Discipline

Discipline: The Key to Mastering Your Mind

Imagine welcoming a guest into your home who constantly insults your parents, persuades you to skip work, and squanders your money. You wouldn't tolerate such behavior, right? So, why allow similar negative influences to take residence in your mind?

Take a moment to reflect on your thoughts over the past twenty-four hours. You may notice a variety of thought patterns. Some might be inappropriate, others might include unkind remarks, a bit of risky daydreaming, and perhaps some time wasted on unproductive activities.

It's crucial to avoid engaging in mental activities that you wouldn't consider doing in real life. Discipline your thought life. Actively reject inappropriate sexual thoughts and don't allow them to linger. Refuse to entertain rude or demeaning thoughts about others, even in your imagination.

Avoid fantasizing about a lifestyle that doesn't align with your true self. Remember, integrity is often defined by what you do when no one is watching. This is especially true in the most private place of all – your mind.

Here are some examples of mental discipline:

1. Mindful Awareness: Regularly check in with yourself to become aware of your thoughts. This can help you catch negative or unproductive thoughts early and redirect them.

   
   

2. Positive Affirmations: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. For example, if you catch yourself thinking, "I can't do this," replace it with, "I am capable and can handle this challenge."

   
   

3. Focused Attention: Practice focusing your attention on one task at a time. This can help reduce distractions and improve productivity. Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break, can be helpful.

   
   

4. Gratitude Practice: Cultivate a habit of gratitude by regularly reflecting on things you are thankful for. This can shift your focus from what's lacking to what's abundant in your life.

   
   

5. Setting Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries for your mental space. For instance, decide not to engage in negative self-talk or gossip, and stick to it.

   
   

6. Visualization: Use visualization techniques to imagine positive outcomes and scenarios. This can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.

   
   

7. Mindfulness Meditation: Engage in mindfulness meditation to train your mind to stay present and reduce the impact of stress and anxiety.

   
   

8. Journaling: Write down your thoughts and feelings regularly. This can help you process emotions and gain clarity on your thought patterns.

   
   

9. Limiting Exposure to Negativity: Be mindful of the media and content you consume. Limit exposure to negative news, social media, or people who drain your energy.

   
   

10. Self-Compassion: Practice being kind to yourself. When you make a mistake, instead of harsh self-criticism, treat yourself with the same compassion you would offer a friend.

By maintaining discipline in your thoughts, you can foster a healthier, more positive mindset that aligns with your values and goals. Which of these strategies do you believe would be most beneficial for you?

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Excellence

Excellence: A Path to Personal and Professional Fulfillment

Striving for excellence is a noble pursuit that transcends material possessions and financial status. It is a mindset that empowers individuals to reach their full potential, regardless of external circumstances. True excellence lies in the dedication to personal growth, the commitment to continuous improvement, and the resilience to overcome obstacles. It is a journey of self-discovery and self-mastery that inspires admiration and respect from others.

Excellence

Striving for Personal Excellence

It is possible to attain excellence in your personal life. It all starts with a deliberate choice to embody excellence. This decision does not rely on external approval or acknowledgment but is grounded in your personal dedication to high standards.

1. Excellence in Your Profession: Commit to always giving your best at work, regardless of whether your efforts are recognized by your superiors or peers. Professional excellence entails surpassing expectations in your responsibilities, consistently producing top-notch work, and maintaining a positive outlook. It involves taking pride in your work and continuously striving for enhancement.

   
   

2. Integrity and Truthfulness: Make a firm commitment to uphold integrity. This means consistently speaking the truth, honoring your commitments, and being dependable. Integrity fosters trust and esteem, both crucial for personal and professional relationships. When you are known for your honesty and reliability, others are more likely to appreciate and respect you.

   
   

3. Caring for Your Belongings: Ensure your possessions are well-maintained. You might not own luxury items, but you can keep what you have in excellent condition. Regular upkeep and care for your belongings demonstrate a mindset of excellence, indicating that you value your possessions and take responsibility for their maintenance.

   
   

4. Personal Appearance: Present yourself well and uphold a tidy and groomed appearance. You don't need to follow the latest fashion trends to look presentable. Instead, focus on cleanliness, grooming, and wearing well-fitted, well-maintained clothes. Your appearance significantly influences how others perceive you and how you perceive yourself.

