I think a large part of creating the life you desire is the feeling aspect of it. Allowing your passion to seep deep into all recesses of your being, to open to it’s power that jettison the thoughts into inspired actions. It raises your energy vibration to the point of attraction that is captivating. I could feel that in this piece - you become inspiration. It is tapping into that Life Force where all is possible. And it does take discipline - routines that get you out of your head and into a much deeper, more sustainable place of unlimited potential. Meditation comes to mind. Tuning out the collective chatter to find your own true voice. And I think having a very healthy self respect means honoring that higher self, that inner knowing. And I agree, playing small is not doing anyone any good. As far as writing, I’m a huge fan of stream of consciousness, of a more conversational approach, of feelings more than a tight, well constructed polished piece. But then again, I’m very verbose and can ramble like I’m doing here!
I have been reading and savoring your words for many months now. I interact with a lot of ramblers - written and conversational - and I can tell you that you definitely don’t ramble. In fact, you’re the opposite of a rambler. It often takes me some time to reply to you because your comments are so full to the brim, jelly-jar tight, and packed with truth, wisdom and insight. And REAL. I know you write them quickly and freely, which boggles my mind. In fact, this comment is a perfect example of one that I could probably reread every day for the rest of my life and STILL keep finding new things. Discipline! Life Force! True voice! Self respect! Yes yes yes YES!
Thanks Bill. I think we are kindred spirits. We both have tremendous enthusiasm for life and aren’t afraid to show it. By the way, enthusiasm, in the Greek interpretation, means Life Force! How cool is that?! And Turtle Bubble and I were discussing this blog - yes we discuss so much on Readup, and we agreed that gratitude is the great compliment to feelings of playing it big in our lives. It keeps the ego in check because we know it’s the flow of Life Force that gives us the magic that makes our lives so powerful and great. We are grateful for every little aspect of our being - in awe of Life and it’s limitless surprises and beauty. We are sparks of the Divine!
Hey Bill, how is your pool game? Just in case you were forced into a game with S’s buddy! Also I like all the commentary and language of all your interactions. That’s what makes a story interesting!
Ha! My pool game is a nightmare. That’s why I had to bounce.
(Thanks for the kind words! I think lots of dialogue keeps the story brisk and snappy. I tried to make it so you could sort of hear the voices of the characters. Thx again!)
Hey folks. I'm giving my own blog post a "10" in a ruthless act of self-promotion. :P
Most of my day yesterday was spent working on Readup at the Marquette Public Library. (Check out the new Leaderboards!!) But on my blog, I'm trying to capture all of the fun extracurricular aspects of my journey - which end up having a lot to do with Readup anyway.
My goal here is to fill the gap left by my non-use of social media. In short, to share my personal self with friends & family, and the rest of the world. It's a bit horrifying, but mostly fun. Let me know what you think. I really want to improve my writing (and I have thick skin) so please don't hold back!
Really love the bold confidence! It’s so missing from the public realm. Social media is all passive boasting but still I think irl people are encouraged to be humble to the point of embarrassment of talent and success. Issa Rae gave a viral acceptance speech recently that was a total denial of the meek and tear filled thank you’s that were used to and instead channeled the proud and unapologetic hip hop artists of the past. It’s hilarious and powerful definitely check it out if you haven’t seen it.
OH. WOW. YES. Just watched the Issa Rae speech. Badass.
So true re: "passive boasting" on social media. I'm surprised that that angle didn't occur to me, because I was very clear about the way I was toying with (over-)confidence and even arrogance. I was very nervous about publishing. Anyway - I have goosebumps that you so perfectly unlocked the main point of this essay!!
Lady Gaga said something similar in her Oscar's acceptance speech. I watched it live and it stuck with me. It was something like: "Getting to this point was really hard work. I did it. There is a discipline to passion. And now my work has paid off." It was refreshing, honest, and inspiring.
Sooooo sick. I gotta watch that one, that is perfect. And I think being honest with ourselves about what we’re good at and what we should be proud of puts us in a better mental space to interact with social media and the world! The default is to be hard on ourselves and so being proud and confident is the antidote.
And I should add that my husband and I talk about how amazing we are all the time and I congratulate myself on the daily for the things that I thought I could do and did, big and small, and it feels so good.
I love that you're meeting so many people. You love nature and spending time alone, but you also love other human beings, and your human interactions make for really beautiful stories.
My two pieces of feedback on your writing are 1. you can say more with less and 2. show, don't tell so much. Nothing profound, advice given in every writing class. For example, this blog post could have started with, "At Snowbound books..." Trimming some of the language and cutting out some of your commentary would make the three scenes - the bookstore, the bar, and M's house - sparkle a little more.
The most important thing is that you're writing, and you're a beautiful writer.
Yup! Only when I was about halfway through drafting did I realize that I was writing a "three-scene" essay. And you're 100% right that I should have axed everything that didn't contribute to one of the three scenes.
