A quick hiatus from the College Football series - I know a few of you loyal readers/listeners are eagerly anticipating the finale there, but it’s been a hectic couple of weeks in my personal life and I haven’t been able to find the time to write that that final article deserves.
So, here’s a quick one on, really, my motivation to write, and the purpose that writing serves in my life.
Sometimes, I just start typing.
No direction or intention behind my inputs - the text you’re reading right now is just the result of pent-up thoughts and emotions from within my brain traveling from there, through my hands, through the keyboard, onto the screen.
I decided to sit down and type this morning, although without any pre-established thesis, knowing that something was going to manifest itself into text. There’s too much change, stress, and excitement happening in my life right now for something meaningful, at least to me, not to materialize.
Will it be meaningful to you? Probably not.
If that’s what you’re looking for, then you should write [type]. It’s why so many millions of people globally keep journals and diaries and blogs… because writing [and typing], for them, organizes their thoughts - just as it does for me and my thoughts.
It’s funny how, consciously, you often don’t have the self-discipline to organize your thoughts and make sense of what you need to do to re-align all of the chaotic thoughts bouncing around in your brain, but as soon as you start to project those thoughts onto paper [or typed text], the path starts to reveal itself to you.
That’s why I started writing in the first place, many many years ago.
I had no goal in mind.
I wasn’t trying to write a book, or amass a following, or be a blogger, influencer, or guru.
I was just trying to organize my thoughts.
I’ve said it before, but it really is therapeutic.
I’ve been to therapy, and I’ve found it to be generally helpful… but the best therapist I’ve ever had is this blog.
Who knows me better than… me?
I’ve told friends before too, that I really don’t have any outcome or goal in mind for this blog.
I’ve said that if I never make one dollar from it, that doesn’t matter to me. It’s more for me, than for anyone else. Have I wrote some articles for your entertainment? Sure, there have been a handful of articles where that’s been my primary objective, like the College Football Series.
I started writing that series because a few friends had nudged me to - since I did have a rather unique path during those years, far from an A to B success story. What I found though was that during the writing of that series, unsurprisingly, it was nostalgic and healing for me to address and reflect on that chapter of my life, too.
In retrospect, I don’t think I’ve ever written anything that wasn’t assigned academic writing, that didn’t have some sort of epiphanic effect.
Every single time that I’ve ever made the intentional decision to put words onto paper, I’ve learned something.
I’ve been able to connect the synapses for small problem in my head, address some little dilemma that’s been nagging me, find closure for some lingering stressor, or organize my present-day priorities.
There has always, every single time, been a positive outcome as a result of making the decision to write, intentionally.
That’s why I mean it when I say I don’t care if this blog is ever profitable. For anyone with an efficient and entrepreneurial brain like mine, you’re probably thinking - “hours and hours of writing, and you don’t care if it ever makes money? What a waste of time!”
I get it, because I find myself having that internal battle often, too. Why did I get up at 5:30 a.m. today just to ramble aimlessly? What’s the point?
For me, it’s because writing makes everything else in my life better, and more efficient. I see my writing habit much the same way as so many people see exercise. Unless you’re a professional athlete or a fitness influencer, exercise isn’t directly making you any money, either. But, it makes every other part of your day a little bit better.
I had a battalion commander in the Army who used to say, “P.T. (Physical Training) probably isn’t the most important thing that you’ll do on any given day, but it’s the most important thing that you’ll do every day.”
Just as exercise is the best way you can keep your body fit, capable, and efficient - writing for me is the best way that I’ve found to keep my mind fit, capable, and efficient.
When it comes to mental health, there are an abundance of ways that people go about preserving and maintaining that.
For some people it’s prayer, or meditation, or therapy…
For me… it’s this.
Quick one this week, you guys.
I’m curious how many of you readers/listeners are also writers?
How many of you keep your own journals or diaries?
Until next time,
Reid
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