Karen Horney said, "...concern should drive us into action and not into depression." As I think that I might not be able to write today I feel this wave of depression begin to wash over me. It is what I do at that moment that dictates my attitude for the day. I have the choice to let myself become depressed and frozen in my fear that I have nothing to say or I can physically get up from my desk and do something that will stimulate me into writing.
I am a true believer that everything in life is all about the action and not the words. If I say “I love you” I must show you I love you. If I say “I'm sorry” I must not repeat the action that hurt you. Each statement I make I must back up with an action. I apply the same belief to my commitment to write every day. For years I said I was a writer and I was going to start tomorrow to write every day; the problem was that tomorrow would come and I would say not today tomorrow. I will begin writing tomorrow.
If I am concerned that I have nothing to say today in my writing then it is even more important for me to do the action of writing. On those days when I am at my lowest I must be even more disciplined to write. Every concern I have about my writing must be expressed through an action of doing. It is only through doing that I regain control over the feelings I am having.
I need to be my own best friend, my own muse, and learn how to give myself emotional support when the tough days come. And tough days do come when sitting at the laptop is the last thing I want to do. My proper response to not wanting to write must always be to write more. The worst thing I can do when I don't feel like writing is to not write. By being non-responsive to my desire not to write today I am allowing inaction to enhance my feelings of not wanting to write.
It is when I don't respond immediately to my feelings of not wanting to write that I allow idle preoccupation to enter my mind and prevent me from keeping my commitment to write daily. Immediate inaction changes the course of events in my day and changes how I feel about myself as a writer.
On January 9, 2011 I made a commitment to myself to write in this blog and click publish every day for a year. As I have struggled on some days to keep this commitment to myself I have learned that action reflects appropriately the need in me to try harder, focus more, and settle in to being uncomfortable. Doing the right thing for me no matter how it feels brings about feelings that for decades I have chosen to ignore by the action of not writing a single word.
Honoring my commitment to myself to write daily is the only appropriate response when I don't feel good enough to write. My actions must always be appropriate in regards to keeping my daily writing commitment. My actions must allow me to write through what I am feeling or not feeling on any given day.......
I am a true believer that everything in life is all about the action and not the words. If I say “I love you” I must show you I love you. If I say “I'm sorry” I must not repeat the action that hurt you. Each statement I make I must back up with an action. I apply the same belief to my commitment to write every day. For years I said I was a writer and I was going to start tomorrow to write every day; the problem was that tomorrow would come and I would say not today tomorrow. I will begin writing tomorrow.
If I am concerned that I have nothing to say today in my writing then it is even more important for me to do the action of writing. On those days when I am at my lowest I must be even more disciplined to write. Every concern I have about my writing must be expressed through an action of doing. It is only through doing that I regain control over the feelings I am having.
I need to be my own best friend, my own muse, and learn how to give myself emotional support when the tough days come. And tough days do come when sitting at the laptop is the last thing I want to do. My proper response to not wanting to write must always be to write more. The worst thing I can do when I don't feel like writing is to not write. By being non-responsive to my desire not to write today I am allowing inaction to enhance my feelings of not wanting to write.
It is when I don't respond immediately to my feelings of not wanting to write that I allow idle preoccupation to enter my mind and prevent me from keeping my commitment to write daily. Immediate inaction changes the course of events in my day and changes how I feel about myself as a writer.
On January 9, 2011 I made a commitment to myself to write in this blog and click publish every day for a year. As I have struggled on some days to keep this commitment to myself I have learned that action reflects appropriately the need in me to try harder, focus more, and settle in to being uncomfortable. Doing the right thing for me no matter how it feels brings about feelings that for decades I have chosen to ignore by the action of not writing a single word.
Honoring my commitment to myself to write daily is the only appropriate response when I don't feel good enough to write. My actions must always be appropriate in regards to keeping my daily writing commitment. My actions must allow me to write through what I am feeling or not feeling on any given day.......
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