October Editorial: Love Who You Are

In this month's editorial , PHS Founder and Editor Trish Wylie, talks about keeping it real and loving yourself so you can shine like the sun...

Keep it real. Seems like a strange choice in the month we celebrate all things fantasy and paranormal, right? But bear with me here...

What I'm talking about is knowing who you are, learning to love who you are and staying true to that in everything you do. What are you passionate about, what turns you on, what brings you joy, what makes you run to that keyboard to put words down as fast as your little fingers can type them or run to pre-order a book so you can have it in your greedy little hands the second it comes out?

Getting to know yourself takes time, loving who you are can take even longer. Thing is, when you do, it shines through. It gives you confidence and makes you try things you might have shied away from doing before. As a reader, it draws us to stories which reflect the things we hold most dear. Things like honor, bravery, a sense of duty, heartfelt conviction, inner strength and a love that can last a lifetime. As a writer, it's the secret ingredient in that thing we like to call your voice.

Know who you are, learn to love that person and be true to them in everything you say and do and I firmly believe it will help make your day a little brighter and your work a little easier. It took a very VERY long time for me to reach that conclusion but now, even on the days when I want to stay under my duvet, it's what makes me get up and get going, smile at the people I meet and write the kind of stories I love to read.

You can't wait for someone to shine a light on you, you've gotta light your own beacon within and make it shine so bright people are practically blinded by the epic proportions of your awesomeness.

So, don't be dragged down by the winter blues or worry if you only have ten minutes to get something done or get scared when you have to chase your muse or are confused about the kind of stories you want to tell and where to publish them. Focus on the positives, be good to yourself, remember if you love someone, you want the best for them and if that someone just happens to be you...

Last month, we lost a family member who was a mere six months younger than me and it made me look at my life and think about what I'd done with it and what I would still like to do. Looking back, while I could see I had achieved a lot and won several personal battles, particularly in the last year, it also made me realize the number of times I'd sacrificed my own needs for the needs of others.

Though I don't think that's a bad thing, it made me more determined to look after myself, do things I enjoy doing, spend time with the people I love and celebrate all the good times to balance out the bad. It' s okay to be selfish from time to time and we shouldn't feel guilty when we are. None of us know how much time we have on this earth but we all know it can be short, so make the most of every moment, my friends. Because this moment, the one you're living in right now, is your life.

Get to know yourself. Keep it real. Be your first love and make it the kind of love that lasts a lifetime. Do everything possible to nurture that love. Light that inner beacon. Shine bright and let everyone see it.

You can do it. I know you can!

Trish's latest book is Mostly Married and to keep up to date with what she's doing you can follow her on Facebook or Instagram.