A few weeks ago, I finished my 12th book this year (the goal is 50), called A Beautiful, Terrible Thing by Jan Waite. It is a memoir of her journey from a loving marriage (or so she thought) to discover that her husband had cheated on her and had all the signs of being a sociopath (no feelings)
As I was documenting it on my GoodReads account, I read over a few of the reviews. The first ones I read really lambasted her for her story, saying that many have been cheated on, gone through a divorce and that her story wasn’t anything special.
Many times I’ve had the same thoughts about my own story and my experiences. I’ve considered writing a book one day, but the self-doubt stops me in my tracks, and I think, “My story isn’t all that significant. So, I’ve been cheated on and survived a divorce. Many have. I’m nothing special.”
But I continue to write. I continue to write for me. I continue to write for people who somehow find my words and feel less alone even for a moment because someone else has gone through what they have gone through. Someone else knows exactly how they feel. Someone has put into words the emotional roller coaster that they are on and someone has survived it.
Everyone has a story. Some stories might look and sound similar, but it’s always wise to remember that everyone’s journeys are different. Keep sharing your story. There is someone out there that needs to hear it.