About a year ago, I stumbled across one of my favorite author’s blogs: Meg Cabot, better known for The Princess Diaries. I like some of her more fantasy type creations like Jinx or Abandon, which resonate a little better to my heart than being a princess, because let’s face it, and my mom will back me up on this, I have never, nor will I ever, be a princess.

And I’m okay with that.

I love what the idea of a princess represents. I love the thought of bringing people hope, and doing the right things and acting with dignity—but I don’t have to be a princess to show people these qualities from inside of me.

My point about Meg Cabot isn’t defining what a princess is and whether or not I have the potential to be one. My point about Meg Cabot is about trying and not giving up. When she started writing, doors also slammed in her face. Just like John Grisham, and J.K. Rowling, other famous authors. I understood after reading her words, you have to send your story out to everyone. Why? I thought. Because people are human. We all have a bad day. We all have our personal taste for a “yes.” Sometimes we see words a little clearer depending on our moods, but her advice was clear: keep writing. Write another book. Keep sending the other one out until everyone tells you no. Then when you finish your new book, send it out to everyone on your publishing list again. At some point, you’ll get a yes.

Her words meant more to me than anything. Why? Because she basically said to me, you can’t give up your hope of doing something you really want to do. Everyone has to work to be great. So keep writing. Keep dreaming. Believe in yourself. You’ll get better as you go no matter what it is in your life you want to do. Eventually, your work will pay off.

I know some people may disagree with me, and that’s okay. But at the same time, if you want something, and you really feel like you deserve it, than why would you let someone stop you? Why would you let a hand full of no’s persuade you to stop? Even in that moment of your life, maybe it wasn’t as competitive as it should have been. But someday, at some point, I honestly believe, you have the ability to be as competitive as you want.

So for me, Meg Cabot gave me the hope that no matter if I’m not good enough for someone’s standards, at some point in my life if I keep trying, and moving, I know I will make my goals happen. But the key here is to keep trying no matter what. To believe in yourself. To know you’re worth it. To steer the course instead of falling back on the couch. If whatever you dream keeps giving you a door with a lock, make yourself the locksmith. Learning a craft is never easy. Patience. Time. Belief and knowing when it’s meant to happen, the impossible will happen.

Keep dreaming.

~Erika