Monday, August 12, 2013

A Manifesto for Living A Life Worth Writing About

Today I had my first article published on Elephant Journal, a publication I've admired for some time.  I wrote a manifesto for living a life worth writing about - it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Writing is only as good as the life of the writer. Living well is what provides the inspiration for writing, to inspire the reader to pick up your project and share the adventure with you. Without the gumption to create a life full of experiences and adventures, relationships and community, what does one write about?

It's easy to fall into the routine of our lives, of going to work, being a regular at the local coffee shop or bar and doing the same thing on the weekends. But what if we challenged ourselves to try more new things - new events, meet new people, try new foods and explore new groups? Boom! The creative muses have something to stir in your mind into a new article, book, song, piece of art, or community builder.

We are a voyeuristic culture - we watch celebrities and successful business people's lives in awe of their habits, routines and the seemingly effortless way their lives appear more magical than our own, when in reality, our own lives could be just as fascinating if we wanted. Think about it - it comes down to living with intention and knowing what you want. For me, if I wake up everyday meditating on the fact that I want to develop and grow as a writer, that means I'm intentional about how I spend my time - where do I go, what people I hang out with and what I read (a girl needs inspiration, you know) and I'm intentional about getting my butt in the chair everyday to write - whether good or bad, but simply to practice the habits I want.

In my small city of 85,000, I could go to different coffee shops every day of the week, if I wanted. I could walk a new trail just as often and I could find new people to chat with about their lives no problem. How adventurous are you?

Will join me in this week's adventure of trying new things all week and being intentional about it? Share your latest adventures!!


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