THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 24 ~

Day 24 ~SEEING THROUGH DIFFERENT~ Chapter 22

                                                    EYES

In this chapter Cecil starts off by telling a story of a boy named Juma. Cecil writes,  "As I understand the story, Juma's mission had been to go to the West and learn. He was then to come back and translate the wisdom of the educated and enlightened. When Juma returned, he had to relearn the wisdom of the village."

I believe the moral of the story is the boy (Juma) had gained knowledge and information from living in the Western culture but he had lost his own sense of wisdom that the people of his village rely on. As Cecil writes, "They learned by going inward and allowing themselves to feel and to hear what was around them."
He goes on to say, "Juma had tried to figure out the answers by logical investigation and scrutiny. He had cut himself off from his inner wisdom."

My understanding of this is Juma lost his sense of inner knowing and intuition. He stopped trusting his heart.

Cecil shares, "That happens to many of us. Perhaps to you as well.
You started with that uninhibited insight about life when you were a child. You spoke out of innocence, and sometimes others laughed at your words, even when you showed insight. The inhibiting forces of society pushed you to deny what you knew."

Sadly, I have seen this with myself and others after taking a program or a course of some kind. It starts off with the best intentions but subtlety you start to loose trust in your own gut feelings because you are being taught not to trust in them. You are being told that you could be "deceived" or "mislead". You are to put your trust in the leader or teacher or program instructions etc, etc. I see similarities in Cecil's story about Juma and these examples I just gave as the difference between law (application) verses grace (transformation). The same type of influences, or should I say negative influences, can also happen in writing.

Cecil says, "If you want to write like everyone else, then do nothing differently. Use the same words and speak the same thoughts. But if you want to enrich others, you have to learn to perceive life differently." Cecil advices us that if we want our writing  to have depth, texture, meaning, and endurance, it must go beyond what others see. He writes,"That doesn't make you a superior writer, but it does make you different." He goes on to say, "If you want to change, you can adjust the way you see things."

Perhaps there is a Juma in all of us just waiting to break free. As Cecil shares, "Like all of us, you have some bias, but you can write with impaired vision. Or you can do what Juma did. You can listen to what your heart tells us and go inward. You can learn to see life differently."

 It's heart knowledge, not head knowledge. It reminds me of one of my favorite scripture verses. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6

The Aphorism for this chapter is: "I've spent much of my life being like others. Now I want to spend time being like the real me."

Until tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn


Aphorism #22:  " I've spent much of my life being  like others. Now I want to spend time being like the real me."

THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 23 ~

~Day 23~DISCOVERING YOUR RHYTHM~Chapter 21~

I guess the best way to describe the content of this chapter is to simply say it is about finding the best working methods for you to get your writing project complete before that dreaded DEADLINE!

Cecil gives different ways that we as writers go about getting our writing project from our heads onto paper. He writes, "All of us have different working methods, and I urge you to find whatever works best for you." 

Cecil gives examples of different ways writers go about this. There are the procrastinators that leave it until the pressure is on. Burning up the midnight oil working tirelessly on their project until the midnight deadline. Or there are the more organized type that make use of every free moment they have to get their project finished in good time. So which style best describes you?

I must admit I tend to lean toward working under pressure. I have a pattern that for now seems to work for me. For example, writing posts for this blog I read the chapter in the morning and jot down some thoughts. I then go to work at my day job. I mull things around in my head during the day (I guess they call that editing). After supper I sit at my computer and write with the hope to get the blog posted before midnight ...at least on this side of the world! 

Cecil says, "The best piece of advice that I can offer is to be who you are and live within your preferred way of doing things. You probably went through school and college with that pattern."

All I can say to that is, Cecil you just described my high school years. Whenever I had to write an  essay on a book I would simply read the back cover of it and ask my friends what the book was about and hope that information would be enough to write the essay. No wonder English was my worst subject! Now I love reading books and I love writing too.

Cecil refers to his grad school years. He writes, "I've always been fairly well organized, but I had to make every half hour count. I did it, but I wouldn't advise anyone to emulate my behavior." He goes on to say, "I carried that style with me into my career. When I began to write, I was a pastor of an exciting , growing congregation. I set aside one hour every morning before my secretary arrived. One hour. I couldn't sit and stare in space."

Cecil goes on to share that he would use situations such as travel time to edit inside his head. He writes, "These examples are to say that you need to find what works for you. Don't try to follow my pattern. You have your own rhythm, and you're happier and more prolific if you follow your natural bent."

My advice is don't follow my pattern either !

