On Today’s Episode of Writing For Myself…
I have been wanting to get back to writing for so long. It was like a year and a half of creative blocks. I have also been trying to heal and rediscover who I am. I am proud to say I am currently finding who she is, but we won't talk about that right now.
After months of saying: "Oh, I feel like it is time for me to get back to writing" "Oh, I really miss the writing me". I have decided to just write. I used to be a feeler, a knower, a thinker, hardly ever a doer. Always so calculated, wanting to do everything the right way, and eventually putting myself in a box. Living big dreams in my head, and never living life.
You must know that I am not saying dreaming is bad, but if this piece is for you, you know what I mean. You don't learn to swim by reading all the books on swimming or watching videos about diving and strokes — as significant as these can be. You have to actually get into the water, and apply all you know. The first step is with floaters at the shallow end of the pool.
Everyone who dives and swims at the deep end once started with big floaters. I was waiting for the perfect time when everything would be aligned before I started taking action. But I have come to peace with being a novice for as long as it takes (even if it means forever). One thing is certain, as long as you take actionable steps, you will end up better than the day before. And that's paramount. To be frank, I am not sure what I want to write about, talk about, or even eventually do in life.
We were born to live. For as much as we can do, let us do it while we still have breath, time, and energy. Life is in the doing. As a faraway friend, I'll tell you this. Don't just let this spark a motivation in you. Start something. As cliche as it sounds, do it afraid. It's how you're reading this. I am writing this afraid, with or without the metaphors and storytelling skills that came so easily to me when I was in my writing element.
If you want to cook your favorite dish, I bet you don't just throw everything in at the same time. There's a process, a delightful one at that. It can't be ready at the beginning, it's not even as tasty at the beginning. That's how you learn and eventually grow into a tasty, sumptuous meal!
After reading this post, you get to decide if you are going to be the grey circle or the blue circle that was once grey.
Here's a tip: Remember that there is power for change within you. The doing part is always the hardest. Neuroscientists would tell you that if you keep thinking of the end goal as the reward, you will most likely be unmotivated to go through the process. Trick your brain to release dopamine while you're doing the work. You can do this by telling yourself you love and enjoy the process before the reward comes, and that the hard work itself is rewarding. It becomes less daunting. You would be lying to yourself until it eventually stops being a lie. Trust me.
I sincerely wish you the very best, and I hope to see you at the top fulfilling everything you ever dreamed of.