It's so hard for me to delete stuff! Yet I'm realizing how true it is that more isn't better. I want my writing to start feeling more like watercolor. A few strokes. A little scene. Nothing overworked. Simple, clear, honest, approachable. (And shorter)
I think a large part of creating the life you desire is the feeling aspect of it. Allowing your passion to seep deep into all recesses of your being, to open to it’s power that jettison the thoughts into inspired actions. It raises your energy vibration to the point of attraction that is captivating. I could feel that in this piece - you become inspiration. It is tapping into that Life Force where all is possible. And it does take discipline - routines that get you out of your head and into a much deeper, more sustainable place of unlimited potential. Meditation comes to mind. Tuning out the collective chatter to find your own true voice. And I think having a very healthy self respect means honoring that higher self, that inner knowing. And I agree, playing small is not doing anyone any good. As far as writing, I’m a huge fan of stream of consciousness, of a more conversational approach, of feelings more than a tight, well constructed polished piece. But then again, I’m very verbose and can ramble like I’m doing here!
I have been reading and savoring your words for many months now. I interact with a lot of ramblers - written and conversational - and I can tell you that you definitely don’t ramble. In fact, you’re the opposite of a rambler. It often takes me some time to reply to you because your comments are so full to the brim, jelly-jar tight, and packed with truth, wisdom and insight. And REAL. I know you write them quickly and freely, which boggles my mind. In fact, this comment is a perfect example of one that I could probably reread every day for the rest of my life and STILL keep finding new things. Discipline! Life Force! True voice! Self respect! Yes yes yes YES!
Thanks Bill. I think we are kindred spirits. We both have tremendous enthusiasm for life and aren’t afraid to show it. By the way, enthusiasm, in the Greek interpretation, means Life Force! How cool is that?! And Turtle Bubble and I were discussing this blog - yes we discuss so much on Readup, and we agreed that gratitude is the great compliment to feelings of playing it big in our lives. It keeps the ego in check because we know it’s the flow of Life Force that gives us the magic that makes our lives so powerful and great. We are grateful for every little aspect of our being - in awe of Life and it’s limitless surprises and beauty. We are sparks of the Divine!
Hey Bill, how is your pool game? Just in case you were forced into a game with S’s buddy! Also I like all the commentary and language of all your interactions. That’s what makes a story interesting!
Ha! My pool game is a nightmare. That’s why I had to bounce.
(Thanks for the kind words! I think lots of dialogue keeps the story brisk and snappy. I tried to make it so you could sort of hear the voices of the characters. Thx again!)
Best one yet
Best username still
Hey folks. I'm giving my own blog post a "10" in a ruthless act of self-promotion. :P
Most of my day yesterday was spent working on Readup at the Marquette Public Library. (Check out the new Leaderboards!!) But on my blog, I'm trying to capture all of the fun extracurricular aspects of my journey - which end up having a lot to do with Readup anyway.
My goal here is to fill the gap left by my non-use of social media. In short, to share my personal self with friends & family, and the rest of the world. It's a bit horrifying, but mostly fun. Let me know what you think. I really want to improve my writing (and I have thick skin) so please don't hold back!
Really love the bold confidence! It’s so missing from the public realm. Social media is all passive boasting but still I think irl people are encouraged to be humble to the point of embarrassment of talent and success. Issa Rae gave a viral acceptance speech recently that was a total denial of the meek and tear filled thank you’s that were used to and instead channeled the proud and unapologetic hip hop artists of the past. It’s hilarious and powerful definitely check it out if you haven’t seen it.
OH. WOW. YES. Just watched the Issa Rae speech. Badass.
So true re: "passive boasting" on social media. I'm surprised that that angle didn't occur to me, because I was very clear about the way I was toying with (over-)confidence and even arrogance. I was very nervous about publishing. Anyway - I have goosebumps that you so perfectly unlocked the main point of this essay!!
Lady Gaga said something similar in her Oscar's acceptance speech. I watched it live and it stuck with me. It was something like: "Getting to this point was really hard work. I did it. There is a discipline to passion. And now my work has paid off." It was refreshing, honest, and inspiring.
Sooooo sick. I gotta watch that one, that is perfect. And I think being honest with ourselves about what we’re good at and what we should be proud of puts us in a better mental space to interact with social media and the world! The default is to be hard on ourselves and so being proud and confident is the antidote.
And I should add that my husband and I talk about how amazing we are all the time and I congratulate myself on the daily for the things that I thought I could do and did, big and small, and it feels so good.
We should all do this.
I love that you're meeting so many people. You love nature and spending time alone, but you also love other human beings, and your human interactions make for really beautiful stories. My two pieces of feedback on your writing are 1. you can say more with less and 2. show, don't tell so much. Nothing profound, advice given in every writing class. For example, this blog post could have started with, "At Snowbound books..." Trimming some of the language and cutting out some of your commentary would make the three scenes - the bookstore, the bar, and M's house - sparkle a little more. The most important thing is that you're writing, and you're a beautiful writer.
Yup! Only when I was about halfway through drafting did I realize that I was writing a "three-scene" essay. And you're 100% right that I should have axed everything that didn't contribute to one of the three scenes.
It's so hard for me to delete stuff! Yet I'm realizing how true it is that more isn't better. I want my writing to start feeling more like watercolor. A few strokes. A little scene. Nothing overworked. Simple, clear, honest, approachable. (And shorter)