One thing I've been focusing on lately is removing the barriers to share my thoughts.
I read a lot of blogs, mostly technical. It's clear that some people spend a lot of time constructing a technical blog article. It's impressive and I'm envious of a really killer writer. They include hours of research, illustrations, and a voice that brings words to life.
I really admire people that can make it seem like their thoughts are being pulled out of them. Like a river flowing into a waterfall, there's only one destination for their ideas. Their strength is not necessarily the time they spend workshopping an idea, but their will to action.
Action is such a powerful concept. What are we without the ability to act? The gravitas of the concept weighs heavy on my mind. Sometimes I feel paralyzed by my thoughts, forever chained to the inner walls of my brain.
I love this quote from Hemingway (debated attribution):
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.
I started this post by saying I want to share my thoughts, but I left out who benefits from them. In a past life I would write with the intention of other people reading them, why else would I write and share my thoughts? I've realized that this is not the point of writing and weakens the integrity of my thoughts.
The point of writing is to train my will to action. I'm practicing bringing my ideas to life. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. No longer do I have to worry about how an article will be received, because that's not the point. This mental switch does much more than ease my anxiety about writing, it gives me a voice. It gives me a sense of urgency. I must write because I must act.