Finding My Voice - Writing Update, Month 2

I know it's only been 2 months of writing here, but it seems like it's been much longer. I feel like I've grown a lot in the past two months!

The hardest part by far, has been keeping my eye and my mind on the simplicity of the task: Just write.

Embracing My Own Journey

I few weeks ago, I stumbled across Jeff Goins 12 step process to becoming the writer of our dreams. I have no doubt that Jeff knows exactly what he's talking about. The man built an empire around learning to become a writer and then sharing that knowledge through his platform. He's brilliant and clearly passionate about what he does.

So I quickly downloaded his PDF that would lead me down the path of becoming a professional writer. I easily completed Step 1 - Clarify Your Message with a Worldview Statement. So I was anxious to go on to Step 2 - Pick Your Platform Personality. And you know what happened in Step 2? I got stuck. There were 5 personality traits to choose from and Jeff urges the reader to pick which one you are and fully commit to it in your writing.

The problem, however, is that I couldn't commit to just one. I didn't feel like that would be doing myself justice or following the plan God has for me. I had to take a couple of days to let it all sink in before I realized what I already know: Following someone else's step-by-step plan may not be the exact plan for me.

I so easily get caught up in quick fixes and easy step-by-steps. Most of this is what inspired my last blog post about trusting the process God is bringing you through. I see where I want to be. I want to write full time and I want to embrace all of the creativity God has given me.

And yet.

I must realize that following someone else's step by step plan may steal the joy of my own journey. If I don't go through this, if I don't trust that this path God is leading me down is being created for a reason, if I don't find a way to write and share photos in my own unique way, then I don't think I'll end up where I always dreamt I would be.

Embracing Creativity

A couple of things I've discovered in the past view months have drawn me out of my little box of seriousness (if you will) and changed the way I write.

I used to write more bullet-point type posts, and I do still have some topics I like to write that way, but I've discovered I enjoy writing more if I embrace some creativity and write from the heart instead of writing in a way that makes me sound like I'm teaching someone else.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that I most definitely do not have all the answers. If I could describe my writing style right now in month 2 of consistently posting every week, it would be this: Writing from my heart to share my experiences in a way that would be helpful to others.

I want to provide value to you, the reader. How does one share a message without providing value? However, I think over the past two months, my style of doing so has changed. It's more of a "Look, here I am. Here's what I'm going through and what I'm discovering. Be encouraged that you're not alone if you're going through this, too."

In changing my style a bit to fit this new mold, I think it's made me enjoy writing more. I'm less stressed about finding a topic, and feel more free to share my heart.

Positive Findings 

In the past month I've stumbled across some positive, encouraging resources that have spurred me on in the writing journey.

One thing I've started doing is keeping the TV off over my lunch hour and listening to podcasts instead. I've listened to a few different ones here and there. Some about personal growth and some strictly about writing. Either way, it seems like a more positive way to spend my lunch hour. Besides, daytime TV is the worst.

I've also discovered Ruth Chou Simons and her site, Gracelaced. My first thought when I came across her site was, Wow. This is beautiful. Clearly she's found her calling in life. Her artwork is gorgeous, and her blog is filled with life-giving words.

For example, in one of her posts she writes, "When we stop trying to say, 'Look at me! I'm the best!' we end up with the freedom to welcome, rather than chase... receive, rather than react... make for the joy of it, rather than to measure up."

So refreshing, right? And exactly what I needed to hear on this writing journey. It's not about me. It's about who God created me to be and what he wants me to do with this one precious, unique life he's given me.


At the end of month 2, I'm feeling a lot stronger about what my goals are and what my writing style looks like. As I go into the next month, I'm hopeful to continue to grow in writing and hopefully have a better understanding of where I want to take this blog when it comes to the next step.

Onward and upward!

Letting Go and Trusting the Process

Two months ago, I began a new journey with writing.

In the past 6 years or so, I’ve started and stopped a couple of blogs already, so of course I was hesitant to start again this past September. What would make this try any different than before? What would change this time? What would keep me from throwing in the towel from frustration?

As I fumble through these first couple of months of writing, I think I’ve identified why I’ve given up in the past: I like to skip the journey and jump right to the end where all of my dreams have come true.

I know where I want to be in 1, 5, and 10 years from now, so I’d rather just be there now instead of putting in the grueling work of the process to get there. I don’t like surprises. I don’t like the unknown. I want a detailed map of exactly everything that’s going to happen and exactly when it will happen. I just want to wake up one morning and ta-da! Goals achieved. Wouldn’t that be the dream?

Unfortunately I’m learning that’s not the way God works. (Newsflash, right?) But the more I think of it, the more it makes total sense that God wants to use our journey to stretch us and strengthen us. As undelightful as the journey can sometimes be, if we jumped right to the end result, how would we grow?

Stop Comparing

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Yet I still find myself comparing areas of my life to others quite frequently.

For example, in my writing, I've been reading other blogger's websites and wondering how they did it. The style of their site is beautiful, and their words flow so perfectly it seems. It's easy to become jealous of their lifestyle and wonder if I'll ever get there myself. But the truth is, most of these bloggers have been blogging for years - Taking the time to find their voice and develop an audience.

How do I expect to have the same writing as someone who has been writing for 10 years? How can I expect to have the same fan base? Or the same knowledge when I'm lacking experience?

It's so incredibly easy to compare our Chapter 1 with some else's Chapter 10, isn't it?

We need to stop doing this. We are each or own individuals. We each have our very own, unique story to tell.

And we each need to use our own journey to get where we want to be. The key words here are: our own journey. Not someone else's. No matter how magical or fabulous their journey might seem. 

