Fire Your Ghostwriter

🤔 On writing the life you’re actually excited to live

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash

I got a new pen for Christmas. My (not-so) inner nerd jumped for joy. I’ll spare you the details of why I love it.

Instead, let’s talk about the brand message on the back of the box and how it applies to our lives:

“At Bastion, we believe everyone writes their own story…”

This resonates with me, especially since I spend so much time writing about the stories we tell ourselves—and how to tell better ones. But as much as I believe in this idea, it isn’t true for everyone.

We can (and should) write our own stories. But the truth is, many of us have ghostwriters.

Professionally, ghostwriters provide a valuable service. Some of the books by your favorite public figures were crafted by ghostwriters, people who capture their client’s ideas and beliefs, then write in their voice as them.

This is great for creating quality books and articles. But you don’t want a ghostwriter for your life.

Too often, we let other people write our stories. We let them tell us how to think, what to value, and who to be. And the scary part? They’re so good at it, we don’t even realize it’s happening.

It’s the social media posts, the podcasts, the work cultures, the family dynamics, the constant push to fit within a “traditional” mold of belonging.

These systems, while well-intentioned, can suffocate creativity and silence our unique voice. We end up chasing someone else’s definition of success, convincing ourselves it’s what we want. But it’s not.

This isn’t about rejecting influence. Every great writer draws from outside research, history, inspiration, and the styles of others. But they don’t copy. That’s called plagiarism.

You absolutely can write your own story. You just have to make sure it’s you holding the pen.

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The Shift

The first step to writing your own story is identifying the ghostwriters in your life. Whose voices are you hearing when you make decisions? Whose expectations or definitions of success are you chasing?

Start by noticing moments of doubt or discomfort. Ask yourself:

• Whose approval am I seeking right now?

• Is this goal truly mine, or does it belong to someone else?

• If no one else were watching, what would I choose?

Awareness is crucial here. Once you spot the outside influence, you can mindfully choose what to adapt and what to discard.

Protect your unique voice, and write the story you’re excited to live.

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