Author: Jim Gohrick (Page 147 of 159)

The title of this blog says it all. Often times I repeat myself in these writings with tidbits of quotes I’ve read or heard in the past, but resonate with me so much I just have to say again. The quote “And the secret is . . . merely begin” comes from Author Steven Pressfield when writing about being a professional writer.

I just love this insight as I feel it spills over into every other aspect of life. Such sound advice. Should I eat healthier? But I don’t know how. Merely begin. Should I write that novel I’ve been thinking about for the last 5, 10, 15 years even though I’ve never written anything in my life? Merely begin. I wonder if I should engage in a relationship even though I have been injured in the past. Merely begin.

All answers in life come from a place of discovery. This can only take place when you engage. When you . . . merely begin.

The road to discovery is one of faith. One of chance. Luck. And a whole bunch of work. Often times, work has a negative connotation to it. Which says, “I don’t like what I’m doing but I have to and it’s called work.” I choose to look at it differently.

I would like my relationship to the word, “work” to be one of passion and interest. I’m going to work – spending my valuable time – focusing on something that I connect to because it has meaning for me. It may be a very simple connection, but it’s one nonetheless.

When I have ever engaged in that process, I have always come out the other side of it with some kind of discovery about myself or the process or another variable I didn’t see coming. These are the gems of moments for me. I never see it coming. I’m taken by surprise every time and I never regret the time and effort I put forth.

I like mornings. Always have. Even though I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a “morning person.” My regular schedule if I was left to my own devices, would be late nights and late mornings – most likely. But, I have made it work getting out of bed fairly early and getting going. It’s all good.

There is something about a morning just awakening with new beginnings that always gets me excited. Maybe it’s the anticipation of a new day and the potential of what could happen. It’s like strolling up to a huge beautiful meadow of pure white undriven snow. Anything is possible. I hope I never take them for granted.

Although it can be a challenge as the bustle of the day begins to get a bit louder and frenetic. We can get lost in the “doing” when really we have chosen to engage in urgent tasks with little importance only to find ourselves exhausted and distraught at the end of the day. Let’s work smarter by spending our energy on important activities that we can take some well-thought time to discover more about what we connect with and about ourselves.

That seems like a kind of morning I could get excited about.

I can certainly get into some real hot water when it comes to having expectations upon walking into a situation. This is something I have to manage on a daily basis. If not, it can throw you into a tail spin as what’s in front of you does not match what’s in your head.

That’s not the worst part of it for me. The kicker is my reaction to what I see and how I feel. If I don’t step back and take a few deep breaths, it can go south pretty quickly and then I’m no use to anyone.

This all seems trivial, I suppose, but in the end these are the daily tasks needed to stay on track without getting off center. I’m looking to be the best I can be on a daily basis and this is part of it.

Moment by moment.

The 70-20-10 rule states that as a creative, 70% of what you create is mediocre, 20% is garbage and 10% is brilliant. The bottom line is we need to create, create and create.

Makes sense, as in any craft the more you practice the better you get. It’s no secret. I tend to focus too much on making each piece perfect and as a result there ends up not being a whole lot of creating.

Let’s not worry so much about the size, the end product, the audience or making mistakes. Let’s just keep producing. The rest will . . . as we know, take care of itself.