We are Products of our Decisions

A week ago, a young man, John, affirmed that we (all humans) are products of our environment, and wanted to know my thoughts about it. Before I commented, I wanted to make sure that I understood what he said, and what he meant. I wanted to understand his position before I attempted to help him understand mine. (That’s an application of Stephen Covey’s Principle #5 in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I encourage you to read the book.)

After John reiterated his statement and affirmed is belief in it, our discussion proceeded. About 20 minutes later, our conversation ended on friendly terms, and John had changed his mind. He now understands that we are not products of our environments, but products of our decisions. The result of every decision we make is another “building block” in the foundation of our lives. So, make your decisions wisely, and please apply that bit of wisdom to all areas of your life.

But since our topics in these blogs are about writing and publishing, apply it here, too. Decide to be proactive in your writing endeavors. If you want to become an author, or if you are an author and want to get that next book published, you will need to overcome the ever-present hinderances and establish your plan to get it done.

Be gentle and considerate with family and friends as you help them understand your needs in completing your project. And as you proceed …

Write Creatively.

I’m Going to Write a Book …

Do you hear people saying that? Are you saying it?

If “yes” is the answer in either question, what does it mean? I’ll tell you. It means the book isn’t being written. And in many situations, it won’t be written for some time. In order to write a book, the proposed author must decide to get moving. For example …

An airplane, be it propeller-driven or jet powered, can sit on the runway for years and never fly if it doesn’t move. And if it does move, it must reach a critical speed related to it’s type and weight to lift off the ground. (Note: I am not referring to anyone’s size or weight.)

A watercraft, be it a kayak or a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has a critical speed for the rudder to take effect. If the craft moves, but hasn’t reached its critical speed, the helmsman can turn the rudder all he wants to, but the boat or ship will not turn.

Writing a blog or book is similar: we can talk about it all we want to, but if we don’t get moving, it will not get written. And if we do move, we must “reach that critical speed” to see our situation change.

So, what are you going do? Change your thinking and you will change your activity. Then you can say, “I’m writing a book.” And then …

Write Creatively