Spending time with Hanoi Jane among others

The business of writing is new to me though I have always written; poems, short stories, articles, letters and journals.  I  wrote for me, though in the business side of life I had to write lots of press releases and financial reports.  So this combining of business and writing presents new hurdles for me.  

I took copious notes and jotted down helpful web sites that were mentioned.  Guy made one statement that I hastily jotted down, “Writing and blogging everyday is impossible.”  Wow, I wish someone had told me that six months ago.  My blogging is my mental yoga in the morning before I sit down to attack the manuscript.  Does every post, every day strike a cord with my readers?  Not even close.  But then, not every post I write even makes it to the publish button.

Of course, this is the same guy who, when asked about his writing habits, described the process as “vomiting all over the floor, picking out the nasty chunks and discarding them so you are left with what is nutritious.”  Ewww!

It is a lonely job.  I need to interact with others who are finding or have found, their way through the jungle to happiness.  This is made so much easier with the Internet but I have also paid for some “insight” that didn’t match the promises made.  If I can take away a small nugget of new information and hear that I am instinctively doing the right things, I feel it was worth my time and money.  

In addition to the Penelope Trunks http://www.penelopetrunk.com/ and Danielle LaPorts http://www.daniellelaporte.com/ of the writing, blogging, social media world, I love TED Talks.  Most surprising is when I find one by someone I don’t have a lot of respect for based on the past, who reaches out with a theory or idea that strikes right to my heart.  Jane Fonda is a great example.  From Barbarella, to Hanoi Jane, to the exercise guru, she never impressed me as a deep thinker.  However, with age we all gain wisdom and this particular talk struck home for me.  http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_fonda_life_s_third_act.html  “Aging… as a staircase, the upward ascension of the human spirit.  Bringing us into wisdom, wholeness and authenticity”

Open your mind and seek out wisdom from others.