Living in a world of comparisons and competitiveness, everyone experiences doubt at one point or another.  If you’re currently having doubts about any goal (or anything) in your life, this story is for you!

As a teenager, Catherine Lanigan was frequently told she was a gifted writer. She loved writing and eagerly entered college as a journalism major. During the second semester of her freshman year, she was selected to participate in a creative writing class, taught by a visiting professor from Harvard.

Catherine jumped at the opportunity to participate in a class that was usually reserved for seniors, and enthusiastically wrote her first short story. After she submitted it, the professor called her into his office and told her, “your writing stinks.” Devastated, Catherine asked him if there was anything good about her writing—the plot, the characters, the dialogue. He responded with, “nothing.” The professor went on to tell Catherine she would never make it as a writer and it was a waste of her parents’ money for her to continue as a journalism major. Because she had a 4.0 GPA and didn’t want to fail the writing class, the professor made her a deal—if she promised to never write again, he would give her the gift of a ‘B.’

She accepted his offer, and didn’t write for 14 years.

Years later during a trip to San Antonio, Catherine came across a group of journalists and writers talking by the pool. She gathered the courage, approached them, and admitted she’d always wanted to be a writer. One man asked why she wasn’t. She told him she had it on good authority that her writing wasn’t any good.

The stranger said something that changed Catherine’s life, “It’s just one person’s opinion.” He gave her a business card and told her if she ever wrote anything to send it to him.

With new enthusiasm, Catherine went home, wrote a book, and mailed it to him.

The rest is history.

Catherine’s first book, Romancing the Stone, not only became a bestselling novel, it also became a blockbuster movie starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Catherine’s follow-up novel, Jewel of the Nile, also became a hit book and movie. Catherine continued to pursue her dream of writing, penning and publishing 33 books.

The next time someone tells you you’re not good enough or you’re not cut out to be, do, or have something you passionately desire, remember it’s just one person’s opinion. And, the next time you experience self-doubt, think about Catherine’s story and remember it’s not what others think that matters, it’s what you think…Always believe in yourself!

This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality.

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