One of the hardest things about writing is saying something worth sitting down to write. I know. I’m feeling it right now, as I’m trying to write this. And that’s the thing about writing; it’s often based on our feelings. When we write, we can feel not only that our work isn’t worthy enough, but…More
Tag Archives: writing
Blog change
If we don’t evolve, we die. Or, at least, we stagnate. That also goes for this blog. So, I’m shaking things up. For a while now I’ve felt like I’m not giving you my very best with my writing here. Sorry. But it’s true. And now, I want to do something about it. I’ve wanted…More
Overcoming one of our greatest obstacles: ourselves
Our lives are determined not just by what we think but how we think. Before I started writing I used to believe I couldn’t write. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that my high school papers, after being graded, had so much red ink on them that they looked like someone…More
You are not an imposter
You’re not an imposter; you’re just in-process. You might be a father learning to parent, an employee who is progressing in your career, an entrepreneur hustling to survive, or a couple trying to forge a healthy marriage. That’s good; that’s great. Life is a process. Anytime you try something, do something, go somewhere, you’re not…More
This Is One of the Smartest Things You Can Do
To get smarter you have to feel stupid, sometimes. You ask the obvious question, repeat something back, relearn something you think you should have already learned. Sure, it can be embarrassing. But, to learn you have to be open to learning. And that means you’re not the master but the pupil, not the teacher but…More
Create better work by doing this
Sometimes doing nothing is the best way to create something great: The creative process isn’t just about work; it’s about rest. Your mind needs time to recuperate, recover, be restored. It does that through sleep and daydreaming—doing nothing. That means staring off into space, looking out the window, letting your mind wander, dozing off to…More
The worst thing that happens to you often can lead to the best results
Sometimes the worst things that happen to us are the best opportunities. They are the gateways to greatness. Giving up is always an option. Or, you can fight and find a way through the difficulty. The former will lead to the status quo or worse. The latter can irrevocably change your life for the better.…More
This is the greatness you can choose
Greatness is a choice. Sometimes getting out of bed is like slaying a mythical monster. Other times it could be starting a business. But no matter what fears you face, or what fear looks like for you, facing them whatever they are is choosing to be great. Choose to defy them and live greatly. You can be…More
When creating feels impossible, you need to know this
Creating can feel like fighting nature: Impossible. Making that painting, writing that novel or blog post or, sometimes, even a sentence can make us break into a cold sweat. And it’s tempting to think, “Oh, I’ll just wait for inspiration to hit,” like a kid holding a kite as he waits for a strong wind…More
One of the best things you can do to create
Sometimes to make creative work, the thing we need most is this. Rest. You’re at your desk, sweating (metaphorically) and pounding away (literally) trying to get a good idea, but the only thing you produce is nothing. “Maybe I just need to work harder,” you might say to yourself. And still, nothing happens. So you…More
John Pa 