Cecil also goes on to say, "Writing, like any other phase of your life, needs to take on a rhythmic pattern. You'll have the low times as well as those days when your fingers can't type fast enough to stay up with your mind."

Taking hiatus periods have been wonderful for Cecil. It has given him a chance to rethink and refocus. He says, "Here's what I'd like you to get from this chapter: By pulling away temporarily, you can refocus and reassess your writing. You don't have to be productive every day."

Cecil shares that the best part of writing takes place inside his head. He says, "It's the thinking, discarding, rethinking, and absorbing more of life that leads to my best writing. That takes place long before words appear on a page." He goes on to write, "I remind you to be whoever you are and to follow your own natural bent. Don't try to emulate me or anyone else."

I hope you see what I see in between these lines. I see freedom, I see grace. I see guiding hands and a loving face!

The Aphorism for this chapter is : "I want to be the best me I can.
So I follow my natural rhythm, and don't try to imitate anyone else."

Until tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn

Aphorism #21:      "I want to be the best me I can.
                                    So I follow my natural rhythm,
                              and don't try to imitate anyone else."

THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 22 ~

~ Day 22 ~DO I HAVE TO WRITE THAT ?~ Chapter 20 ~

So tell me, have you ever wrestled with this question when you're about to reveal something personal about yourself?  How much do I share? And do they really care ?

Well, it looks like this chapter is about finding that healthy balance between transparency and vulnerability without loosing our self-respect, and dignity.

Cecil gives us some good insight on this issue. While speaking at a conference, he shares about getting in touch with your inner self and being honest with who you are. He stressed the need to probe inside, to find who you are, and to write from within.

He says that writing is an opportunity to move into the deeper parts of ourselves. He writes,"That doesn't mean you have to write everything you understand. The writing process becomes a tool for deeper soul penetration."

He goes on to say, "Once you gain insight about yourself, you become stronger and emotionally healthier. Your writing is different, but the principle is the same. If you're open to yourself, you gain insight and realize the implications of how it affects your thinking and your behaviour."

As a rookie writer myself, this issue tugs at my own emotions. How do I find the balance between sharing with the readership who I really am, yet maintaining personal privacy for myself and the loved ones in my life.

Cecil writes, "Once you integrate the new into your life, that's the time to ask yourself whether you need to write about it. Sometimes that's exactly the path to take. But not always."

As I read through the true stories and examples Cecil gives in this chapter, my own thoughts come very clear to me. We all want our voice to be heard. We all want someone to care. We all want to tell the world our stories of survival with the hope of bringing healing to others.

When addressing the question: Do I have to write that?
The answer Cecil gives is no. But he does encourage us that if we feel compelled to share our pain, recovery, or insight, we won't have peace until we do. He says, "Tell us more than what happened. Tell us what you learned about yourself. And if you didn't learn something that embarrasses or shames you, perhaps you're still not ready to open your heart to the world."

I don't know about you but that sounds like humility to me. I've heard it said that if we aren't humbled by our experiences we will not grow from them either. We remain victims instead of victors.

The Aphorism for this chapter is : "When I write from within, I put into words what others think but cannot say."

Until tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn

Aphorism #20:          "When I write from within,
                                I put into words what others think
                                                  but cannot say."

THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 21 ~

~ Day 21 ~ BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID ~ Chapter 19 ~

I know I have said something similar to this in previous posts, but I will say it again, and again. I am amazed and encouraged that someone with the years of experience Cecil Murphey has as a writer, speaker, teacher and preacher is so willing to show vulnerability, honesty and transparency throughout this entire book. Why? Because it also allows us as readers, writers, singers and everything in between to be encouraged to do the same!

Honestly, I have never met someone in person that is so willing to do this, especially a male. In a world where barring one's soul and showing our weakness can be very risky. All I can say is wow, what courage... What freedom. I want some of that!

Cecil shares in this chapter on how writing this very book brought about fear. He writes, "As I pondered, I realized that such a book would force me to lay myself on the line. Readers would identify my true self, who I truly am, and I wasn't sure I wanted them to recognize me. If I completed the book, I would lay myself out there for public scrutiny and readers could gaze with undisguised disgust."

He goes on to say, "But worst--the absolute worst fear--was (and still is): what do I have to say that will help other writers? In my struggles, I also faced another reality, and that's part of the fear. Some people might not like what I write; others might not like my style; but worse, they might not like me."

There is an acronym for fear I would like to share with you. It goes like this: FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real.
I have to admit fear has reeked havoc in my own life more than once, causing me to stew in my own worrisome juices. I've also heard it said that 90% of the things that we worry about don't ever come to pass!

