I’m taking my own advice today by not ignoring signs that inspire me to write. They can come in the most unexpected ways—the bulging puddle on my driveway, the lulling whirl of the wind on the storm-struck bushes, or the aroma of sauce and meatballs in the air.
Enter reality. One of my goals for the day was to get the dehumidifier I ordered installed down in my musty basement. So, I lugged it down the gray, cobwebbed steps, but unsurprisingly was quickly distracted by a number of things--from unfinished furniture projects to some old books, random toys and a few items that should have been tossed a long time ago.
Then I landed on some of my old journals and notebooks. Within the dusty stack of disheveled papers, I found one I had written in college for Prof. Cannon, a robust, never cleanly-shaven and brilliant man who teetered on the edge of sanity while inspiring students. I strove for A’s in his class more than any other. Fortunately, I succeeded, which baffled my streams of self-doubt that regularly flowed. I remember feeling a little sad when I learned that he had died last year, so it was nice to be reminded of being one of his students nearly three decades ago.
I know it takes me a while to get to my point sometimes. Blame it on the control freak I call my right side of my brain. My left side often feels left out. So, my point here is not to hunker down and write an academic paper in your spare time. We all have a slight aversion to that, I’m sure. I am, however, throwing out a strong push for journal writing or a blog. If you’d rather call it notebook writing, go ahead.
Writing is just an extension of who we are and what we do. The feelings you have in your life are direct reflections of what you produce. Writing in a journal can be the most genuine expression of yourself. In addition to offering you cathartic benefits and helping you map out certain things in your life, it can serve as a great reminder days, months or years from now.
So, as you sift through all the digital marketing strategies now inundating the internet that are enough to make you dizzy, it might be a good time to get back to the basics. Get yourself a small journal, pen and start writing. And remember, what you write is more important than how you write…at least, in this case.
No judgment here, but if you need some help, let me know. For now, I have to get back to my original mundane task at hand.