The First Step to Becoming a Better Person is Believing you can Be One.
September 24th 2010 12:11
As I make drastic changes to my life-a new blogging schedule, a renewed commitment to writing, quitting smoking, among others-I've been thinking a lot about what it means to become a better person. Throughout the last month of summer I spent a lot of time trying to express to people that they are better than their addictions, that they are better than they allow themselves to be. And I am trying to become better on all fronts-a better writer, a better blogger, a better student, a better person-so I must question my own beliefs.
The first step to becoming a better person, or a better writer, is to believe you can.
You can't skip all the other steps; you can't expect to become better without doing the work-but first you must believe in yourself. And for some of us, that takes a lot of work.
I have grown enormously over the years as a writer because I have refused to doubt myself to the point of crippling my mind. I have always believed that I had talent, though I know that I can always grow as a writer. In my mind, there is no 'if' when it comes to my future-it's simply a matter of when. Someday I will be a successful author; anything's possible if you work hard enough. A thousand writers' stories prove that again and again.
I'm challenging a lot of other thoughts. I know I can be better. I know I can be the person I want to be. It's hard sometimes; I do have long term mental health problems, and sometimes it's hard to determine which of the thoughts in my head come from those problems. Sometimes in the moment the illness takes control; sometimes I don't realize until far too late. But despite my illness, I believe I can be better.
Are your beliefs holding you back? Do you doubt your writing ability all the time? Do you think on a regular basis that you'll never become a great writer? Do you distrust your instincts about your work?
Every time you think you'll never be better, remember that you can be, and that you will be if you do the work. This can serve you in any area of your life.
And if you're always complaining about the world around you, contemplate this quote:
"Be the change you want to see in the world" ~Mahatma Gandhi
Are you working to better yourself? What changes are you making in your life right now for your future?
The first step to becoming a better person, or a better writer, is to believe you can.
You can't skip all the other steps; you can't expect to become better without doing the work-but first you must believe in yourself. And for some of us, that takes a lot of work.
I have grown enormously over the years as a writer because I have refused to doubt myself to the point of crippling my mind. I have always believed that I had talent, though I know that I can always grow as a writer. In my mind, there is no 'if' when it comes to my future-it's simply a matter of when. Someday I will be a successful author; anything's possible if you work hard enough. A thousand writers' stories prove that again and again.
I'm challenging a lot of other thoughts. I know I can be better. I know I can be the person I want to be. It's hard sometimes; I do have long term mental health problems, and sometimes it's hard to determine which of the thoughts in my head come from those problems. Sometimes in the moment the illness takes control; sometimes I don't realize until far too late. But despite my illness, I believe I can be better.
Are your beliefs holding you back? Do you doubt your writing ability all the time? Do you think on a regular basis that you'll never become a great writer? Do you distrust your instincts about your work?
Every time you think you'll never be better, remember that you can be, and that you will be if you do the work. This can serve you in any area of your life.
And if you're always complaining about the world around you, contemplate this quote:
"Be the change you want to see in the world" ~Mahatma Gandhi
Are you working to better yourself? What changes are you making in your life right now for your future?
| 66 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Anonymous
Bundles of yummy questions ... off to answers!
Are your beliefs holding you back?
-Less now than before. For a long time, some of my beliefs about the world and my place in it left me immobile. It was a great deal of work to change this mind set - worth every moment of struggle, however. The journey of change gave me a set of tools and processes to deal with life in a much more constructive fashion. It has made me happier. I can figure out what I want and don't want, and of what I really want, what it is about it that I most desire. Life is simpler. I am happier. I laugh more. I do more of my heart's desire. I have even found a way of incorporating this into my work.
Do you doubt your writing ability all the time?
-Oddly no. But then again, I don't make my living at it. But I do write at work a lot. I create "stories" and presentations and find new and innovative ways to present complicated material to a variety of audiences. My latest experiment garnered applause. Unpresendented. It is a bit disingenuous, though. I am a theatre junkie, a math geek, a master strategic thinker and a writer. They sort of didn't have a chance, you know? When you understand how to "theatre manage" an event, it's all over but the doing.
I think - too - because I have a formal education that covered three areas of science, plus strategy, performance, quality, process development and customer satisfaction - I have a pretty good ability to look coldly at my own work and review it honestly. I may be a bit hard on myself from time to time, but in my heart of hearts, I believe I know when I have written something that satisfies me.
Do you think on a regular basis that you'll never become a great writer?
-No. I think on a regular basis that I am not making any efforts to become published. This is quite true. I also know that if I wanted to become published that badly, that I would have to replace what I am doing now with things that would lead to becoming published. Editing work would be top of this list.
A great writer is an interesting concept, too. Does that mean the words are great? That a lot of books are sold? That the books will never go out of print? And great may mean different things - clarity, suspense, great stories, super dialogue etc ...
Having said that, I have been published in one of my professional magazines. Did the query, the pitch, took the pictures ... everything. Good fun. I felt like a genius. : )
Do you distrust your instincts about your work?
- No. Not really. I have a belief that my central issue is lack of practice, no communication with other writers and an overall lack of skill-sets. You and your site fulfills all three of these - thus the dedication to your blog. Nano and Screnzy are crazy awesome events (free even!) that also contribute huge.
There is another aspect to this. Regarding instincts, I may think something is fairly readable and interesting, but I often miss the mark on what a reader found of particular note. See our last exchange ... up until you said what you did, I though the ending was crappy and I was sorely tempted to change it.
I think I know what can entertains certain type of person.
Are you working to better yourself?
-Always. This year (as had the year prior) been one of far more writing. I used to do Nano and then not write for 11 months. Then I did script frenzy then nano then script frenzy and just kept writing.
I took up running to keep my body healthy to sustain the intense pressures work presents. Running is a metaphor for writing as well and one helps the other. November is hard on the running b/c I would rather write than run. Last year, I injured my knee b/c of nano ... need to run during nano this year so that everything stays properly oiled. : ) Also ... running is an awesome way to get story ideas. I do a good deal of Elgin work while on a run.
I have also tried to share my work more. I need to get used to having other people read and experience my work so that I get used to having people react to me. : ) This is an entire essay on it's own ...
What changes are you making in your life right now for your future?
- Much of this is covered above. Writing has now been folded into my life. I create more. I run and eat well. My long term goal is to be good at the things I love by the time I retire (a couple decades away) ... this way, if I don't get to retirement, I will have spent my life doing the things I love regardless of whether or not I was particularly good at it.
Awesome questions!
I am going to be on vacation next week ... will be around but the Elgin Fic may have to wait but watch. You will post some crazy great prompt and I will be up until 2 getting it out of my system. LOL ...
Cheers!
RP
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Fascinating answers to my questions. It's interesting to see answers to these from the perspective of somebody not chasing publication. While I understand that it's not your path, the idea of writing without the goal of publication is almost a foreign concept to me.
I think that my attitudes towards writing, especially mine, are particularly healthy. That said I think that I have a lot of self-defeating mindsets in other areas in my life which I'm working to change.
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been all over the place, partying, going to school, and sleeping more than is probably healthy (possibly saving up sleep for November). I literally haven't touched a computer in days and days...
It's interesting to see how your running relates to your writing. Personally running doesn't interest me, but I do go out dancing on a regular basis, and that can be very inspiring. The other thing I like to do is wander down to the lake and watch the sun come up; nature in the morning is a very peaceful and inspiring thing.
~Dianna