There I sat, staring blankly at the blinking cursor. It was almost as if it was appearing to taunt me momentarily before quickly disappearing, only to appear again shortly thereafter with another reminder that I had yet to write anything meaningful. This pattern repeated itself, of course, for an indeterminate number of times.
It made me stop and think, though.
Here’s what Writer’s Block taught me about leadership…
1. It reminded me that some things are important enough to stop and think about. They’re meaningful enough that even my brain knows it’s not time to write. It’s time to think about stuff, soak it in, let it marinate.
2. It reminded me that it’s important to take time to stop and feel imperfect and human, not just write and talk about it.
3. It reminded me that not only is it important to feel imperfect and human, but it’s ok to be imperfect and human.
4. It reminded me that it’s when people learn to live into that imperfection and humanness together that real and meaningful connection is found.
Writer’s block also made me ask myself the following questions:
5. How often do I stop amidst the busyness of everything and think about things that matter?
6. How often do I stop and question my own presuppositions?
7. What’s actually important enough to me that I’ll stop and just…think?
8. Is what I’m doing throughout the day meaningful in that it aligns with my purpose?
9. Throughout the day, am I allotting the bulk of my time and energy to things which are actually meaningful? Or am I investing more of my time and effort into things that are just…tasks?
10. Do I have the courage to trust my intuition and continue to be open, vulnerable, and human, knowing that that’s the only way forward toward meaningful and substantive relationships, community, and leadership? Will I continue to push myself to do that at every possible opportunity? Or will I shrink from moments that seem to bring with them more risk?
So Writer’s Block, thank you. Thanks for interrupting the rhythm of my writing and the cadence of my consciousness. Until we meet again…
I love posts like this; I tend to write some of these as well. 🙂 Every single one of them is pretty great, but I feel like I’m identifying with #5, #6 and #8 the most. I’ve been self employed 14 1/2 years and I’m constantly reevaluating these particular issues, especially when times are tough and I’m feeling less than confident about myself and what I’m doing. It pays to be able to reflect, think, and adjust on the fly… we all need to take time for ourselves.
Of course, I’ve never had writer’s block; yeah, I know… 🙂