Who are you?

I just read a blog post on "being authentically yourself." Now, you might be saying to yourself, "What else can I be?" I've actually found it's very easy to be someone other than myself, at least part of the time. Think about what we're asked to be and do, whether it's in school or when looking for a job.

• Be an energetic go-getter who loves collaborating with people!
• Must be good at math and science!
• Must love working in groups!
• Study hard for the stuff that you're not interested in! Don't pay attention to the stuff you're interested in!
• Get your head out of that book and get an internship with a Fortune 500 company!
• Must love multitasking rather than sitting alone all day reading a book or doodling!

For years and years, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do, and I literally couldn't sit down to write for more than five minutes without feeling like a fraud. After a long time of being told what I should be doing, someone close to me told me to focus on what I enjoyed doing. The problem was: I didn't enjoy writing anymore. I was afraid of it, because I kept thinking I had to be someone I wasn't.

I am not an extrovert. I can read or write all day and feel completely fine in that very internal world.

I am not and never have been a math and science person. I'm fascinated by certain scientific facts, but my brain does not work well with equations. Likewise, I enjoy stories, not formulas.

I hate group work. Hate it.

I never liked studying. Reading a good book is always better.

In my world, multitasking is over-rated. Spending an entire day reading (or writing) a book is perfectly acceptable.

The world, in a lot of ways, is built for multitasking extroverts who excel at math and science and love group work. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. We need people who love math and science and group work and multitasking. I'm just saying it's okay to be the other way, too. I think that's a lot of what got channeled into Wren in For Ever. I think she feels a little out of place in the world, and I think for a long time I did, too.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that some of the people who connected with The Ever Series are introverts who love reading and hate group work. There are maybe even some people who love math and science and group work in there, too. :-)

Right now, I'm in Ever's world. What a ride. I can't wait to share his side of For Ever.

To those of you who have followed along on Wren's journey from the beginning, thank you.

CJ