Less of Me

The reasons I think I’ve given up on writing in the past can be summed up in 2 words: Success and self.

Ouch. But... #truth.

Often, so very often, I try to put things into my own hands, thinking I can solve the puzzle better myself. And every time I end up frustrated and wondering why things didn't pan out the way I thought they would.

In my current writing journey, I think this is where I've always gone wrong. I've attempted writing, I've started the blog, I've got the momentum, and then I quit. Every time I feel it's because I've tried to make it about me. Every writing experience I've had up to this point has been about success and numbers and making sure I can make money to provide for my family.

The truth is, I think it's failed every time because I've kept God out of the equation. It hurts to come to this realization, but it's also the honest truth. 

If we're going to fully trust the process that God is bringing us through, we need to be looking more at the bigger picture, and less at ourselves and our own plans. 

Freedom

There's total freedom in letting go of "needing to know it all" and embracing the presentness of the journey. 

At least this is what I'm learning so far. 

I still so, so desperately like to see the whole picture, right up front, no surprises. But the more I let go of this thought, the more freeing it is to not have to worry about having it all together. 

It's becoming easier to commit to my writing, and stop worrying about always getting it juuuuuust right. It's also becoming more fun to experiment, knowing that each thing I try will only bring me closer to finding my voice and sharing whatever message God has for me to share. 

It's not an easy commitment to make, but I do think it's what God asks us to do. Stop worrying about getting it all figured out right now, and just take some time to really feel where you're at in the journey.  


Any process God's bringing us through might be messy, take longer than we’d wish, and even veer in directions we could never see on Day 1 of the journey.

We have to accept the fact that there are reasons we're on the journey we're on. We may not see those reasons now (or even a little while down the road), but they're there. We must trust the process and find ways to move forward, even if we can't see the end result. 

And please know that I'm speaking this as much to myself as I am to you. 

So I've decided to spend a little less time constantly searching other blogs, and a lot less time on social media these days. If writing is the calling God has placed on my heart, then it's time I dig in and do the daily work. 

It's time to jump into the ride of the process, trusting the end results God has planned for us on the other side. 

Even if we hate surprises. :) 

What to do when Things Don't go as Planned

For several years now, I've been one of those morning workout freaks. I get up a few mornings a week before 5 AM and head to the gym so I can be back by 6 to get going for the day.

Unfortunately, at this late stage of pregnancy I'm in, morning workouts just aren't... working out (pun intended).

I'm realizing I need to savor as much energy as I can for work and family and the last time I got up to walk, I felt completely run down for the rest of the day. Not to mention I was extremely uncomfortable during my mere 30 minute walk.

I've always enjoyed morning workouts because I started the first hour of the day not only breaking a sweat, but giving myself time to mentally prepare for the day. Additionally, a healthy lifestyle is something I feel is important for myself so morning workouts fall right in line with those goals.

But what do you do when a goal you want to strive for becomes unattainable for reasons out of your control?

It's been difficult for me to accept the fact that morning workouts are just going to have to be completely sidelined for the next few months. However, life seems to move on whether I particularly like the situation I'm in or not.

So here's a few things I'm attempting in order to keep my sanity regarding this bump in the road:

Accept the situation is what it is. Ug. This one really stinks, if I'm being brutally honest. But I also think this is the first and most crucial step to keeping you life on track and moving forward. It's easy to get bogged down with frustration and sadness when we're unable to work on goals we find important. And don't get me wrong, I spent a few days being a little down about having to give up my typical morning routine for reasons beyond my control. It sinks! We don't like it.

But once you take the time to let the information settle, you'll realize that you can either spend your time wallowing, or you can accept that this situation is what it is. It's out of your control and there's nothing you can do about it right now. Like I said, this point really stinks. It's not fun, and it's definitely not the news we want to hear or the news we want to accept. However, it's also a necessary step if you want life to keep moving forward positively.

Use your down time as an opportunity to work on another life goal. I had the opportunity a few months back to listen to a motivation speaker share a story about a phase of lie his 14 year old son went through.

His son was a phenomenal football player but kept complaining of back pain during his freshman season. When the season ended, the son went in to the Dr. and it was discovered that he had a couple broken vertebre in his back. He was told he wouldn't be able to play sports again for at least the school year - quite possibly the rest of his life.

The son began to cry and was consumed with utter disappointment. But his father looked at him and said, "what an opportunity." The son looked confused, but his father continued: "What an opportunity to work on your grades or find a new hobby."

The son then went on to graduate the top of his large high school class, and then got accepted and graduated from the military school at West Point.

What an opportunity. Think of what else you can accomplish while you have to back burner this one specific goal. I can't get through a 30 minute walk in the morning anymore, so instead I take that time to work on my writing. I try to take 45 minutes to check out a podcast or work on a rough draft instead. It's not the physical exercise I was once getting, but it does still help me clear my head and mentally prepare myself for the day. Plus I need all the help I can get to better my writing so... win/win! :)

Welcome the break and try to enjoy it if you can. I know, I know, this one sounds a little cheesy and probably not what you'd like to be doing right now. But always remember that things happen for a reason. Perhaps this is a time in your life where God is telling you to take a break.

It's probably not what we want to do (heck, it wasn't really what I wanted to do either), but I'm taking this time to welcome whatever phase of life God has put me in and try to enjoy a little break. I've been working out several years at 5 AM. Perhaps it's time to just give it a rest for a few months.

As I'm accepting my 30-something life right now, I'm also accepting that try as I might, things will not always go as planned. I won't always be able to have the perfect schedule or perfectly accomplish every goal the way I think I will - no matter what plans where made.

So now becomes the challenge of accepting this fact, and figuring out how to make the best of it.