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 excerpt from What It Takes by award-winning entrepreneur Zahra Al-harazi:

Larry Alton, a journalist for Huff Post, believes there are three big benefits to leaving your comfort zone.

You’ll overcome fear—the thing that holds us back most in life. Your mind tends to exaggerate what can go wrong. Commit to an adventurous spirit, and fear will cease to be a paralyzing factor in your decisions.

Your creativity will skyrocket. Your brain will get a workout. When it’s flexed and challenged to really think, your creative side is stimulated, which affects every area of your life.

You’ll learn about yourself. No matter your age, if you’ve been living the same day on repeat for many years, you’re probably missing out on some of your unique likes and dislikes. Consider that you don’t know yourself as well as you could. As you experiment, you’ll naturally recognize who you are and who you want to become.

So live a little. Do some things that are out of character, and risk loving them. They might be delicious.

Source: What It Takes, Page 327

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 an inspiring excerpt from What It Takes by award-winning entrepreneur Zahra Al-harazi:

When there are not enough hours in the day, when I feel totally overwhelmed, or when I feel lost or helpless, I organize.

In the calm of an organized mind, I move like a lioness in the Serengeti, taking down antelopes one by one. I get work done with incredible efficiency. A flood of serotonin improves my outlook and I revel in achievement—any achievement. Micro progress leads to macro progress. Antelopes lead to zebras and wildebeest. Rearranging my kitchen cupboards leads to hundred-page business plans.

Sitting on the sofa in yoga pants leads nowhere good. It’s not even fair to the yoga pants.

So, make a list and check things off. That last part is important—don’t skip it.

Start with whatever’s in front of you that’s sucking your focus dry; move on to easy stuff that adds up fast: make phone calls, pay bills, put in a load of laundry, throw out the aging produce in your fridge; then attack the wildebeest.

It won’t stand a chance.

Source: What It Takes by Zhara Al-harazi, page 316