Elizabeth Weston

I attribute my success to persistence and resilience, because everyone gets knocked down and faces rejection, but you never know where something is going to lead. The more experience you have, the better the position will be eventually. I also believe in the synchronicity of life - things don't happen coincidentally. If you are positive and you put things out in the universe that are positive, really good things happen to you. For a while, I thought I was stuck and couldn't get out of a job, but persistence got me through. I've learned not to obsess about external things or compare myself with others, but instead to focus on my own abilities and take care of myself through mindfulness, meditation, reading, physical exercise, and maintaining good friendships. I believe in having different parts of living - hobbies, social activities, groups with different interests - so you're not always just thinking about yourself. I've found that being proactive and liking many different fields has given me motivation, whether it's working alone with a manuscript or being with people in teaching or politics.

I think it's important to go into it for the right reasons, and that is to help other people. In teaching, you have to realize that you're sometimes a surrogate parent, helping kids emotionally and morally besides just teaching a subject. It's a great profession - the people are wonderful and underpaid, but they're really dedicated. In publishing, you need to be up to speed on technology, internet, word processing platforms, and able to handle social media, because it's no longer print like it used to be with red ink and proofreading symbols. The main thing is to be really thorough in whatever you do and make sure to ask a lot of questions if you're not sure. Check in with your editor or supervisor to make sure you're meeting their expectations, because the field is very competitive. Don't be scared to ask questions - I remember as a young working girl on Wall Street, I was so terrified of the boss, but there's a fine balance between not having too many questions but making sure you're on the same page. You have to use your judgment skills and your education, because sometimes people rely on AI because they think it sounds good, but sounding good isn't the same as being substantially right. Know the difference between facts that are legit and facts that are a little shady. Be proud of your work and do your best 100% on the job, because you never know where it leads.