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.
Here’s one of my favorite quotations from Emily Dickinson:
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
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.
A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:
Oprah keeps a journal. Taylor Swift keeps a journal. Eminem keeps a journal. Successful people all over the world — those who consistently make positive changes in their lives — reflect daily and learn from their life experiences. And they often use some kind of journal to accomplish this.
If you want to get somewhere in life, you need a map, and your journal is that map. You can write down what you did today, what you tried to accomplish, where you made mistakes, and so much more. It’s a place to reflect. It’s a place to capture important thoughts. It’s a place to sort out where you’ve been and where you intend to go. And it’s one of the most underused, yet incredibly effective tools available to the masses.
Just this morning, I spent fifteen minutes journaling about some recent events in my life that I’m grateful for, and some that are still troubling me. As I was wrapping up, the idea for the blog post you’re reading now came to me, which was a pleasant surprise since I hadn’t yet decided what I was going to share with you today.
I also unearthed some incredibly healthy insights regarding an important relationship that I had been neglecting, which motivated me to immediately send out a text message to someone I care about who I’ve been meaning to reconnect with. We now have a brunch date scheduled for next Sunday.
So as you can infer, your time spent focusing inward and journaling doesn’t just help you — your mind is powerful and your thoughts create ripples in the world around you. When you bring clarity into your life, you bring the best of yourself into everything you do — you tend to treat yourself and others better, communicate more constructively, do things for the right reasons, and ultimately improve the world you’re living in. This is why journaling for a short time every day can actually make a significant real-world difference in your life.
Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.
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.
Here are five tips that will help motivate and re-energize you:
I’m happy to welcome author Dena Weigel. Today, Dena shares the long and winding road to her writing career and her new release, The Byzantine Cross.
Here’s Dena!
Briefly describe your first act.
Thank you for including me in your Second Act Series and allowing me to share my writing!
It’s been a long and winding road to a writing career!
During my twenties and thirties, I was rudderless. I went to college, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, then traveled overseas to study art and culture with students from all over the nation. After the program’s conclusion, I arrived home with a head full of new possibilities for my future. I ended up in a corporate marketing job by default.
After ten years in the office, I took my marketing experience on the road, freelance blogging for fifteen years for businesses, government entities, and nonprofits. I also attended writing classes, conferences, and writing groups. This was great, but it left little creative headspace for my own writing projects. One year ago, I reached a goal of landing a job in the publishing industry with a position at a book review company, and now I’m surrounded by people who are so generous with their knowledge.
What triggered the need for change?
I floundered through my corporate jobs for far too long before realizing I wrote at a level that executives could use but freelancing left me with no creative energy to finish my novel. So, I eventually ended my contracts and worked with a developmental editor to complete the story and get it to a publisher. I knew that if I didn’t go after this dream, I’d regret it—so why wait? I jumped in with both feet hanging onto hope for dear life!
Where are you now?
Last year I landed a job with a book review company and have achieved another goal of leaving the tech industry and finding my way into the writing/publishing business. I get to talk about books all day long!
Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?
Don’t wait to start. You never know what’s around the corner, and time slips away so fast. Those things you want to do in life may be out of reach sooner than you think, and you don’t want to live with regret. Even if you fail, you learn—and that’s not failure.
Also, ask for guidance and help if you feel it will get you to your goal. People are more often than not excited to help others and share their knowledge.
Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
Blurb
Former OSS spy, Sarah Kraft, thought she’d left her dangerous past behind in 1950s New York City. But when her former boss tracks her down and convinces her to accept a new mission-steal the ancient Byzantine Cross from inside the Kremlin for the CIA-she’s dragged back into the world of espionage. Once in Moscow, she’s promised the aid of a Russian double agent, Nicolai Rodzyanko, but things aren’t as they seem. Someone hired a hitman to eliminate Sarah, and she and Nicolai realize they’re not the only ones after the mysterious cross. As the two dig deeper into the history behind the oldest known biblical relic, they discover it’s far more than a simple artifact. Sarah starts questioning the motives of her former boss and the agency she once trusted, and when supernatural forces come into play, she must make a decision that could change the course of history.
