Don't be Discouraged. We're all Different!

I recently purchased a meditation CD to (hopefully) get myself in a routine with meditation. Until now, I thought meditation was done one way: You sit down, shut up, and find some inner peace already.

But the CD changed my mind. Upon it, the instructor (Yogi Cameron) helped me to understand that just as there are different personalities amongst people, there are also different meditation styles. Some do best with visualization, some with gazing, some need to count or chant or connect themselves to a deity.

Not only am I now a better meditater, but I also realized that I could connect this understanding with writing.

We all write differently. Some outline and some write with abandon by the seat of their pants. Some can't move on before every word in every sentence is perfect, and others spend years polishing what used to be a crappy first draft. Some drink when they write, others listen to music, and still others need complete solitude and silence.

So how in the world do we all expect to come about writing the same way?

Every writing book and professor you will obtain in your lifetime details a particular method for THEM. That's why so many children become discouraged early on with writing. Their teachers tell them that there is one way to write (the way that works best for the instructor) and if the child can't find his own path, he will quit.

And we want to be successful.

Knowing this, how do you find your correct writing niche for success? First, like meditation, you have to know yourself.

Do you like lists and organization? Outlines may be best for you.

Are you the most creative person you know? Try writing organically, or "from the seat of your pants".

Don't like commitments? Stick to short stories rather than long, difficult novels.

Do you live your life in metaphors? Try writing literary.

There's no tried and true method that will work for everyone. Because we are all different. So don't worry if your style is different from your best friend's. Don't be discouraged if she finishes a novel before you. And don't worry about choosing the wrong style in the beginning.

As the years roll on, we all change. And our methods may need to change as well.

Pick one method. Try it. Didn't work? Go with another.

Find the one that works for you and you alone.


P.S. If you're also interested in meditation, this is the CD I purchased. It's amazing. I recommend it. http://www.meditatewithyc.com/