I'm not ashamed, I'm ambitious

I started writing a screenplay when I was thirteen. It was based off of a novella (at the time, my term for this was just a really short book) and was a heartbreaking story about a boy who had been abandoned by his father at a young age, and in his adulthood, was suffering.

It wasn’t good. At all. Like, absolutely-terrible-cringe-when-I-read-it-now. But I had the willpower as a thirteen year old to sit down every once in a while and write this hyper-intense, too dramatic and honestly kind of dark tale instead of playing outside.

So after my mediocre novella was in my mind, done, (thinking back on this now - it needed more than just a little face lift) I started on a screenplay for it. I had absolutely no background in writing for film, or really at all, but wanted to see it happen and on paper.

So I did.

Now, in my early-twenties, I see these kinds of things as motive to work for what I want. Apparently, from a young age, I saw something that I wanted and I worked like hell to make it happen. Maybe it’s my stubborn ~ taurus ~ tendencies. Maybe it’s an absolute desire to keep working and keeping myself busy. Maybe it’s Maybelline.

In the last couple years of my life I’ve come to this little realization of mine - you don’t necessarily need to take the easy back road in life. Even if you have a 9 - 5, you don’t need to sit back and let it takes its course, only to find yourself stuck in the same tragic repeat morning after morning, letting your scalding hot coffee burn the taste buds from your tongue because you simply don’t. Feel. Anything. Anymore.

Most importantly, my driving motivation to roll out of bed in the morning is the future of my own career. I don’t understand when people are frustrated with what they are doing, but don’t necessarily make the changes necessary to well, change. There are so many possibilities for how your future turns out that, why not try them? Why not do well at it?

‘Rich’ is still a man’s word. As of May 2018, there are 24 women CEOs on the Fortune 500 list. Less than 5 percent. Although we are making progress, and in bigger names than before (think, the New York Stock Exchange’s new female director, BP’s first female CEO, General Motor’s new female CEO and Aston Martin’s new female CEO) there is always room for growth.

Girls in schools need to start learning it’s okay to make more than you’re male counterparts. In fact, you should make more than them. Not because they’re male, but because you should ask yourself - why not. Why shouldn’t I do as well as I deserve? Why shouldn’t I start my own business? Why shouldn’t I make six figures and be the boss of someone else? It’s not a gender thing, it’s an ambition thing.

Wall Street Journal has an amazing podcast out right now called WSJ Secrets of Wealthy Women where they invite successful women to discuss how they got where they are, the do’s and don’ts of business and why we as women need to lift each other up. They bring on people like Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul and Shark Tank lead, world renowned make-up artist, Bobbi Brown and SoulCycle CEO, Melanie Whelan.

One of their guests, Rebecca Minkoff, of Rebecca Minkoff - her own fashion company, talked about the trait of being able to take what you want. She says, “You know, these little doors open and how enthusiastic and how forward you are in asking what you want, usually they become bigger opportunities… But someone else is always going to grab the opportunity. Whether as a younger woman, a younger man, or an older man, it doesn’t matter the gender. Someone who’s hungrier is going to grab the opportunity so you have to take it upon yourself to do it because no one is going to ask for you”.

With that being said - I haven’t finished that novel. Or screenplay. And, to be honest there is a hundred percent chance that I probably won’t. That sad little ship has sailed. Toodaloo. But that means for me that I have visions and I have goals. Aspirations and deadlines. Things set for myself that will allow me to get to where I want to be and sometimes that scares people.

But I want to be successful, and in a position that fulfills me. And my bank account. That is never something a woman should feel ashamed of.

Samantha Miller (@samantharachelmiller) is a freelance writer from Chicago. She prides herself on her occasional wit, her keen eye for design and her undying love for iced almond milk lattes.

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