JointEffects, a Weblog

Written by Robin Reed


Continued from page 1

As I openedrepparttar shades andrepparttar 128481 window in my bedroom to listen torepparttar 128482 rainstorm that had begun, there it was again - visiting me. Even inrepparttar 128483 midst of cloudstreams moving like rivers fromrepparttar 128484 ocean overrepparttar 128485 Bay,repparttar 128486 Moon comes through. I think it is seeking me out tonight. Ahhh, my heart softens. The sadness lifts. I notice an inner shift, a palpable change inside. I have remembered! I have remembered to pay attention torepparttar 128487 Moon. Andrepparttar 128488 Moon has reached into my heart.

My Guru, Swami Chidvilasananda, lovesrepparttar 128489 Moon. She melts my heart with her love of watchingrepparttar 128490 Moon and how she describes it as it rises intorepparttar 128491 evening sky. Inrepparttar 128492 deep silence ofrepparttar 128493 Moon, she says, we will hear God speaking. Tonight,repparttar 128494 Moon is coming out fromrepparttar 128495 dense clouds to talk to me. I am hoping you will have this moment withrepparttar 128496 Moon tonight.......please remember?

Robin Reed began her career as an executive search consultant in 1984. She had previously worked in the telecommunications and information technology industry. In 2000, Robin Reed was named as one of the Fortune Magazine’s Top 25 Women in High Technology Business. Robin is an early adopter and had an Internet address in 1979. Writing for her blog JointEffects.com is her new passion.


Getting Past The "Shoulds" To Write

Written by Catherine Franz


Continued from page 1

Eventually, I began to receive feedback on how people loved what I wrote, liked my ideas, and bypassedrepparttar occasional grammar error. My name even found its place in a few local newspapers includingrepparttar 128478 Washington Post. The positive feedback was far bigger thanrepparttar 128479 "you need to do better" messages. They began with three pats to one scolding. Then moved to six pats to one. Then 30 pats to 1.

Andrepparttar 128480 most amazing part -- I was happier than ever. You could find me starting my weekend day writing at McDonalds (the only place open at 6 am), by 10 atrepparttar 128481 bookstore, by 3repparttar 128482 library, by 6 returning home and satisfied. There were bum times on park benches especially inrepparttar 128483 spring, museums and shopping malls whenrepparttar 128484 weather was nasty. At my frequent stops, employees or regulars stopped and asked what I was working on and they willingly share their thoughts and ideas onrepparttar 128485 topic. Some agreed, some didn't, butrepparttar 128486 magic was, my writing became richer because of them, because ofrepparttar 128487 environmental switches.

My writing kept improving and what I produced tripled. Occasionally I would read something I previously wrote and sat numb, not believing, "I wrote, that!" My inner critic even stopped punching.

Now my pat-to-grammar-email ratio doesn't matter. I know there’s more to learn yet I'm so glad my writing is out inrepparttar 128488 public eye. I write every chance I can and make a space for it in my life. Topics don't matter nor does first quality matter. Just as long as it’s on a page somewhere and safe.

A little while back, I began outlining (Mind Maps) before writing. Previously outlining wasn't my thing. I've also learned that if there I don't have a certain number of points, I don't begin to write. Yet even if I don't have enough to begin writing with, my mind is still tumbling and building and something better always appears -- Something that couldn't appear withoutrepparttar 128489 tossing first.

Overrepparttar 128490 years, my penmanship has gone from good to worse. What I have also realized is that my first draft is sometimes just me jumping and trying to find my way around onrepparttar 128491 topic. Almost like a maze. Afterwards, I highlightrepparttar 128492 good and usually find there is more than one topic to go with.

My advice to people who desire to write -- follow your heart. Trust that it will lead you torepparttar 128493 right path. Trust today’s writing will always look different tomorrow and your writing will always improve and evolverepparttar 128494 more you write. Not by any book you read, writing conference you attend,repparttar 128495 best lessons are learned... It is by writing regularly.

One of my favorite quotes is, "Big things come fromrepparttar 128496 smallest actions." The light will come after you have completed many small actions. The same as I did andrepparttar 128497 many who preceded me, there is light available inrepparttar 128498 tunnel and you will see changes within yourself that will transfer ontorepparttar 128499 pages. Writing will always be an evolving process, even afterrepparttar 128500 Pulitzer.

Worry aboutrepparttar 128501 grammar until its time, not before. If you learn one writing tip a week and work it into your writing all week, it can't help but improve because that’s 52 improvements a year.

You don't need a lot, one word will do. For one year I wrote 394 articles from one word -- honor. Every time I completed one articlerepparttar 128502 word was complete, another appeared. If I had thought I could write this many articles from one word before this experience, I would laugh at you. Eventually I called a truce. It was amazing to watch my bar as it kept getting higher. An experience that fuels my beliefs today, Whenever I began to write another "honor" story I was transitioned to age seven watching my Dad pitchrepparttar 128503 ball againstrepparttar 128504 steel milk bottles, feeling like I just wonrepparttar 128505 1st prize teddy bear. Yes,repparttar 128506 biggest one onrepparttar 128507 top shelf,repparttar 128508 one that looks twice my size.

At timesrepparttar 128509 thoughts were firing so rapidly it forced me to stop what I was doing and write what I could. Many times I had to pull offrepparttar 128510 road and get it down.

Even today there are times when my writing doesn't make sense but I know now that I can't get torepparttar 128511 next point until I get rid of this stuff first. Like many writers, we all have a few boxes or stacks of these.

For everyone who feels a pull to write but hasn't written, let me quote Nike: "just do it." Let allrepparttar 128512 inhibitions go, they are nonsense until after allrepparttar 128513 editing. Letrepparttar 128514 commas fall where they may. Write without any attachment torepparttar 128515 outcome. That comes later.

It took time for my writing to turn into a hundred thousand dollar business. Even a year ago, I wouldn't have thought it possible and would have just laughed atrepparttar 128516 thought. I am happier than ever. No crying, just writing. No kickingrepparttar 128517 shoes. No more doubting of my possibilities (okay, some but very small). Be free, write and let it lead you wherever it needs to go.

Nothing you or I write will ever be lost. Fight for your writer’s life, it’s worthrepparttar 128518 battle. Especially don't let anyone "should" all over you.

(c) Copyright Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz, writer, speaker, marketing master, specializes in infoproduct development. More at: http://www.MarketingStrategiesToGo.com and http://www.AbundanceCenter.com. Including articles and ezines.


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