Are You Applying The Right Skill In The Wrong Environment?
That's Me Going From Hating Essay Writing In School To Now It Being My Chosen Profession.
I had a funny realisation a couple of months back.
I was in the grips of paddling through an essay for you guys when it hit me. I am writing an essay out of my own free will.
"Wait a minute," I said and paused my work. "I am writing an essay out of my own free will," I said out loud this time, "Who am I?"
I was surprised at this realisation because there was a time - 12 years of schooling, to be precise - when I hated writing essays.
That summer vacation homework of writing essays, those 500-word essay questions in the English and Hindi language exams - they always annoyed me. And even though we were given options, I enjoyed none of them. I always had to force myself to fill the pages with imaginary tales of what I did during the summer months.
This same feeling and treatment went for letter-writing. Ugh!
And now, 10 years later, it's my job. A career choice I made. And I am pleased.
I now write 1-2 essays per session, the topic is my choice, and I take my sweet time writing it.
What makes writing these essays fun for me now is that I am writing what I am curious about and want to talk about. And I write it whichever way I want. I am not forced into a topic or a format.
And what makes writing essays satisfying is that I write for myself first. I no longer write essays because I need the marks. That anticipation of the end result turns into anxiety and kills all the joy of writing.
I used to think I was terrible at writing. Now my life revolves around words, both writing and reading.
If I could go back in time and tell school-going Rubina that she'll become a writer 10 years later, she would laugh as if she's having an asthma attack and clap her knees like a seal.
And yet, here we are. Clocking in words every writing session and doing so happily.
This proves that you may never know you have or may never grow the right skill or passion because you're in the wrong environment. When you find the right environment - mental, physical, emotional, spiritual - which has the capacity to help you thrive, you'll find so many hidden skills, talents, and treasures inside you that you never knew you had.
So if you find yourself stuck or not enjoying what you're doing, there may be a chance that you're using the right skill in the wrong environment. Try switching up the environment and see what happens.
