I’ve wanted to be a writer for a long time. But there was a time when I gave up that dream. And I regret it.

I started writing stories in second grade. I’d draw picture books about my imagined adventures, and I would make up stories about my Beanie Babies. It was fun and easy for me.

I didn’t know being a writer could be a career choice until I got to middle school. That’s when one of my teachers really pushed me to keep writing and my passion for storytelling grew even more. I decided that when I grew up I wanted to be a writer.

When the time came, I applied to the freshman honors English program at the local high school. I had to take a test and submit a writing sample. I was so proud of my story. It was a collection of letters between a father and daughter and I thought it was good. When I was notified that I wasn’t accepted into the honors English class, I decided I didn’t want to be a writer anymore. I obviously wasn’t good enough, so why waste my time on it?

From then on, the only things I wrote were for my classes; I no longer wrote stories for myself. My dream had been completely shattered because I wasn’t perfect at it—and no matter what, there would always be better writers than me out there. I decided I was going to be an environmental scientist, instead.

It wasn’t until I was in college that I started writing again. I was accepted to a local community college and had to take my placement classes. I was placed into the honors English comp program, and that class gave me my passion for writing back. I realized that I had wasted so much of my time not writing when I should have been. I had given up instead of writing for myself or practicing to get better.

Being a writer is so ingrained into who I am today, that I couldn’t imagine myself being anything else. I dedicated time to really learn the writing craft in college, and even went on to get a master’s degree. I’m lucky that I get to write for my job. But even if I was making a living in a different way, I’d still be a writer.

Next time you feel like giving up something you love, stop and remember why you were passionate about it to begin with. The moral of the story is this: don’t let anyone else tell you what you can and can’t do. Instead, take that negative energy and create something. If you want to be a writer, a musician, an artist, or anything else, all you need is passion, hard work, and time. “Practice makes perfect” may sound like a cliche, but it’s one of the truest things I know. And know that it’s okay to fail, just make sure you keep going instead of giving up.

Fail so that you can learn. Learn so that you can grow.