   
   

Embracing Excellence in All Aspects

Striving for excellence should be all-encompassing, involving every facet of your life. It's not about achieving perfection but about consistently striving to improve and give your best effort.

• Practice: Excellence is a habit developed through consistent practice. Whether it's a work skill, a hobby, or a personal aspiration, allocate time to practice and refine your talents.

  
  

• Perseverance: Persistence is crucial for attaining excellence. Challenges and setbacks will arise, but maintaining a perseverant attitude will help you overcome obstacles and keep progressing.

  
  

• Continual Progress: Always move forward, even during challenging times. Pursuing excellence demands determination and the resolve to push through difficulties.

  
  

Making Excellence a Fundamental Value

Integrate excellence into your core principles. Let it steer your actions and choices. When you prioritize excellence, it impacts every aspect of your life, leading to increased satisfaction and success.

Remember, the 'e' in your L-I-F-E should symbolize 'excellence.' By striving for excellence in all your endeavors, you not only enhance your own life but also inspire those around you to do the same.

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Writer's Block: The Writer's Arch Nemesis

The causes of Writer's Block and how to overcome it.

Have you ever thought of a brilliant ending to an unwritten poem floating in your mind while you run errands at the mall? You can’t wait to get home to put pen to paper and expound on this idea, only to open your book and have the blank page mock you?

Or… did you ever have to write an essay about your favorite subject, but you have not the slightest inkling of where or how to start, while the submission deadline looms over your head?

If that’s you, then we might have more in common than you think, because you, my friend, are experiencing the writer’s arch nemesis called “Writer’s Block”.

What is Writer's Block?

Definition:

-          Writer’s Block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which the author either struggles to articulate their own ideas or is unable to produce original work. With degrees of severity, this creative block can last anywhere between an hour to a year or more without producing any new work.

Other definitions:

-          The inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than lack of basic skill or commitment – usually temporary

-          The unsuccessful attempt to put pen to paper while experiencing little or no meaningful engagement with the subject

What causes Writer's Block?

Before we delve into what causes writer’s block, let me stipulate that writer’s block is not a result of a lack of ideas or talent, as some may be led to believe.

In the 1970’s, two researchers from Yale, Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios, studied professional writers experiencing writer’s block in various literary disciplines ranging from screenwriting to poetry, etc.

Over several months the researchers documented four main triggers for writer’s block:

·         Apathy. These writers felt constrained by the “rules” of writing and struggled to find their creative spark.

·         Anger. These writers were often narcissistic and would get angry if something they created went unnoticed.

·         Anxiety. These writers worried that they weren’t good enough.

·         Issues with others. These writers didn’t want their writing to be compared to others’ work, resulting in a fear of writing anything at all.

Let us entertain the premise that these are the four official causes of writer’s block. We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that the causes of writer’s block are essentially psychological or emotional responses, which tends to make writing a fearful exercise.

Writer’s Block is psychological. Let me try to unpack it a little more. When forced to confront the issue of Writer’s Block in my own life, I always find myself having to deal with anxiety because I’m so critical of myself, to the point where I end up paralyzed and not able to think or write, then, I’d get angry because I tend to project my own dismissive attitude concerning my work, onto others without giving them the benefit of the doubt.

My social hostility is aroused because people tend to compare my writing to well-established writers, making my creative effort seem mediocre. Then, I’d throw my pen down, close my book in frustration, and vow never to attempt writing again. And here’s where apathy enters the proverbial WhatsApp group chat and all my confidence leaves.

I can personally identify with all four of the above-mentioned points. However, I would propose that we not belabor the fear factor and sum the causes of writer’s block up in two points, namely: Fear and Apathy.

The fear of my work being subpar among my peers causes my anxiety. The fear of my work being rejected riles me up. And the fear of scrutiny and comparison leads me to be indifferent towards the very people I intend to reach with my writing. So, shall we proceed with my premise of two points instead of the initial four? Good!!

Writer's Block: Beyond The Surface

The inability to begin writing, or to continue writing, is but a symptom of a potentially serious and underlying issue. So, allow me to pose my presupposition as to why I believe writer’s block is not about writing. Based on the research cited, following the pattern of logic and rules of deduction, I have simplified and summed up the four causes of writer’s block into two, and fear is the common denominator causing writer’s block.

