Reminders

I was working on my book, “7 Things You Should Know,” awhile back. I had been suffering with writer’s block, somewhere between the first draft edit and wherever it is I imagined a “real writer” would begin. I wasn’t happy with the first draft, and I kept thinking, “This stuff is so talked-to-death. Who wants to hear this? I’m not good enough to do this. Will some kind of magical inspiration ever hit and give me something worth saying?” The self-recrimination was so deafening that I thought I might scrap the entire project. I had, however, already made a commitment to finish the book, and the book was driving my blogs and my seminar work, which people seemed to appreciate. I felt like I had to finish what I had started, but I was suffering. So, I did what I always do when I’m stuck and feeling less than joyful. I complained to a friend.

“The book is dull,” I said. “And redundant. And I don’t know what to do about it.”

 My friend told me to make an outline for the book. An outline! I was insulted.

“I know about outlines,” I thought. “I can write an outline. Everyone knows I need an outline. That’s stupid. Why are you giving me this simple advice? What makes you think I don’t already have an outline? What do you know about it? I am an adult, not some sixth grader trying to learn to write!”
Then I thought, more humbly, “Oh. Yeah. I guess an outline might help. Maybe I’ll try that,” because although I really do know about outlines, how helpful they are, how to write them, the truth is that I hadn’t written one. Not really. And I needed to be reminded of that strategy.

Do you know what that taught me? Sometimes reminders of what may seem to be the most basic information are exactly what we need. So, I’ve finished the book. Because even if it is the most basic of information, even if it is just strategies that everyone already knows, maybe someone needs a reminder.
Oh, and by the way, if you have any thoughts on the subject, please send me, from time to time, some reminders of the things you do to keep yourself feeling joyful. You never know what I might have forgotten.

Living In Joy Challenge: Try to keep things simple for the week. Ask simple questions, listen for simple answers. Refer to simple strategies and basic information. Not everything has to be a long, drawn-out discussion. Not everything has to be a debate. Appreciate the basics…eating  fresh fruits and vegetables, walking after dinner, choosing water instead of soda, for example. And by all means, if someone offers you the simplest of advice, take it, even if, no… especially if it sounds too simple to really work. I’d love to hear if it makes a difference for you.