Posted on by Christi

In life and in writing, the message is the same.

I’ve been sitting on this post for several days now, trying to figure out exactly what I want to say, and how to say it. I’ve been hearing the same message, resurface again and again, in different conversations.

Suit up. Show up. Do the next right thing.

There’s so much in life that I cannot control. So much that baffles me and sends me in a tizzy as I try to understand. Yet, the more I search for the why and what for and that magic solution, the more elusive the answers.

Of one thing I am certain, though: when I put one foot in front of the other, when I shower and make my bed, when I eat my breakfast and carry out my day, when I move from one small task to another, I arrive in the exact right place. There. In the light. For a second. Under the wings of a power so much greater than myself.

Take a breath.
Trust.
Do what’s in front of me.

Not every revelation comes as a burning bush, but eventually I see with more clarity.

All that is true in writing as well, the dizzy worry and that search for the perfect solution. I struggle through a story, and I think, Why? What for? Where’s the damn thread in all this mess? Yet, all I really have to do is suit up and show up. Put one tiny word in front of another. Take a breath and trust.

Because nothing comes out perfect the first time. Rarely does it smooth out the second time. But the more I keep at it, the more I push forward, the more will be revealed. And, in the end (and there is always an end to the madness), there I sit. In the light of a story pulled straight from the heart and written on the page. Maybe it doesn’t hold all the answers to the problems I will face the next time around, but somehow – for the moment – I feel better.

What’s your message this week?

Photo credit: Grafixar on Morguefile.com

 

14 Replies to “In life and in writing, the message is the same.”

  1. Christi, love the way you guided me through your process. Me? It can be a rush of thoughts I can’t seem to get down fast enough, or a week of swork that I end up deleting. Each time we prepare to make a new journey, we take out the map, plot our destination and like many a traveler, we often get off the main road. I sometimes get distracted and pull over, come to a crossroads and flip a coin. Who knows? Surely, I do not. In the end I trust my internal compass to get me there. I rest, enjoy family and friends and begin to prepare for the next trip.

    1. Florence,
      What you say here – “…we take out the map, plot our destination and like many a traveler, we often get off the main road.” – is so true. Though, at times, that’s the challenge and the gift: just when we feel like we’re fumbling, we find the detour was the right direction all along.

      Trust your internal compass. I love that, too. Thanks!

  2. Lovely post, Christi. We just have to keep going and trust that we will find the light.

    This is how I approach my writing, by putting one word down, then the next. Moving forward. Always moving forward. Thank you.

  5. That success doesn’t have to mean More Of – or More Than – it can mean that feeling of sweet accomplishment in a long-realized dream – simply and beautifully.

  6. This is beautiful, Christi. Put one word in front of the other. And yes, “Because nothing comes out perfect the first time…” Lovely post! I’m learning more and more how important it is to let things simmer, then come back to them to improve them.

    1. Yes, let stories simmer. Wish I had known that before I sent out my first submission years ago (poor editor of that lit mag šŸ™‚ )

  8. Pingback: When Writing and Real Life Intersect: Guest Post by Trish Ryan | Christi Craig

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