Cross of Changes
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
The Infamous Writer’s Question
For as long as I’ve called myself a writer, there is always the infamous question posed by others about my craft, “So…what do you write?” Many times before, I’d draw a blank. What do I write? Is there a name for it? I mean, a specific one? I was being asked to label what I wrote, and I’m not a fan of labels. I felt cornered to give it a name, as if it was the same thing each time I wrote, the same message, the same impact. And it never is. Only now have I figured out the simple truth about what I write and all gratitude goes to Beat generation writer, Jack Kerouac. According to Jack, and now me, “I write how I feel.” Simple and true. However, this answer may not satisfy inquiring minds, but let me continue with what Jack once said: “Write how you feel, because feeling is the essence of intellect, because without feeling nothing can be known…” Jack’s idea can easily transfer over into every day life, as well. Recently, I was reminded by a dear friend that we are here to take nothing away with us; only to experience. As a writer, I am here to experience, to feel all that I can, and to express it in a way that is true to me. I am nothing other than pure energy and feeling in this world.
TweetLife can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards. – Kierkegaard
TweetSay Yes To You
“If you say YES to yourself, if you let your imagination fly, if you open one stuck, fear-wharped door, other doors you never even noticed fly open, pushed by a spirit strong as a hurricane.”
–Beverly Donofrio, author of Riding in Cars with Boys
Say “Yes” to people and experiences that nourish your spirit; it’s mandatory, top priority. Me, myself, and I…take care of numero uno and the rest falls into place.
TweetFail Fast. – Seth Godin
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Stop Being A Baby
“Stop being a baby!” We’re all very familiar and personally acquainted with that message. We’ve heard it as a baby from our parents because they wanted us to “act right” versus “act out.” And we continue to tell ourselves the same thing as adults when things don’t go our way. But at what point in our lives do we ever stop being a baby? NEVER. We will always have our moments where we need to whine, vent, cry, let it out, act out…so here’s your reminder, because you know you need it:
BE A DAMN BABY.Don’t be afraid to act out your true emotions. Let yourself be a baby. And THEN, just as babies do, GET OVER IT. Move on. Find a new distraction. Find a new task. Find a new pleasure. Have some new fun. Find your happiness again. BE A BABY.
Who’s behind that mirror?
Confusing someone else’s insecurities for your own is easy to get caught doing. Keep the mirror on your own image at all times. When you doubt yourself, ask yourself! Asking the opinions of others is good to do, but not when it concerns your own feelings and desires about yourself. Be honest with yourself and give yourself the first chance to have a say in how your life plays out. Others will have their opinions and you can ask for their feedback, but beware (read: be aware!) that they are offering insight based on their own concerns and experiences in life. Trust your own intuition. Take your own advice and THEN get some!
TweetSpare some Change?
Spare change…we hear it as the folks ring the Salvation Army bells at Christmas time…we hear it from homeless people, the less fortunate…and we only think in terms of money…but what about the literal sense- Can YOU spare some CHANGE? Life Changes? How deep will you dig into your own pockets for that kind of change?
TweetThe silent witness in you has all your answers.
Choice. Experience. Life.
Everything is our choice…every situation, every person we grant permission to enter and affect our life, is our choice. We choose to be in whatever state of mind we want to be in, and most times, we choose to remain there.
So if it’s a negative or potentially negative experience for you, pay attention to every sign and put a stop to it, leave it, walk away, kill the thoughts you have about it that keep you there, simply change it.
You have the ability and resources to do whatever needs to be done to get to the place you deserve…a state of happiness.
TweetFifteen – The Age of Innocence
I happened to catch the song, Fifteen, by young artist Taylor Swift and am taken back to the time when I was that age. She sings about how at age fifteen, “this is right before you know who you’re gonna be,” how this is the time when you’re suppose to find out who you’re suppose to be.
When I hear that lyric, I am transported back to my younger self, a sophomore in high school, and walking home alone – as I usually preferred. The noise of the passing traffic, occasional birds chirping, and the myriad thoughts flowing through my mind were enough company. I was thinking about the word “vocation” and pondering what my own could be. Without much thought, the word “writer” came to mind. That was the first time I realized that I was a writer, that that was the form of self-expression that chose me. That idea of being a writer has taken on many forms since that moment in my life. Of course, I had been expressing myself through journals since age nine, and twenty years later, nothing has changed. I am grateful to know my vocation; how I choose to fulfill it in this life is ever-changing, always evolving, but as long as I share myself with the world in this way, then I know benefits are inevitable for me and whoever chooses to read my words.
Who were you at fifteen? What’s your vocation?
TweetFirenze Rustica.
I Will Return To You One day.
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