What Is Your Mantra?
One of my kids hates change. In fact, on her first day of school this year, she promised me, rather graphically, that she would "hurl" all over her teacher.
I try to help her see that change is a part of life. So as we walk to the bus stop, we repeat the mantra I devised for her. "I embrace change. I embrace change." It usually makes her laugh. And when she laughs she can't think about throwing up on her bus driver.
We all face challenges. Writers face them. We all have stumbling blocks. Fears. Things that make us want to hurl.
My mantra is Open Your Eyes. I am convinced there is a novel waiting in every day, in things I see, people I talk to, the life I embrace. So many people walk past the details of life.
It reminds me of my new glasses. My best friend will tell you I am very vain in that I SHOULD wear my glasses all the time, but don't. Or didn't for a long time. I just couldn't find a pair that suited me--I mean that really expressed my inner eccentric. Then I got these funky glasses with rhinestones. I wear them more--but they're not sunglasses. So two days ago, I bought a really nice pair of prescription shades (maybe I'll even snap a picture with them on to post). I love 'em. My teen pronounced them "sexy" (an improvement over "Did you really intend to wear THAT?!"). When I put them on today while driving, it was like seeing the world in high def vs. regular TV. I saw the details! Wow! Who knew the leaves were that color? Who knew the trees were that green?
They're there. The details of life if you open your eyes. The interesting tattoos, the shady appearances, the woman and man clearly having an affair over lunch (saw THAT yesterday at the local Italian place), the very odd woman who tells me WAY too much information, the man who revealed his vasectomy while administering my medical test (um . . . OK?!?). OPEN YOUR EYES. Stories abound.
In my personal life, my two mantras are "Breathe." And from Thich Nhat Hanh, "Peace in every step."
What is your writing mantra? What do you have to embrace or work on? Are you gripped by self-doubt . . . or do you "embrace change"?
I try to help her see that change is a part of life. So as we walk to the bus stop, we repeat the mantra I devised for her. "I embrace change. I embrace change." It usually makes her laugh. And when she laughs she can't think about throwing up on her bus driver.
We all face challenges. Writers face them. We all have stumbling blocks. Fears. Things that make us want to hurl.
My mantra is Open Your Eyes. I am convinced there is a novel waiting in every day, in things I see, people I talk to, the life I embrace. So many people walk past the details of life.
It reminds me of my new glasses. My best friend will tell you I am very vain in that I SHOULD wear my glasses all the time, but don't. Or didn't for a long time. I just couldn't find a pair that suited me--I mean that really expressed my inner eccentric. Then I got these funky glasses with rhinestones. I wear them more--but they're not sunglasses. So two days ago, I bought a really nice pair of prescription shades (maybe I'll even snap a picture with them on to post). I love 'em. My teen pronounced them "sexy" (an improvement over "Did you really intend to wear THAT?!"). When I put them on today while driving, it was like seeing the world in high def vs. regular TV. I saw the details! Wow! Who knew the leaves were that color? Who knew the trees were that green?
They're there. The details of life if you open your eyes. The interesting tattoos, the shady appearances, the woman and man clearly having an affair over lunch (saw THAT yesterday at the local Italian place), the very odd woman who tells me WAY too much information, the man who revealed his vasectomy while administering my medical test (um . . . OK?!?). OPEN YOUR EYES. Stories abound.
In my personal life, my two mantras are "Breathe." And from Thich Nhat Hanh, "Peace in every step."
What is your writing mantra? What do you have to embrace or work on? Are you gripped by self-doubt . . . or do you "embrace change"?
posted by Erica Orloff at 8:22 PM
14 Comments:
I'm a mantra thief. Here are few I've stolen through the years:
If not now, when?
Live and let live.
Carpe Dium.
All you need is love (and, in some cases, tripe).
Smoke goood.
Drink goooood.
Don't take no shit off nobody.
Breathe. Yes. Breathe.
By the way, Erica, this was another beautiful post. Downright eloquent. Thank you.
Hi Jude:
Well, you tripe-lover, you . . . good mantras. For writers, I like "If not now, when?" I sometimes toy with two things that would majorly change my life--driving an hour each day to study comparative religion at a university a bit far from me . . . and adopting a child. Now I am thinking about being a foster mother. If not now, when? You know? I could be sitting here a year from now with a child or sitting here with a doctorate in three years. Delay is just delay--though the older I get the more--sometimes ever so slightly--ageism creeps into my mind. Man, Jude . . . I am gettin' old. :-) I know so many people, though, who want to write. But the number who finish and persist and get published . . . very small. If not now, when?
E
Jude:
And thanks . . . about the post.
E
I take my mantra from Nike's playbook:
Just do it.
I live my life this way about anything and everything, writing included. I'm in the middle of flexing my writing wings right now with this paranormal proposal I'm working on (thank you for your help!!!). I was afraid, at first. Still am. But I just *did* it. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Come to think of it, nothing really is as scary as what's in our own minds, right?
karm:
Agreed. I am a chronic worrier and I nearly always find what I worry about isn't as bad as I thought most of the time. I am working hard to learn to lay my burdens down on my home altar, you know. Just let someone else in the universe worry about it.
E
Guess I'm a thief too, love Karmela's "just do it" and you're right, even when its bad, its seldom as bad as the scenarios your imagination conjures.
For everyday life, I'm fond of the beginning of the serenity prayer, can be applied to so much.
For writing, I like 'look, listen, learn', which is a simplified version of your mantra, Erica. I also like 'big shots are just little shots who keep shooting'. Christopher Morley, but I didn't put it in direct quotes because I'm pretty sure I messed the exact words up, but you get the picture.
lainey:
Another good one. You have to want this biz and love this biz. Otherwise, it really can be crushing. Rejection and snarkiness abound. You have to do it because you love it--and JUST DO IT!
E
*Big shots are just little shots who keep on shooting.*
Love that.
One of my favorite mantras is: Never give in, never give up.
Life's a bitch get over it.
I will be published.
You can do this.
Get r dun. (thanks Larry the Cable Guy)
This to shall pass.
I have a ton of mantras. One for every occasion.
la:
All of them are good. I really like life's a bitch, get over it. While I do think life is beautiful and wonderful, in it's sh*ttiest moments, it helps to remind myself there is nothing to do but pick myself up and get moving.
E
I have one that works for everything in life. If you're not having fun...Something's wrong
steve:
Definitely something we writers need to hear.
E
The one thing I say, especially if I'm in procrastinating mode:
The secret of success is... do it now
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