Yes, you should write that ____ you've been thinking about

In 2019, I have blogged about 12 of the best lessons I've learned, many of them the hard way. This is the last of the series. Happy New Year!

"I've been thinking I should blog," people often say to me. Or they might mention another piece of writing. Maybe it's an essay. Or a novel. Or a business book. They've been thinking of it for a while, wondering if they should try.

Is that you?

If so, here's your answer: Yes. Because if you keep thinking you should write something, you should listen to that instinct. Some part of you is seeking expression. It's worth exploring what it is, why it is, and how it matters. And there's really no better way to figure that out than just sitting down and trying to write the thing. It's okay if it never sees the light of day. It can be illuminating nonetheless.

In my experience, writing is an act that is both vain and humbling. Vain, because you think you have sufficient expertise to hold forth. Humbling, because in writing, you discover there is so much you still don't know. That's the wonderful balancing act: retaining enough confidence to keep writing and enough humility to keep learning. Walking that wire isn't just necessary for writing. It's among the most valuable of life skills.

Inevitably, what comes out on the page may not match the ideal in your head, but it's worth the imperfect output. Here are some reasons why, culled from my own years of writing.

1. Writing is aspirational, and hope is a good thing to have. I write to remind myself of all the lessons I should be applying, not because I’ve mastered any of them, but because I want to try. Writing in any form is at its best is the pursuit of a better self.
2. Writing is rich reflection. It’s one thing to have an idea – it’s much harder to explain it. Or it’s one thing to read a book, quite another to publicly discuss what was important about it. I write to think more deeply and to explore the larger significance of a concept, and that in turn broadens and deepens my own experience. It helps me live an examined life -- and to combat intellectual laziness.
3. Writing is a way to tame the shrill critics in your head. They win if you don't put down the words. One of my fiercest critics is an unkind and unimpressed judge who is at her most outspoken when I write, brainstorm, or develop a daring idea. She tells me what I’m thinking is strange or stupid or shameful. Often, she gets in the way of my work — for example right now as I blog about writing, she yells that no one cares. Perhaps you’ve met her on occasion. I know Brene Brown has met her, as has Anne Lamott, who points to her own perfectionist tendencies. As Lamott puts it, “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life… Besides, perfectionism will ruin your writing, blocking inventiveness and playfulness and life force (these are words we are allowed to use in California).” Each time I post something, however simple or small, it involves kicking this inner critic to the curb. It’s creation having to crush fear. Even if the shrill voice is right, if I hit Publish, at least I didn’t listen to her. At least I put something imperfect out there. At least I kept trying. We have to go to battle with this judge as often as we can, with as much force as we can muster. That – as far as I can tell – is the arduous but necessary road to invention. So practice it, with the written word.
4. Creation is life-affirming. I believe that if we’re in the act of creating something, we are living most fully in that moment. An act of creation is gloriously affirmative for ourselves and can be a gift to others. I wrote my book when I was going through my divorce from my first husband, and that generative act amid destruction taught me a thing or two about the power of making something. It’s really good for a person. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece and it doesn’t have to be the best thing ever. It just has to be something that is our own truth. Maybe we even decide to put it out there for others. It might be a book, an idea for a new product or a loaf of bread. As long as creation is happening, we are really living.
5. Writing can make it better for someone else. When we share with others our aspirations, our tragedies, our hopes and our desires, it helps other people connect with their own aspirations, tragedies, hopes and desires. It makes something bigger than just me or just you. This year, a couple of my colleagues wrote and shared posts about personal struggles that created profoundly important shared space for empathy in our workplace and gave others courage to talk about their own struggles. Your own experiences can enrich someone else's life. Really.

So write for whatever reason you choose. Maybe it's to be more optimistic, wiser, braver, creative or kind. Or perhaps it's for another reason entirely. But it's something. Or else you would not have read this far. Say yes to that inner voice suggesting that you might have something to say. And answer your own question when you wonder aloud if you should do it. Yes. The answer is yes. It's worth a try. Many tries. As many attempts as you can muster.

[Tip: If you just said yes, and are serious about it, post your intention in the comments. Publicly committing to writing is a great way to keep yourself motivated. After all, why do you think I began the year committing to 12 blog posts? It works:)]