One of the saddest plays ever performed in American theater is Death of a Salesman. It was written by Arthur Miller and first performed on Broadway in 1949.

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 that Willy’s main downfall is that he is unable to truly be himself. He has spent his whole career trying to manufacture a winning personality, trying to become a person who everyone thinks is successful.

The character of Willy Loman isn’t just confined to the stage. The ghost of Willy Loman is alive and well in each one of us. We are all tempted to play by everybody else’s rules and conform to other people’s definitions of success. But we must have the courage to carve out our own identity and forge our own pathway in this life of being a writer.

And isn’t that one of the defining qualities of a writer anyway? You have a voice that is unique, and we 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.

Today’s Challenge: Do you spend too much time trying to be someone else? Be honest with yourself.