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I Grew as a Writer — Only After I Stopped Telling Myself 3 (Convenient) Lies
If you want to run, first break the barriers. Don’t wait for the day when they will no longer be there.
I kept telling them for a long time — these lies.
Because it was convenient. It soothed my anxious mind and assuaged my guilty conscience…rationalising things that didn’t happen my way.
I was a new writer then. And I was facing my share of challenges in growing as a writer. Things became discouraging at times. Tough to go on.
And I used these lies to tell myself that maybe this was why I wasn’t making progress, and voilà…I never did. They were my safety cocoon that protected me from frustration…or so I thought.
But I hardly knew I was an escape-proof trap that I was unable to break out of.
1. “I am learning the trade.”
“I am a beginner. A newbie, a rookie. I am allowed to take my time. Because, hey, I don’t know how things work around here.”
It’s great to start with that thought because it protects you from the stress of performance. Or the anxiety that stems from the not-so-encouraging results.