Think of all the things that inspire you to write. Think of all the habits and activities, interests and experiences that add value to your writing.
It’s funny. Often we think of writing as something we do when we have time to do it. We block out a space on our calendars and sit at our desks and get the writing done.
But writing is so much more than that.
When I started seriously writing back in my teens, I could’ve never imagined the road it would take me down. When I defined myself as a writer way back when, I imagined an easy life in a cozy chair with a pipe hanging from my mouth.
This is a question we too often forget to ask ourselves. With all the rushing back and forth, the simply trying to live life, we neglect to ask ourselves what inspires joy in our hearts.
It’s a good exercise because it helps ground us. We are all human and we all have to do daily things that are an inconvenience or an unwanted necessity. But that doesn’t mean we should forget to be happy or neglect our passions.
Today I wrote for 15 minutes straight, no edits, no worries. I tried to cut out distractions and just write. I did my best not to stop and self-edit (I won’t lie, it happened… it’s in my nature). The questions that present themselves to you during this type of exercise are always interesting. This time I found myself asking, “How is it I got here and am I moving forward the way I want to be? What would make a perfect world for us all?”
I’m not sure I found an answer, but the question I was left with may surprise you…
During a discussion about micro-managers with a partner at an accounting firm, he told me, “I have a lot of independent business owners come through my office. A lot of people can’t work for or with others, so they go into business for themselves and never get around to expanding.” As a manager at a small business myself, I’ve put a lot of thought into this matter. I occupy a space somewhere between employer and employee so I have plenty …
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