Tag Archives: Slice of Life. writing life

“At some point, the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of doing it.” – Steven Pressfield, The Art of War.

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

“At some point, the pain of not doing it becomes greater than the pain of doing it.” – Steven Pressfield, The Art of War.
— Read on www.google.ca/amp/s/www.thewholepk.com/single-post/2017/11/06/%E2%80%9CAt-some-point-the-pain-of-not-doing-it-becomes-greater-than-the-pain-of-doing-it%E2%80%9D—Steven-Pressfield-The-Art-of-War

Loving to write does not pay my bills.

I plug away year after year….

I am determined to write and do it well.

But I don’t expect a paycheque.

Yet, hear what is said in the article above.

And remember what the Dalai Lama says, “Under no circumstances should you loose hope. Hopelessness is a real cause of failure. Remember, you can overcome any problem.”

Writing Can Be Like Climbing Solo Without A Rope

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

The exposure is less remote when practicing without a belay. 

The feel of the hand hold may seem like the most important thing at the moment.

As my hand or fingers slip from my hold and I slide off the cliff, my body banging against the rock.

I lunge out and hold on with bloody hands and as the cold numbs my fingers, I fall for the last time.

A failure to produce a final product in writing is not quite as bad as that 16 foot fall backwards into boulders onto the ground.  But it seems like it may be fatal. 

Neither will kill you, but both will cause you a lot of pain.

Michael’ Secrets

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

Perhaps ‘private practice ‘ is a better term.

I usually make a first and second draft.

Why fly without a net, I can see why I might keep money secrets, writing secrets, blog secrets.

Being anonymous has similar benefits,

Preparation is better than sloppy craft or a poor choice.

‘Do no harm’ is my motto, better ‘Michael’ is my goal.

A Day In The Life…Of A Writer

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

Gawd, up at 5 or so, busy on my iPad reading and studying some topics for entries on the blog:  Day Light Saving Time (DLS) (Note to self:  Just made the same mistake about spelling this title i.e.) adding an ‘s’ on Saving, but I caught it.

There are so many things to do today, and I am in bed reading and writing for 2 hours.

I love my breakfast this morning:  smoothie!

Get dressed, put in a load of laundry, put the chicken breast in the oven at 350 Fahrenheit, do all that bathroom stuff, more reading and writing, and my 30 minute meditation using the poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling for inspiration.

Time to organize another block of time:  Microsoft Office Personal subscription (update credit card for this account), install Excel , do excel, update 40 apps on my iPhone, look up definition of innovate=introduce new method to make changes.  This will help to keep me motivated to read and write.

I have a to do list:  Walmart, garbage, stretches, watch documentary about Canadian Youth Unemployment, Snakes(eating up arm/body) (brain storm this imagery), war/poverty, foods, breathing, relaxing, impulse -control:  don’t watch T.V., Visit Mom and Sue, Shadow Work, Movie:  Man In The Iron Mask, Book:  Don Quixote by Cervantes.

I think I will reassess the list above:  they are prioritized as follows.

Garbage, Go to store(Yates street Market is the alternate-leave of Walmart till next weekend.), check in with mom and Sue, Start Reading Don Quixote:  intro “Author’s Dedication Of The First Part” is a lot of fun.

Well, iff, I am alive at the end of the day, the visit to my relatives included lunch and supper and an evening of entertainment.

Must get to bed by 8, I will be up at 4:30 AM for work tomorrow.

Another day.

 

 

Saturday Night Live

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

Moments thread together to make my universe.

Mindfulness reminds me to be present here tonight.

My character is somewhat reminiscent of my father’s,

I too liked to dream.

To build this bridge from my past to the future,

I will speak loud and clear.

I am speaking for all those who dream but does not let them be our masters!

To put this in context, Rudyard Kipling wrote to his son as a father.

I am writing loudly but I am not sermonizing to anyone.

Tonight is bent to my will in the same way I try to live.

Use the proper use of impressions and do no harm.

In my case, I may keep a few people awake because I sound so booming or brash.

I could be at a star party: Perseus Meteor Shower 2018.

Instead, I am reading and writing up a storm!

