Dealing with Doubt

Eight years ago I wrote in my journal the following entry (which I subsequently used in my book on late bloomers):

I'm struggling with doubt. The trick, I suspect, is to turn away before it grabs you by the throat. My personal demon sits on my shoulder wearing a gray business suit and a fedora and whispers in my ear that I'd better keep my day job. "You're not a writer," it taunts me. When I shared this with my mom, she remarked, "That little devil sounds just like your dad!"

I still struggle with doubt. (Who doesn't?) But these days I no longer ignore my fedora-wearing demon; I talk back to it!

Note: The photo above is of my hypercritical, yet generous-hearted father, taken when he was in his 20's.