On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Whenever I need a boost, I reread Write Smart, Write Happy by award-winning author Cheryl St. John. Here’s an uplifting excerpt:

Each time I sit down at my computer, I read something inspirational to get started. And I tell myself something positive. I’m writing a best-selling book. I’m writing an award-winning book. Readers are going to love this story. Do I feel silly saying things like that out loud? Not at all. Too many positive things have come to pass thanks to this kind of inspirational talk.

Do I still have doubts? Of course I do. Every time I receive a particularly ugly line edit. Every time I stand up to speak in front of people. Every time I get to the middle of my current book. Every time I stretch my writing a step further. Every time I have a proposal rejected.

But every accomplishment is a confidence builder, and those outweigh the negatives by far.

Deal with feelings. Get your thoughts and emotions under control. I heard somewhere that if a computer were built to have the capacity of the human mind, it would take the space of the Empire State Building to house it. And yet we only use a portion of our brains. We live in a society that believes we’re all victims; nobody’s responsible for their actions, feelings, or thoughts. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m responsible for me. I may not be able to change my past or change other people, but I can change how I feel and how I react to situations. I can change my behavior. You can too.

Source: Write Smart, Write Happy by Cheryl St. John, p. 260