Keep Earning Your Living and keep writing your life.

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

To do a job for money,

To do a job to live.

To keep at writing when no one likes it or accepts it or even acknowledges it.

Or substitute what you love for writing: polo, finger painting, giraffe necks, cold steel, pins, people, loved ones, the ideas, being alive…

Traipsing through the worlds, the ways, the wandering of an interested and curious fellow.

Surrender To Mystery And Find Peace

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

When I let go of my belief and focus instead on fear of being, can I find peace?

Yes, my meaning comes from the inner connectedness we all share through our epic stories.

All writers hope their narratives or epic works will last the test of time.

As someone who connects to people I am willing to feel the ‘anxiety of being’.

I don’t enjoy it, but find relief by connecting with and understanding myself and others.

I like to share those experiences in the form of a character and a hidden message in one of the many forms of writing.

I believe it is just another way to connect with life and transmit it in all my affairs.

I love to read and write…

Gratitude and Gratefulness…a kind of blissful essence

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

Love to show people how much they mean to me…

I love my apartment and I love this little shelter. I found at the bottom of the stairs: it was made by a homeless man.

He took a bench from the apartment and carried it down the concrete stairs to set up in his new hide-a-way. He had other accessories: candle, flint-lighter, blanket, ashtray, cup and saucer, and other clothing and food. He managed to stay a day or two until he was kicked out…

I am grateful he had a day or two…

I am grateful for my faculties Of thought, feelings, and beliefs…

I love my action, body and mind…

I love doing no harm to others…

I am grateful for my mistakes…

I am grateful for my recovery and relapse…

I am 100% grateful, at the moment, it is the most important part of me,like a touch stone…

I know I cannot be this way all the time…

I know I will continue to succeed and fail in many ways till my end of days…

But I wouldn’t give up this moment…

For me it is a lifesaver…

Just Another Moment Of Positive Psychology…

I am nothing when I can’t write

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

My voice is like a stream, it ebbs and flows.

There is nothing sadder than when it runs dry.

My throat feels sore and my heart’ beating with more beats.

My voice is falling silent.

She will not say a word.

I dare not talk to her.

My motto is do no harm to me ‘and’ to others.

She remains quiet.

I am silenced with my voice turning inward I feel anger and pain.

My thought flows about the need to express these emotions.

She works silently all day.

I am proud of her work ethic.

Did my silent, still, calm, do no harm…

Did I prod her with my whimsy silence?

The map of my feeling go from anger to pain, to bliss.

I am transmuting pain into bliss.

My voice speaks the truth to beauty.

Or does beauty speak to me?

She is still silent.

The Writer’s Way

Posted by writetothepoint1960 on

Here is a top ten, daily schedule for most writers.

1. Write, write and write some more !  But the practice is not the goal.  Learning to find better ways to write is!
2. Reading is a kind of research for an expert or novice.  We learn how to be better at something by finding good product.  Find your love or idols and copy from them.  Steal the stuff from many rather than one.  Like it is said in the Artist’s Way, stealing from one is plagerism, but from many is more original.  We copy and build on what we like.  We actually use it in different ways. This list is similar to many but it focuses in on what I am or love.

3.  Journal:  there are many things that catch the eye, or somethings just come and this is good to discuss with others.  But the journal is like all of this plus a record and a piece of the writer’s routine.

4. Set up an environment:  writing times everyday like 6-7 every morning and 6-7 every night.  Keep a home office, use devices like an eReader, writers mobile table for hand writing anywhere, books and bookshelves and everything else.

5. Meditate. 30 minutes first thing in the morning and last thing a night.

6.  Rest, schedule coffee breaks and just goof off from time to time…

7.  Sleep a good 7 hours each night and set up a routine or ritual to encourage a healthy practice.

8:  Exercise:  have a good workout routine to aspire to and practice a good walk and keep mobile and active.

9.  Practice good habits to replace the bad with the end in mind:  eliminate the bad ones.  Don’t be a saint but learn to become healthier each day.

10. Be ambitious and keep your day job until you can afford to be a writer. Find ways to be the student and teacher and write each day.