Never fear the blank page.

It is easy, especially at the beginning of a day (or afternoon, or evening, or whatever time you may be in the habit of writing), to stare at the blank page and believe for a moment that you do not have the right words to fill that space.

And if you believe that deception for a moment, you may also believe it for much longer.

But it’s a lie.

The lie is that there are right words and wrong words. That some people are qualified to express themselves and others are not. That some people have a right to speak, while the rest of us — well, we should focus on the privilege of listening.

And we should listen. We should absorb the best advice, study the best arguments and the most spellbinding stories, and then we should take the best elements of those things and turn them into something unique and personal to us. (I am speaking here to writers, of course.)

Why is this important? Because you have a voice. Because I have a voice. Because, if we don’t speak, not only is the world a poorer place, but we are poorer as well.

Right words and wrong words? I don’t think so. I believe in true words and false words. The true word is the one that best expresses what you intend to say. The false word is the one that expresses what you think others want you to say, or the cliche that saves you from the agonizing task of reaching deep down inside yourself for the real answers.

Write truth. Write what is in your heart. Write what gives you a reason to take your next breath, to crawl from your bed in the morning when the blankets are warm and the room is cold and you know you could linger a little longer.

Write what is true, and you will never have reason to apologize for yourself.

And never fear the blank page.