How my experience writing a book can improve your life skills.
It’s true. My writing experience can actually help you improve your own life skills. This is a two-part post. The rest will be in two days.
Table of contents
I know that because writing a book helped me improve my own coping skills as well. I’m not going to put these in any specific order.
Like skill number 1. Do The Hard Thing!
First, I learned I could do something that was way beyond me. As I’ve said before, the writing part was easy. It was all the rest. The computer skills I had to learn. Publishing and marketing terms I’d never even heard of before. There were days it was so hard I could’ve cried because there was just so much learning to do and all at the same time.
But I felt so good with each new task I mastered. Writing a book showed me I can do the hard thing, something I never felt capable of before.
For with God. all things are possible. Do that thing you think you can’t do. If God has laid it on your heart, you can.
Life Skill number 2. Quit worrying about what other people think
Once I realized people would be learning a lot of personal things about me, I felt very vulnerable and open to criticism. Tonight as I write, I am planning for my first book signing. Ordinarily, worrying what people will think would really have me off the rails with anxiety. I am amazingly calm. As my husband said, “Hey, you’ve already written the book. What can anyone possibly say unless they’ve done the same?”
Now, I have to be careful here, because I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. As Christians, we should, of course, care about the opinions of others, but only to a point. When someone is critical without the desire to help, (and you can always tell), ignore them. Move on. They do not have your best interest at heart. The Bible states in Proverbs 4:23.
Above all else, guard your heart (emotions) for everything else flows from it. ” Proverbs 4:23 NIV This means, don’t let your heart get trampled on.
Life skill number 3. Find your “voice.”
Now, I don’t mean I found my “truth” as is such a popular statement these days. There is only one source of Truth and that is found in Jesus God. (By the way, Acts 2:32, is the only place in scripture where this descriptive phrase is used.)
But I found my “voice”, meaning I knew I had something to say that other people needed to hear, and what they needed to hear was that God loved them no matter how they felt. That brought me a great sense of peace.
Find your voice. That’s really just another way of saying, find your purpose in life, that mission God has for you that only your voice can address. It can take many different forms and look different for each person because God has made each of us different in a wonderful way. My next book is all about this.“For I know the plans I have for you….” Jeremiah 29:11
LIfe skill number 4. Lose your fear
I know, easier said than done, huh?
Fear often masquerades as arrogance and pride. Most people fear something. Pretty much everything I do, I do it afraid. Today was the first time I wasn’t afraid about something I would ordinarily be afraid of, my first book signing.
I love writing. I loved writing my book but I hate talking about it, mostly because I’m afraid someone will criticize me or ask me something for which I don’t have the answer. Today was different. And because I wasn’t scared, I found myself relaxed and people felt free to share their stories with me. And what stories they shared. I was humbled. I don’t think that would’ve happened had I been uptight and afraid. They would’ve sensed it.
For I, the LORD your God hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13
There is more but that will be later in the week. Honestly, writing a book did so much more for me than I would ever have thought. I think anytime we follow God’s specific call on our life, while we feel good about that obedience, God has even more for us in the process, some of which we could never have imagined.
Until next time, blessings to each of you.
