This particular lie is number 1 for a reason. I told myself this lie for many, many years…when I was working 7 am to 7 pm, when I was raising 2 children, when I was on vacation, and even when I was unemployed. It didn’t matter what I was doing, or not doing, I was convinced that I didn’t have time. And guess what, I didn’t.
The devious nature of this lie gets us believing that we are too busy to write that novel that’s been on our minds for the longest while, or the article that could get us paid, or even the story for that annual writer’s competition we were told about more than 3 years ago (true story).
We believe the lie because our preoccupation with everyday things and lack of organization has us darting from activity to activity like a honey bee desperately collecting nectar. The thing is, though, the honey bee has purpose and direction, but we lack both.
When we see the hours and minutes ticking away and everything else in our lives seems so urgent and important, and a thousand things a day are loudly demanding our attention, we believe the lie. We believe we don’t have time. So we set aside our dreams, and we quiet the voice within us that’s screaming for us to share our thoughts and ideas with the world.
We don’t have time to live because we’re busy existing. But the voice inside telling us (even begging us) to share our story simply would not shut up. We try to drown it with more activities, with activities we pretend have meaning, with drink and food, and the company of friends until we believe we can’t hear it anymore.
Yet the moment we pause, the moment we stand still long enough to recognize our own breath, we hear it again…words that are so much a part of us we can’t think of anything else.
This lie does nothing to satisfy the hunger and yearning to share our voice with the world. It only temporarily numbs us.
The only way to deal with this lie is to recognize the fallacy, and understand that the reason the lie exists is because we’re afraid.
Yes, we’re afraid of our own voices. We’re afraid of failure. We’re afraid of success. We’re afraid because we know that to write means to connect with something beyond ourselves that we don’t control, and that lack of control is scary.
And these are real fears. Make no mistake, there are actual concerns and legitimate feelings brewing inside you that are halting your writing or preventing you from getting those words out.
But here’s the thing: you can move beyond those fears. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the embracing of the thing that once kept you in the shadows while you step into the light. You get to tell everyone that you were afraid, but you did it anyway.
Fear doesn’t have to be something that keeps us back. It can be something that lets us know what we’re doing is significant. If we weren’t afraid from time to time we’d never truly understand the importance of anything.
So, notice the fear and take steps toward overcoming it. Choose to give those words coiled in your soul the light and life they need for you to truly live.
Ok, lots of inspirational words, but I know that’s easier said than done, so here’s my #1 recommendation for getting out of that rut and dealing with this lie: Get a writing buddy.
You’d be surprised at the number of people who are stuck and would love the support of another writer going through something similar. Great places to find writing buddies are through online or in-person writing groups and at your local library.
Co-working is a thing. If you’ve never heard the term, it refers to a situation where different people who are working on different things come together to share a space. In this context, it means two (or more) people working at the same time, in the same space (whether online or in-person), but on different projects.
It’s not collaboration or coaching because you’re doing your own thing without discussion or interruption from the other parties.
The way it works is that there’s a commitment created when an agreement on date and duration is settled, and there’s an expectation created because someone else is counting on you to show up. That’s the motivation that many people thrive on.
You’ll definitely need to let others know that you’re in the market for someone to sit and write with, and you may even have to explain a few times what you’re looking for. But once you get that sorted, you’ll be well on your way to writing. I’ve done it and continue doing it to help myself get my stories and books out.
So, go out there, find a writing buddy, and get your writing done!
Remember, there are people out there who need to read what you’ve written, so get the support you need to get your writing done.
And as always, happy writing!