Fear, in this context, is an unpleasant emotion caused by perceived threats or danger. If we look beyond the surface, we discover that writer’s block exposes parts of our psychology that make writing an unpleasant experience.

Fundamentally, writer’s block occurs when we unconsciously fight to protect our inner, most vulnerable selves from exploitation by the outside world.

Writer's Block: A Personal Example

The role of writing was always to explore the crevasses of my own heart in search of hidden emotions and attempt to express them through storytelling in poetry. It’s an unburdening process where I confront myself and work through what I’m feeling in a healthy way, as opposed to projecting and bleeding on those who didn’t cut me.

The goal of writing is to trigger emotions in others. When in the process of writing, I trigger painful and dark emotions, and cannot proceed from that point, that is in essence what we call writer’s block.

When my neighbor and best friend was killed in 2014, I was in emotional turmoil. I was still writing topical poems, but when it concerned how I felt about the loss of my friend, I would shut down for months not touching the pen. Only 9years later did I attempt to write about it and it happened organically because I changed the approach and avoided triggering my raw emotions, which would probably have led to writer’s block again.

Writer's Block: A Mental Health Issue?

If we were to examine Writer’s Block a little deeper, we would soon discover that some of its symptoms are addressed by psychiatrists, and thus, by merit, should make writer’s block a topic within the discussion surrounding mental health.

How did we go from simple writer’s block to mental health issues? Isn’t that a reach? Well, writer’s block is but a symptom; an indicator that there is a problem somewhere else.

Writer’s block is not about writing. It’s not a simple problem with easy solutions. Writing is a medium of expression; how we feel about ourselves and how we feel about the world around us.

Our outlook on ourselves is more psychological than anything else because no one can give us a better outlook on ourselves. It is an internal issue that we need to confront. Writer’s block originates from that very struggle. Writer’s block is a reflection that our inner well-being has, to a degree, been affected adversely; that’s why our attitude and behavior start to change. And that is what psychology is: the study of the human mind and behavior.

Overcoming Writer's Block

·         Rest your mind: when you’re thinking and writing too much, prolonged periods of working without rest will take a toll on your body, mind, and, ultimately, affect your creativity. Try an activity completely unrelated to writing.

·         Work your mind: keep challenging yourself to write. Do not remain idle. Keep your mind busy with non-strenuous, but mind-building exercises.

·         Fill your mind: when does anyone not have something to say? Strange concept, right? Not at all. You may have a lot to say, but it’s all unoriginal and uninspired. Reading a book, engaging in solid conversations, and doing research can really help in filling your mind with new information.

·         Free scripting: I write every day. That’s not a euphemism for ‘regularly’. I mean that I write every single day. It may not be the inspired pieces you hear or read, but I’m always writing. Even when I’m experiencing writer’s block, I exercise free scripting. It helps me sharpen my skills until such a time when I am able to continue writing inspired pieces again. One of the things I enjoy doing when I’m experiencing writer’s block is practicing writing topical or structured pieces, like poetry in prose or sonnets.

·         Eliminate distractions: the easiest thing to do while writing is to get distracted. Try turning off your internet for about 20 minutes at a time to focus on writing.

·         Establish a ritual: whenever you’re getting ready to write, meditate, stretch, listen to your favorite Playlist that gets you in the mood to write.

·         Affirmation: instead of criticizing yourself, affirm yourself by focusing on the parts of your process you excel in.

Final Thoughts

When we suffer writer’s block, we tend to ask how we could get rid of it, understandably so. However, seeking to “cure” a severe case of writer’s block without addressing the underlying causes is like sweeping dirt under the rug to hide it from visitors. You may succeed at first, but the more dirt you try to hide, the more uncomfortable it becomes to walk over the heap of dirt.

This article highlights some of the most common causes of writer’s block and some of the ways I think could help you as you seek to address them. Use the tips given to deal with the mild annoyance of not being able to write, but for the more severe cases, try a more therapeutic approach. In so doing, you could spark a flame of creativity within and you might find yourself healing other deep-seated issues.

I hope this helps you find ways to deal with your writer’s block so you can get back to writing inspired pieces again.

Let us know your experience with Writer's Block and some of the ways you overcome it.

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