Author Bio and Links
Dena Weigel was born and raised in Western Kansas, where her active curiosity stoked her growing imagination.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she studied art and culture in over thirty countries before settling in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and building a career writing for businesses and non-profits around the world.
Dena enjoys hiking with her husband and daughter, painting, and relaxing on her deck with a cup of coffee and a great book. She is currently working on the next Sarah Kraft novel, The Argentinian Affair.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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.
Here’s a thought-provoking reflection from international speaker and bestselling author Joyce Meyer:
Trials “try” us, and tests “test” us. Most of the time, the purpose of them is to show us who we really are, to reveal character in us.
We can think all kinds of good thoughts about ourselves, but until we are put to the test, we don’t know whether those things have become realities in us or not. We may consider ourselves generous, honest, or deeply committed to a particular truth or ideal, but the depths of these dynamics only reveals itself when we’re under pressure. When we go through trials, we learn whether or not we really have the character and commitment we think we have.
I believe it’s very important for us to really know ourselves, tests are good for us because they affirm strengths and reveal weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to face your weaknesses. God’s strength is available to you specifically for them.
I must say that before my trials worked steadfastness and patience into my life, they brought out many other negative qualities, mindsets, and attitudes I didn’t know I had. One reason God allows us to go through tests and trials is so the hidden things in our hearts can be exposed. Until they are exposed, we cannot do anything about them. But once we see them, we can begin to face them and ask God to help us.
God does not allow us to go through difficult times because he likes to see us suffer. He uses them for us to recognize our need for Him. Everything you go through ultimately does work out for your good because it makes you stronger and builds your endurance; it develops godly character; it helps you to know yourself and to be able to deal with things at an honest level with God and take care of those things so you can reach spiritual maturity.
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.
In her latest release, 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, novelist Jami Attenberg shares her advice and that of over 50 other writers.
Here’s an inspiring essay from Jami Attenberg:
I can sit here and write about the pandemic and say it was an extraordinary historical moment where many of our lives shifted if not only in terms of physical or mental health or relationships but also in how and where we work. It happened on a grand scale. But there will always be one life event or another that can distract you. Be prepared for this. I don’t live in fear of this but merely accept it as the truth. No one lives an entire life without a crisis at some point or another. And this may distract you from your daily practice.
After a family member was diagnosed with dementia, every time I visited them, I found it threw me off my work for a few days, if not longer. Eventually I began to find myself rushing to finish work before a family visit so I wouldn’t fall behind afterward. Because I knew I would need time to decompress, and I would not be able to be my best creative self. I thought, There is nothing I can do to change this moment of time in all our lives, and I need to be as present as possible. Something had to give, and work was it. I didn’t like how it affected me, but I had no choice. I, like you, am only human.
What I do not recommend is being angry with yourself for not getting your work done. None of us need to make ourselves feel bad twice. All we would be doing is building yet another hurdle for ourselves. Most of us need to feel comfortable, relaxed, and at ease in order to work, or at least able to trick our brains into feeling that way for a period of time. Being in a moment of crisis, and then being angry at yourself for being in that moment of crisis, will make it even harder to get work done. Everything takes time. And the work will be waiting for you when you are ready for it.
The crisis is temporary. Your work will be there for you forever.
Source: 1000 Words, p. 191
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.
A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:
Most people get irritated by those who seem “too optimistic,” but this is often just an unfortunate misinterpretation of the difference between an optimist and an idealist. An optimist is really just a positive realist who is neither naive, nor in denial, nor blind to the realities of life.
An optimist believes in the optimal usage of all the available options no matter how narrow the supply. As a result, optimistic people are able to better see the bigger picture. They can more accurately visualize and mange the present possibilities. For comparison’s sake: An idealist focuses only on the absolute best aspects of situations, a pessimist sees no positive possibilities at all, and an optimist strives to see all the possibilities so they can find the best possible option among them.
So, when picking lemons off a lemon tree, an idealist reaches for the ripest looking lemon and expects it to be the tastiest, a pessimist settles for whichever one is closest, while an optimist picks all the lemons in sight and makes lemonade.
Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.
Joanne Guidoccio 