Cecil says that fear keeps us running (or paralyzes us) and reminds us that we have to take risks to succeed. Even his own agent said, 
"Too many writers won't acknowledge their fear, and when they eventually come to the place where they realize they're afraid, they freeze."

Cecil goes on to say that once he acknowledged his fear and faced the "signs" God had placed in his path, he knew he had to respond."

I'm thankful he listened, surrendered and barred his soul by writing this book.

The Aphorism for this chapter is: "I feel afraid when I bare my soul. I run the risk that others will despise me, ridicule me, or ignore me. But that's who I am. That's all I have to offer."

Until tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn

Aphorism #19:     "I feel afraid when I bare my soul.
                      I run the risk that others will despise me,
                                      ridicule me, or ignore me.
                                          But that's who I am.
                                      That's all I have to offer."

THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 20 ~

~ Day 20 ~                 IT'S HARD...          ~ Chapter 18 ~

                     AND GETTING HARDER

In yesterday's post we talked about that dreaded old writer's block and how best to deal with it. Today we have another dilemma to wrestle with. It's called doubt. Have you ever been a "doubting Thomas"? I think if we are honest with ourselves we have all experienced that more than once.

"For a long time I thought it was an individual issue," Cecil says,
" later I decided it was something only writers endured. From there I discovered that artists, singers, and other professionals also suffer. Maybe it's something common to people in most areas of work."

Cecil goes to write, "Here's my dilemma. The more I write and the more honest I become, the worse my writing feels. This is an emotional issue, not a logical problem."

 But Cecil discovered that the "doubting Thomas" has another name. Its called "palace guard". In fact there's two palace guards.
Cecil says, "That's my word for the protective side of my personality--the part that doesn't want me to be hurt. Three experiences have helped me in my struggles to accept my palace guards."

Cecil goes on to share, "Three times outsiders encouraged me; they didn't seem bothered about my struggle. Two of them considered it a positive experience."

 What did those voices mean?  Cecil discovered that they meant the others spoke objectively while he fought subjectively with his inner demons. 
He writes, "Or maybe they're not demons."

"What if those tormenting words are for your good?"

"What if the voices are there to help you?"

"What if they want to protect you?"

He goes on to say, "That final question opened a wide door of understanding. What if the words came from a wiser, deeper, inner part of myself? What if those are protective devices--ways to stop me from doing something foolish or awkward?"

Cecil labeled it "the cry of the palace guards." He goes on to explain how they are like soldiers standing their ground . Their single duty is to protect him from embarrassment or humiliation.

Cecil says, "They didn't want me to get hurt or wouldn't stand for the possibility that others might take advantage of my transparency."

I'm truly amazed at how Cecil is able to take something as self destructive as doubt and once again turn it into something positive. Like turning gremlins into teddy bears! Once again showing how changing one's perspective can bring about a huge change in attitude and outcome! 

Although this is not a cure for doubt, having a better understanding and better coping skills will help all of us experience self-

acceptance, wholeness and transparency.

Cecil says that sometimes he will pause and reflect on struggles of the past. He is thankful that those guarding friends have saved him from many bad writing projects by correcting his mistakes or showing him better ways to slant an article.

Perhaps those palace guards or guarding friends are really guardian angles! Sounds encouraging to me!

The Aphorism for this chapter is: "I am committed to move deeper into myself, no matter how painful."

Until tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn

Aphorism #18: " I am committed to move deeper
                            into myself, no matter how painful."



 

THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 19 ~

~ Day 19 ~ DO YOU WANT TO SHATTER ~ Chapter 17 ~

                                         WRITER'S BLOCK?

So tell me, has this ever happened to you? Have you ever sat blank faced in front of you computer screen? Every writer, song writer and probably just about every student that has had to write an essay or a report has had some sort of writer's block. But, I think in this case Cecil is talking about something that lasts even longer than a few minutes, hours or even days. Perhaps weeks, months and in the extreme cases even years. 

Cecil says, " I've rarely met a writer who didn't speak about being unable to write at some point. In the years I've been in this profession, I've read an innumerable number of articles on how to break through the blockage, and many instruction books contain at least one chapter on the topic."

Cecil continues to write, "We call it writer's block, and it's usually defined as a temporary or chronic inability to type words that appear on the screen. Most of the books, articles, and blogs on writing view writer's block (WB) as an obstacle in the path of writing. Your role is to push the blockage off the road, jump over it, destroy it, or go around it. It becomes the enemy you must defeat, because it prevents your being productive."

Cecil goes on to give examples of methods that other writers use to overcome this obstacle. He also shares some different scenarios in how these are applied.

