My name is Erin Parker, and I have a dream. It literally consumes my thoughts and causes an aching in my body. I have suppressed this dream my whole life because I always thought it was impossible, but you know what? I refuse to live my life playing small. I refuse to not fight for what is in my heart because I am afraid I will fail. I know I will stumble along the way, but I will get up each time and keep moving forward because I want a live a life where I dare greatly.
My dream is to work for Oprah. I want to create programming on her network for teenagers. I want to develop tools for them to turn to while they are tumbling through the insanely difficult teenage years. This is my path. My gift is the ability to connect with people, and my purpose is to use that gift in service of those I love most in this world: kids. I need to do this on a platform purely focused on the betterment of others, and the OWN Network is that.
I am chasing after my dream and taking all of you with me. Each day on Twitter, @missp_lphs, I will post what I have done that day to get me prepared for my future job. At the end of every week, I will blog about what has been happening. It may take until Day 39,875, but, as Maya Angelou said, "You can only become great at the thing you are willing to sacrifice for." I am willing to do whatever is necessary to fulfill my purpose. I know I will one day get to OWN.
Walt Whitman once wrote, "That you are here—that life exists and identity, That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse." I know what my verse is. What's yours?
Day 1: I made a plan.
Eagerly waiting for Oprah,
EP