I love writing. Like I really, really, really love writing.
I stopped writing though.
There was a period in my life that the only thing I would write were papers for school or tasks on to-do lists that never got crossed off. I use to write poetry, reflections in my journal, articles for the school paper, short stories, and songs that I wish I had the voice to sing.
I stopped writing in high school after a teacher showcased my poem on a bulletin board and a group of boys made fun of me. I didn’t start writing again until about 15 years later when I was in a treatment center in Tucson, Arizona. We didn’t have access to any technology for a whole month. I couldn’t avoid my thoughts by getting lost in TV or scrolling through Facebook.
I was forced to sit in my thoughts and feelings until I couldn’t take it anymore. I bought a journal in the gift shop and one night I wrote for hours. It was incredible. I wrote and cried. I felt lighter and more alive. I felt my soul thanking me. Every time I put down the pen, this feeling of accomplishment and gratitude rushed through me. It was as if my inner child was saying “Thank you for honoring me and using my gift.”
It is very common for us to hide our gifts like I did after I was made fun of. When we are younger, sometimes the attention (whether good or bad) we get for our talents makes us uncomfortable so we hide and conform so we don’t stick out. As I used my gift of writing more and more, it made me feel alive and happy. I wrote for myself and no one else and it brought me great joy.
Recently, I have been struggling with some major blocks in my business that are stirring up feelings of frustration, anger, and failure. One specific area is my blog writing and TV segments. I have always been the queen of procrastination and frankly work extremely well under pressure.
However, I was getting more and more frustrated with myself because every week I wait until the absolute last minute to get this blog and segment done and it not only drives me crazy but effects other people in my life as well. I decided to explore my procrastination a bit more by using my signature healing method.
While using my method, I uncovered something very interesting. You see, when I launched my website I had more than 100 blogs written and ready to go. They were all written the year or so prior when I was writing just to write.
Thousands joined my email list within the first couple months. Now, almost two years later coming up with a blog topic is painful and my list growth is slow. Do you want to know why? I stopped writing for me and started writing for everyone else. I wasn’t writing for joy anymore. I got pulled into the business and marketing world and started writing to try and get people on my list, to try to get sales, to try and get fans and followers.
In the beginning, I wasn’t marketing. I was simply using my gift and sharing my story. That brought me joy and as a result, it brought followers without even “trying”.
I will always be a procrastinator in one way or another – or in many ways. Studies show that it can actually be a good thing. However, I do not like it when I procrastinate on things that bring me joy. So if you this is happening to you, then I highly recommend digging deeper and identifying what’s keeping you from doing something you LOVE to do because if we love doing it, we should be doing more of it.
Here are 4 steps to help you start doing what you love:
- Ask Yourself Why You Love It
Examine the thing that you love to do and are putting off and ask yourself “Why do I LOVE this?” and write down your reasons.
- Write Down Your Blocks
Next, write down what gets in your way from doing this. Write your fears, blocks, and excuses. Write them all down. Everything from “I don’t have time”, “I am afraid I will fail”, “People won’t like it”, “People won’t support me”, “I am not creative” etc.
- Knock Down Your Blocks
Next, look at your lists of blocks and cross off any of the things on your list that involve someone else or a source external to you. So if you wrote, “People won’t like it” or “It won’t be good enough” you would cross that off because you are measuring your gift based on someone else’s expectations. If it involves something you can control like “time”, cross that off too because we can always make time.
- Act on The LOVE List
Next, look at the list you made of why you love to do, what you love to do and go do it for those reasons only. It’s that simple. Do the things you love because you love to do them and nothing else. Do them because they bring you joy.
Check out my list for inspiration!!
When we use our gifts in alignment with who we are and to bring us joy, it not only benefits ourselves but the world around us as well.
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