There was a friend asking me for an advice on how to write if she doesn’t have innate talent for writing. It seemed that she chose the right person. I did not dare to tell her to do this or that since I am not a terribly successful writer; but I still want to share my story.

I’m getting paid by writing. Writing as a hobby and writing for money are two utterly different things. I shudder to think of how bad I was at Literature in my high school years and now I am making money by writing.

My journey of self-discovery begins

The obsession that I and Literature was not born for each other becomes an excuse for me to not invest much time for it. Even when I took an entrance exam to enter Ho Chi Minh City Foreign Trade University, I failed because of my low score at Literature. Then, I obeyed my mother in going to study Finance & Banking at HCMC Economics of University, since I didn’t have any clear career direction. After graduating and working in Banking for over 1 year and a half, I realize that I was not in my path. I gave up everything, actually forsook everything with no regrets and started learning Marketing.

Me in Mayfield Lavender Farm, South London, UK

From that time, I started my rocky road from zero. It’s not easy as thought.  I started from Sales, to PR and ending up in Copywriting. I didn’t choose this job, it chose me. That incident used to weigh on my conscience since I was not good at Literature, didn’t like to wire and needed to find the way out of this circle. After day by day, being tired at work, I often was lying awake at night, staring at the ceiling and seeing my reflection as a zero rolling indefinitely in this big world, I bursted into tears: “Where am I now, what the heck am I doing with my life?”. Then I woke up, wrestling with this chaotic world to find my true happiness and life meaning.

Photo Credit: Umberto Cofini

Do you know why The Beatles are so popular 50 years on? When they were just an unknown rock band in their high school and did not defined their next move yet, they were invited to play in Hamburg, Germany. They had to play continuously 5-6 hours/ night and 7 days/ week. It made them to be patient, be creative, keep trying and finding new ways to play. They were playing their heart out. After a Hamburg process, from a not-too-impressive musical band, The Beatles have been outstanding and famous all over the world to this day. Without this process, perhaps the members of The Beatles could have entered different turns.

At this moment in time, I found myself totally wrong when in self-doubt. I discern that talent is not the key to the success of a person, but the time invested seriously in things you do.

At this moment in time, I found myself totally wrong when in self-doubt. I discern that talent is not the key to the success of a person, but the time invested seriously in things you do. I have attempted, I have tried to pursue my career in writing over a period of time which is not too long, not too short, but enough for me to absorb all the interesting things about writing; enough for me to notice how better my writing skills are now as compared what it was in the early days. I could write longer and more organized articles with richer content, know how to make use of the power of words to express what I want to convey. Needless to say, to go further in this path, I also need my own Hamburg process.

Life is shaped by different turning points and is not always what we expect.

In retrospect, I realize that life is shaped by different turning points and is not always what we expect. Sometimes, you keep telling yourself you are nothing special, but after ups and downs in life or someone accidentally appearing in your life and giving you a chance to explore yourself, let’s take it. We need to jump into the fire several times to be forged and shining; or must know hearbreak to find the true love of our life.