are closed.