 Cecil has his own perspective and way of dealing with this issue that I think makes a lot of sense. He says, "But there's another way. Instead of seeing WB as an enemy or alien force, why not turn it around? Why not ask yourself, What can I learn from WB?
I'll go further: WB is your friend.
Focus on that thought and ask yourself:

* "What if WB is a symptom and not a cause?"

* "What if WB comes from some wise, inner part of myself that  
     wants to help me?"

* "What if battling WB is really fighting my deeper, inner self?"

"Because my book focuses on you, the inner writer, I won't offer eight exercises for you to use to overcome the terrible disease. What I will offer is my insight into affirming and accepting WB."

Cecil gives several helpful and insightful tips. Here are just a few that I have gleaned for this post.

First, "Consider WB as a powerful force to help you regulate the 
           creative process."

Second, "Think of your ability as a gift from God."

Third, "Consider the blockage as one that comes from within, not 
             an outer force that works against you."

 I wish I could post all of them but nothing can replace reading the book in its entirety.

Cecil's advice to us is, "The best way I know to avoid or overcome WB is to be kind and compassionate toward yourself." Cecil also shares, "My good writing develops inside my head long before it becomes words on my computer screen."

Clearly Cecil's advice is taking a negative situation such as WB and turning into a positive outcome. One that brings healing, release, and freedom to write once again. Surrounded in an atmosphere of  love and compassion, mercy and grace.

The Aphorism for this chapter is: "When I'm blocked, I listen quietly and compassionately. My deep, inner voice wants to tell me something-something I need to know."

Until Tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn

Aphorism #17:      "When I'm blocked, I listen quietly
                                             and compassionately.
                              My deep, inner voice wants to tell me
                             something, something I need to know."

THE 30 DAY WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DAY 18 ~

~ Day 18 ~      LEARNING FROM YOUR    ~ Chapter 16 ~    

                                   DAYDREAMS

I think this topic is something that everybody can relate to whether you are a writer or not. No matter our age or gender, daydreaming is a part of who we are, it's something all of us can relate to.

Cecil says, "I daydream. Often. A lot. I go to sleep at night with a concocted storyline inside my head. I let it play out until I fall asleep (which, my wife insists, is less than two minutes). I'm always the hero, although sometimes I'm the innocent who is crushed by adversity. Even when I'm victimized, I'm of stellar character and noble deeds. They may not say I am, but they certainly tell me who I want to become."

He goes to write, "Daydreams connect with what we now call self-talk. Self-talk doesn't revolve around what happens to you, but what you say to yourself internally. Your inner chatter, the experts insist, determines your thoughts, feelings, and actions. They say your self talk determines the majority of you emotional choices."

Cecil goes on to say "That's because the words you use to describe what is happening to you, and how you feel about external events, trigger the emotions of happiness or unhappiness you experience."

I once heard a  popular TV evangelist give a lesson series entitled Where the Mind Goes the Man Follows. I enjoyed listening to the series and found it really did make sense. It was a good reminder to check my thoughts and where they were leading me. Was it down a path of destruction, or a path of wholeness and happiness? Sometimes that's easier said then done, especially if you have a tendency to worry.

Cecil also says the experts will tell you that if you control that inner dialog, you can control every  part of you life. Cecil writes, "I'm not willing to go that far, and my position is slightly different. Listen to yourself. What messages do you hear repeatedly in you imaginings?"

I agree with Cecil, we can't control what others say or do. We can only control what we will do, or not do in a situation. We are not God. I do feel as a believer we can invite the Lord into our conversations and thoughts, asking and seeking His guidance in every situation.

Cecil goes on to share some stories and examples about daydreams. He mentions reading biographies of star athletes using visualization to accomplish the outcome they want. He feels that's a bit extreme for him, but he does think that self-talk is an important aspect of monitoring and directing our free-floating thoughts.

I feel there is a healthy balance. Even the Bible is filled with what I would call word pictures. We can't help but see with the eyes of our heart. When ever I read or meditate on scripture I can visualize the setting or situation. It's part of our God given creativity.

 Cecil writes, "By noticing your daydreams, you can learn to see your long-held (maybe even long-buried) goals. Whatever your daydreams are about, teach yourself to see the goal or purpose. How does it affect you? What do they tell you about yourself?"

The Aphorism for this chapter is: "My daydreams teach me what's important to me. My first task is to pay attention to them."

Until tomorrow,
Bless you,
Terilyn

Aphorism #16:       "My daydreams teach me what's
                                                   important to me.
                         My first task is to pay attention to them."