Dream Bigger, Then Grow

By Michelle Worthington

The quote that sums up my writing mission is, "Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself."

First, you have to work. Nothing comes easy in this life and your passion must be proportionate to the size of your goal. I am not afraid of hard work.

Second, keep working until you make it happen. It might be a long hard slog and there will be times you want to give up, but your tenacity must be stronger than your self-doubt.

Finally, be known as an expert in your field. Some people may mistake my goal of brand recognition as vanity or showmanship, but I can't help people if they don't know who I am. I can't share my story with them, inspire them or make a difference in this world if I sit back and wait for them to come looking for me. 

They won't.

Photo of Michelle Worthington

I have never implied I am more talented, special or worthy than anyone else and that is not what marketing yourself as a brand is about.  I can promise you that as long as I see a need, I will try to fill it. It is my duty, not only to myself, but to my children and my community to use my talents to increase the greater good. I will work hard so that when people hear my name, they will smile.

My second goal is to be interviewed on breakfast television about my writing.  The third is to increase brand awareness of Michelle Worthington, Author, on social media. The fourth is to sell more books. The final goal is to get speaking engagements nationally at writers’ festivals and women's groups where most authors make the majority of their income.

Providing for my family and setting a good example for our kids is above other things why I want to be successful. Strangely enough, I wouldn't put this as my top reason for wanting to be a writer. When your goal is hard, and your dream is bigger than your comfort zone, can living a dream for someone else really be enough to keep you motivated?

Is it so awful to want to achieve something just for yourself? Have we become so scared of being labeled 'selfish' and a 'bad mother' because we want to feel good about ourselves for something we alone have accomplished?  My kids love me and they want me to be happy, so does hubby. But, do they want the dream I have? Do they share my passion? The answer is no. Doing it for them is not enough. I have to do it for myself. What other people think of me is a huge achievement-blocker that needs to be overcome because when my goal becomes difficult to reach, it will be easy to stop and justify failure by saying it didn't turn out to be the right thing for my family and I will listen to the million reasons why I shouldn't keep trying.

What if it was the right thing for me and I just gave in because it meant my family would have had to make some changes and sacrifices for me to achieve it? My goal will also create my sanity and is my salvation. When I do achieve my goals, with the love and support of my family, it will be something I have done for myself and I want to be proud of that.

Michelle Worthington is an internationally published, award-winning author of empowering picture books for children of all ages. She hopes to be an ambassador for literacy in children and foster a lifelong love of reading. Her books are available online at www.michelleworthington.com and other book selling sites.