“Death of a Salesman” tells the story of the last 24 hours in the life of Willy Loman, a salesman who never quite achieves the success he always dreamed of. He has a faithful yet disappointed wife and two sons who are equally as lost as he is.

By the end of the play, you come to understand Willy’s main downfall: he is unable to truly be himself. He has spent his whole career trying to manufacture a winning personality and measuring his success by how much money he makes.

It’s tempting to criticize Willy Loman for being misguided and superficial. But this character isn’t just confined to the stage. The ghost of Willy Loman is alive and well in each one of us.

Every day, you are tempted to play by other people’s rules and conform to their definitions of success. That’s why you need the courage to carve out your own identity as a writer.

And isn’t that one of the defining qualities of a writer, anyway? You have a voice that is unique, and you must have the courage to share it.

The actress Lily Tomlin once said, “I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should’ve been more specific.”

Of course, you want to be somebody. We all do. But you’re not just somebody or anybody. There is only one person who can be uniquely you… and that’s YOU.

Don’t settle for the death of a salesman. That’s a sad, depressing story. Instead, embrace the life of a writer, sharing your own story so you can, in turn, give life to others.

Today’s Challenge: Get a copy of “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. You can find copies of the stage play online or in used bookstores. If you’ve never read it, you might be surprised at how much of yourself you see in Willy Loman… and you’ll be motivated to strive for something different in your life.

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There are many characteristics we associate with the image of a writer, such as laid-back, creative, introverted, or imaginative.

But one word we don’t usually use to describe writers is “powerful.”

When you think of power, what kinds of people come to mind? You probably imagine athletes, bodybuilders, superheroes, and CEOs. Those people have a lot of external strength. They have the ability to shape events and make things happen.

However, writers have power of a different kind. What kind of power is this, exactly? The children’s author and teacher E. B. White said, “A writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.”

As a writer, you have the power to literally shape reality… to impact how people think and see the world… to inform how the public perceives issues… to spark people’s imaginations with stories… to move them to action with your ideas.

Yes, your personality may be shy, introverted, or laid-back. But make no mistake, you have the ultimate power: the ability to change people’s hearts and minds with your words.

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