Today was the same old, same old for me. Around 500 words today.
But more importantly, I stumbled upon a TED Talk that encapsulates almost every problem new writers have. In fact, it so neatly sums up the problems that I hear from writers on a weekly basis that I wanted to share and summarize it. The talk is given by a Shaolin monk, Master Shi Heng Yi.
Writing is about knowing and mastering thyself. Master thyself and you master your surroundings.
“To bring meaning to your life
to bring value into your life
you need to learn and master yourself and
don’t let the hindrances stop you” — Master Shi Heng Yi
THE 5 HINDRANCES TO SELF-MASTERY
#1: Sensual desires. Master Shi Heng Yi refers to this as anything you can experience in the five senses: touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. He uses the example of climbing a mountain and suddenly discovering that there is an amazing restaurant carved into the mountainside. The smell of the delicious food lures you off track, and you stop to eat in the restaurant…and then you never leave because it is comfortable and you can’t imagine climbing the mountain when you’re in the pleasure of delicious food and good company.
To put this into context:
- There are many writers in the community who come for the writing but stay for the community. They talk about writing and enjoy other writers’ company, but they don’t ever get around to writing.
- There are many writers in the community who seek out everything there is to learn about writing but never get around to writing.
#2: Ill will/aversion. Master Shi Heng Yi refers to this as discomfort. If you’re climbing the mountain and it starts raining and you don’t have an umbrella, you turn around and go home. But the rain is exactly what you need in order to temper your spirit. Just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t mean you should stop; it means you should keep going. Seeking comfort means to miss out on clarity.
To put this into context: how many people start writing but quit because it’s too hard? How many people finish their first book but never publish it? How many people publish their first book and quit because the marketing is too hard? How many people publish several books and quit because of lack of success? Writing is expensive, time-consuming, draining, and if all you can see are the negative parts, you’ll miss out on so much.
#3: Dullness/heaviness. Master Shi Heng Yi refers to this as your mind being locked in a cell. You tell yourself you can’t do it, or you fall for the movies your critical voice plays inside your head. What you don’t realize is that while you APPEAR to be locked in a cell, the door is unlocked and you can leave at any time. You just have to have the courage to do so.
To put this into context: watch my self-doubt video last week. I talked about how so many writers get trapped in the theaters of their own minds. They tell themselves they can’t do something, or that their writing isn’t good enough, or (insert any excuse). It stops them from charging forward.
In my opinion, this is the biggest problem that writers face. Everyone, without exception, gets locked in a cell for a time. Not everyone escapes, though.
#4: Restlessness. If you’re too focused on the future or the past, you cannot be focused on the present. You cannot enjoy your writing journey or appreciate where you are. And that’s deadly.
To put this into context: So many writers want to be rich overnight. They want to write one book and become immensely successful. Everyone wants notoriety yesterday, and everyone’s in a hurry to get it. Who doesn’t want more book sales?
Instead, could you focus on where you are right now and be appreciate of it? Sure, it may not be where you want to be, but every time is a special time, and there’s always something to appreciate about where you are in your journey, even if you don’t have an audience.
#5: Skeptical Doubt: Self-doubt. If you doubt yourself, then nothing is possible until you set those doubts aside. The scary part about self-doubt is that it’s the last hindrance that Master Shi Heng Yi talks about, the last one before you reach the mountaintop.
To put this into context: so many of you are closer than you think to the next level of your writing career. You just have to the have the courage to keep going. The closer you get to the summit, the louder the “skeptical doubt” (self doubt) gets.
FACING THE HINDRANCES
Whenever you face a hindrance in your life, Master Shi Heng Yi recommends a four-step process he calls “letting it R.A.I.N.”
Step 1: Recognize the hindrance. Figure out how you are feeling in response to it, and where those feelings are coming from.
Step 2: Accept the situation. Hindrances never go away completely; understanding their nature and accepting it is key to defeating it.
Step 3: Investigate. Ask how you got yourself to this point. What will you do about it, and how can you avoid this next time?
Step 4: Non-Identity. As a writer on Medium writing about Master Shi Heng Yi writes, “be involved in life but not entangled.” If you believe in Hindu philosophy, it’s the same as “being attached and unattached at the same time.” Separate yourself from your body and set your emotions aside. And then, keep going.
CONCLUSION
Anyway, I really liked this TED talk. It offers the answer to every writing problem that exists, if you’re willing to listen.
The big one is dullness/heaviness—just because you’re locked in a cage doesn’t mean you can’t get out. No one can hold you.
I recommend that you watch Master Shi Heng Yi’s talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-079YIasck.
Have a good night. And happy Lunar New Year to all my friends across the globe who celebrate it. We’re in for another interesting year, that’s for sure.
