I Didn’t Become a Teacher… Or Did I?

When I was a kid, I used to dream about becoming a teacher.

I pictured a classroom, a chalkboard, students sitting at desks, and me standing at the front, guiding, explaining, helping people understand things they didn’t before. At the time, that’s what “teaching” looked like to me.

But life has a way of unfolding differently than we expect.

I didn’t grow up to stand in a classroom.

I became a writer.

And for a long time, I never connected the two. I thought maybe that childhood dream had faded or been replaced by something else. But recently, I had a realization that stopped me in my tracks:

I did become a teacher.

Just not in the way I imagined.

As an author, I teach every time I write.
I teach people how to heal from things they thought would break them.
I teach people how to grow, even when growth feels uncomfortable.
I teach people how to love themselves in a world that constantly tells them they’re not enough.
I teach people how to speak their truth—boldly, unapologetically.

That’s teaching.

And maybe even deeper than what I originally envisioned.

Because here’s something we don’t always talk about: even in a full classroom, there are students who feel completely alone. The quiet ones. The ones going through things they don’t have the words for. The ones who need a little extra guidance, a little more understanding, a little more care.

Not every struggle is visible.

Not every student raises their hand.

And not every hurt gets the attention it deserves.

That’s where my writing comes in.

My book speaks directly to those individuals—the ones who feel overlooked, misunderstood, or unheard. The ones searching for healing, for truth, for a sense of self in the middle of everything they’ve been through.

In a classroom, a teacher may not always be able to reach every single student in the way they need.

But through writing, I can.

My words can sit with someone in their most private moments.
They can reach someone at midnight when no one else is around.
They can remind someone they’re not alone, even when it feels like they are.

That’s teaching too.

And maybe, in some ways, it’s exactly the kind of teacher I was always meant to be.

I didn’t lose the dream.

I grew into it.

So if you’ve ever felt like you didn’t become what you thought you would be, take a closer look. You might find that you did—you’re just doing it in a way that’s more authentic, more powerful, and more you than you ever imagined.

Because purpose doesn’t always show up the way we expect.

Sometimes, it shows up exactly where someone needs you most.