Hello, old friend. It’s been so long since I’ve sat down to write words. It feels good to be back. When I write, my heart breathes the deepest sigh of contentment. No longer am I caging my insides – suppressing their expression. Rather, I have let the caged bird free and imagine my heart smiling in its freedom.
The Writing Process
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had friends reach out asking that I review their resumes, cover letters, and graduate essays. I graciously agree. I love the writing process; it is so rewarding to watch a subpar first draft morph into a beautiful work of art with words flowing effortlessly from one point to the next. It always happens – this becoming. Despite all odds, the writing always transforms. This is why I love an edit.
Edits are my jam. Shamelessly, I consider them a form of talk-therapy. The first draft of anything – professional, personal, educational, or other – is always garbage. Pure horse crap. And it’s supposed to be. But I slave tirelessly over the words that follow my first draft, considering better transitions and pondering new headers. Eventually, what emerges from the unsuspecting ashes is a stunning work of art that perfectly captures the words of my heart.
The Edits of Life
I find that life has many parallels. At first glance, our becoming appears abstract. It’s difficult to initially pinpoint the hobbies, passions, and issues that spark advocacy in us. This uncertainty likely stems from the unknowing; we haven’t met ourselves deeply enough to identify our innermost desires. However, over time, we learn the activities that bring us joy, the books that make us laugh, the friends that fill our cup, and the injustices that break our heart. Our becoming is comprised of many small moments that make up our life.
The edit exists in our u-turns. Undoubtedly, we will make a decision or two (or ten) that feels right in the moment without giving it much thought. Many times, these decisions appear sexy and dangerous, perhaps even a bit rebellious. We say “yes” for the thrill but come to find out that the “yes” was premature and naive. In contrast, some decisions are made with the best of intentions. We survey our options, weigh opportunity costs, and make the choice in good faith only to resent our decision long-term. Both instances constitute the edits of life; when we know better, we do better. And the u-turn marks our becoming – a clear identifier of what we do and don’t want for our life. It symbolizes the beautiful awakening of our truest self.
The Lessons in Life’s Dead Ends
I needed the dead end to realize the path was fruitless. My life required a u-turn in order to prove that I deserved better. I had to experience the uncertainty of not knowing the next step to realize just how strong I was. Your edits – your u-turns – should be some of the proudest pages in your story. They flag a clear pivot in your becoming when you bravely decided to change course and write a new chapter in your story.
Seriously, consider your u-turns: changing majors, switching jobs, ending relationships, moving cities, saying “no”, saying “yes”, walking away, trying harder, letting go. These decisions changed the trajectory of your life and edited the course of your story. They are battle scars – proof that you are human. No one promised that they would be without pain; however, take heart in knowing that the pivot is always worth the pain. Any alternative would be living in opposition of the life that you know you are capable of. It is never too late to make a u-turn. It is never too late to rewrite your story. You are in charge of the narrative – start living your truth.
You are authoring your story – write well, edit often.
– Ally Chard