Out of the ashes
Many good things have come about as a result of my brush with stress and depression. One of them is my daily practice of meditation. Since I began to appreciate its benefits, I have recommended it to several people. Ironically, the ones who obviously need it are usually the ones who say they don’t have time to do it.
We live life at a breakneck pace these days. We have become accustomed to instant gratification and nobody wants to wait for anything anymore. We carry cell phones so we can be constantly in touch. If we want to talk to someone, it’s got to be now. Our phones also provide constant entertainment. God forbid that we should have a second to stop and think.
The video game generation
A generation of people are reaching their thirties, having played computer games for most of their lives. They have learned to be constantly reacting to quickfire changes. Films are being edited differently these days for the benefit of these people. They need the fast movement on the screen and the constant switching of camera angles.
We touch base with lots of people but hardly have time to connect with any of them. You see groups of people, apparently together but they are constantly texting or talking to someone else on their cell phones. We have lost the ability to be present. Wherever we are, we are thinking about where we are going to be.
The antidote
Meditation is a way to step off the treadmill and get some to for ourselves. The problem is that a lot of people have never experienced that. The idea of being alone with your thoughts is a frightening one. And their is quite a bit of misunderstanding about what meditation is. It is associated with mainly eastern religions and people think of monks in loin cloths sitting on mountain tops, taking years to achieve mastery.
There may be some truth in this but it is not necessary in order to gain some of the benefits of meditation. There are some very simple forms of meditation that can be learned virtually instantly and a little goes a long way. If you are used to having no tranquility in your life, the effects can be remarkable. You may not realize it but you have a pause button. Give it a try.
First off I want to say awesome blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your head prior to writing. I’ve had trouble clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out there. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or tips? Cheers!
Thank You for your comment Cornelia. This is a great question which I hardly feel qualified to answer. I have had plenty of struggles of my own with it.
Just the other day I was reading email, checking statistics, making coffee, anything to avoid getting started on writing. Eventually I thought I would try tapping which I have mentioned before. I tapped for a few minutes on my inability to produce any content.
Then I wrote 2 new pages that just seemed to flow and I came up a couple of ideas about where I want to go with this blog.
But that is not the way to do it.
I attended a seminar a while ago and your question prompted me to watch a recording of the session about creativity. It got me buzzing with ideas.
This could have turned into a really long reply but I think it should really be a new blog post. There are lessons for life as well as for writing.
As to your problem, do you have a ritual? It seems that all great creative types have a ritual. For example, Stephen King plays metal music LOUD before he puts his writing hat on and sits down to write. Then he writes 1500 words. He does not move until he has 1500 words and he doesn’t care what they are.
When you have done your ritual and it is time to start, just start. Write anything. Even if it is “OK, it is time to write so now I have to write something”. Just get your fingers into motion and keep going.
Apparently, there is a mechanism in the brain that won’t allow you to continue to write garbage. Eventually, it will settle down to saying something that makes sense.
Hope this helps a little bit.