--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For ten years before I began writing for…" description: "\"“For ten years before I began writing for a living, I worked as a registered nurse. Never mind that the work was hard—more than once, I literally had n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/elizabeth-berg-853_life_for-ten-years-before-i-began-writing-for_2286412.jpg" --- # For ten years before I began writing for a living, I… ![“For ten years before I began writing for a living, I worked as a registered nurse. Never mind that the work was hard—more than once, I literally had not time for even a bathroom break. (My husband never believed me about this, but it was true.) Never mind that I had to work on holidays and every…” quote by Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/elizabeth-berg-853_life_for-ten-years-before-i-began-writing-for_2286412.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/elizabeth-berg-853_life_for-ten-years-before-i-began-writing-for_2286412.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/elizabeth-berg-853_life_for-ten-years-before-i-began-writing-for_2286412.jpg) > ““For ten years before I began writing for a living, I worked as a registered nurse. Never mind that the work was hard—more than once, I literally had not time for even a bathroom break. (My husband never believed me about this, but it was true.) Never mind that I had to work on holidays and every other weekend and on people’s birthdays, my own included; I loved the job.”” [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Before becoming a writer, she endured grueling nursing shifts, yet loved the work despite hardships. **In simple terms:** Hard work can coexist with passion Key Takeaway Acknowledge dedication despite challenges Themes career work ethic passion Mood thoughtful realistic Type motivational cautionary When to use this quote - nursing - writing - career change - time management Key Concepts burnout work-life balance Questions to Reflect On - What limits does passion set on personal health? - How to sustain love for work without burnout? A Different Perspective Passion may mask unsustainable conditions ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurse/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I think all Americans believe in human rights. 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Every other day is just waiting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-berish/i-think-use-my-imagination-and-write-therefore-i-am-every-day-i-m/) Michael Berish > [“I'm merely dying to be remembered for simply writing about my living memories”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biondi/i-m-merely-dying-to-be-remembered-for-simply-writing-about-my-living/) [Michael Biondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biondi/) > [Being a writer, writing for a living, is one long persistence game. Everyone wants you to quit. Quite often, you want to quit. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/being-a-writer-writing-for-a-living-is-one-long-persistence-game/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [It wasn't until after college that I started writing. I had just applied randomly for jobs in the media and got one on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/it-wasn-t-until-after-college-that-i-started-writing-i-had-just/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) ## More by Elizabeth Berg > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [If there were a category in the Olympics for laundry, my mother would have been a gold-medal winner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/if-there-were-a-category-in-the-olympics-for-laundry-my-mother-would/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [“If you say something over and over again, it begins to lose it's meaning... 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