During the last two weeks, you have learned a lot about your freedom to pursue your dream of being an author. I would love to be able to tell you that your newfound freedom will never be challenged. I’d be lying and you’d be unprepared.

Just as our nation faces enemies who hate our freedom, you will have those who are jealous of you. When they see you moving forward, pounding the keyboard, pitching your story and landing a contract, they will target you as the recipient if their emotional bombshells.

Expect it. Prepare for it. Survive it and in spite of those attacks, keep living your dream. Just as our great nation has survived—and thrived—every threat and attack against it, you have what it takes to do the same.

Here are a few steps you can take to ensure you’ll come out of your battle for freedom victorious:

• Recognize the enemy for what it is. Jealousy is the enemy. Not your friend or loved one. Love the friend, hate the envy.
• Don’t let it penetrate your borders. You must protect what’s yours. Just as we have military armed at the ready to fight to protect what’s ours, you should be ready to fight off those emotional attacks.
• Fight for what is rightfully yours. Don’t let emotional squatters take up residence in your space. They will try. That’s what they do but, when that happens, boot them out. Don’t let them stick around even until sundown!
• There are things worth fighting for. Your dream is one of those things. It’s not too big to pursue. It’s not too high that you cannot climb. It’s not too lofty that you cannot achieve it.

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Reba J. Hoffman is the MBT Member Care Coach. She has a PhD in clinical counseling and is the founder and president of New Hope Institute of Counseling. Reba uses her gift of encouragement to help writers overcome negative emotions so they can live their dream of being a writer. Her works appear in publications such as Running for the Woman’s Soul by Road Runner Sports and The Good Fight by Donna Hicken. She is the author of My Book Therapy’s Dare to Dream, a Writer’s Journal. Contact her at reba@mybooktherapy.com.