Dear Reader Column 11-27-06

Join my email book club. Over 330,000 people read 5-minutes a day. To see what books I'm featuring this week, go to: http://www.dearreader.com/

Dear Reader,

Thanks for taking the time to write to me. Reading and replying to your email is the best part of my day. Gracie wrote to me...

"Hi, my name is Gracie and I am part of your Romance Book Club. I am a senior in high school this year and I have a question. It isn't about winning a book or any other cool prizes you give away but a personal question. It's 'How did you know what you wanted to do with you life?' I know this may seem very strange to you, seeing that we are complete strangers, but at this point in time, I am supposed to know what I want to do with the rest of my life and where to go for college and I wanted to know if you have any advice on this. Thanks for taking your time to read this e-mail."--Gracie

Gracie,

Thanks for your email. I always love to hear from readers.

Your "How did I know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life?" question, I don't find it strange at all. In fact, I feel honored that you asked me.

I guess I was fortunate, because I never really had to give anybody an answer to that question. I gave birth to a daughter when I was 17 and a senior in high school, so no one expected too much from me. No one asked me what was I going to do with the rest of my life because they figured I'd already messed up the rest of my life. I'm telling you that story to hopefully take the pressure off. Here's the thing, nobody can decide at any point in their life, what they'll do the rest of their life, or what they want to be when they're all "grown up".

In the beginning, I spent more time discovering things that I didn't want to do, like the 1 1/2 years of an auto mechanics program I signed up for at a technical school. The reason I signed on for auto mechanics was because I wanted to see if I could do something I didn't know anything about. And I did, but I also realized that I didn't want auto mechanics for a career. The experience wasn't wasted. It did indeed give me the boost of confidence that I was seeking.

I opened a restaurant for someone, then opened my own breakfast and lunch place. I've been a typesetter and learned how to lay out magazines. In fact, I ended up starting my own business magazine, ran it for 11 years and sold it for a lot of money. I've started a nonprofit meal program, and at one time in my life I had 10 paper routes, waited tables, made pizzas, and along the way I raised four children and now I have two grandchildren and another grandchild on the way. The title "writer"--I never really discovered that talent until about seven years ago and now writing is the love of my life along with answering emails like yours.

It's a big world out there, Gracie, filled with a lot of neat things to do and you can "be" many of them in your lifetime. Nose around, make sure you have a lot of experiences, and most of all listen to yourself. When you're alone, surrounded only by your own thoughts--listen hard, don't question yourself, because there's something deep inside of you that knows what you're going to love and what you need to make your life a wonderful journey.

Don't worry, I know you'll do just fine. Look, you've already started nosing around, you asked me..."Suzanne, how did you know what you wanted to do with your life?"

Thanks for reading with me Gracie. It's an honor to know I'm reading with someone like you.

Warmest regards,
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected] 
http://www.DearReader.com

AUTHORBUZZ: Amazing contests this week! Recipes from a top New York City pastry chef and of course signed free books from these terrific authors: Richard Paul Evans, Finding Noel; Kate Zuckerman, The Sweet Life; Stan Pottinger, The Boss; Charles Epping, Trust; and Ann Parr, Coach Tex Winter. Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader

READ THE CLASSICS: The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, and enter the free Penguin Classic's Drawing. Go to: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/path_go.cfm?x=815&site=23

Comments

[Sylvia]

I love this column. I have a daughter in high school who is facing career and education decisions and I am sharing this with her.

I am also leaing a copy of this column for my 21 year old son to read. He is still confused on career choices.

Thanks for sharing your story - there are a good many of us who still wonder about career choices even in our 40's.