The Writer’s Block - By Atul Singh

  As perspective changes, behavior changes. 

With regards to writing, there are a few concerns I have come across thus far, in terms of what holds back people. Let’s see what we can discover about these perspectives as we navigate them together. 

I don’t write because writing is hard. 

Response : Yes, writing is hard. But not any harder than thinking. Thinking is hard. That, we have thoughts is not thinking. That we process those thoughts and arrive at neat inferences is thinking. That we use the inputs we receive from the senses and collate and synthesize them into insights is thinking. That we bring together unrelated subjects and find interesting common grounds further elevating our insights into the material and non-material world is thinking.

We all have cluttered minds. That is just the nature of this instrument that draws billions of inputs from the senses and manages them. The world we live in has a thousand vectors from which inputs come. Unfortunately we can lead a whole life with a lot of cluttered thoughts, without examining them. When we speak, some light is shed on what we hold onto, as a thought or belief, sometime assuming it to be an obvious truth. Sometimes it gets clarified just in the process of expressing it verbally to others. Yet, we do see people going on with very contradictory and circular statements in their conversations. Why? 

It is because it is an unexamined thought, which eventually equates to an unexamined life. 

Writing is the most brilliant instrument available to us to clarify and crystalize our thinking. It’s because when you puke a cluttered, confused thought on a piece of paper, it pukes right back at you with stinky vengeance. That’s just the nature of the beast. Writing therefore is a means to crystalize intent. And crystalized intent is understood by others and heard by the Universe. As in Prayer as well. 

Challenge 2 : I don’t have time. I would rather read and learn something in my spare time. 

Response: There is a difference between “Active” and “Passive” learning. Active is by doing something or by teaching it to others. You retain multiple time more of what you read by that process. So go ahead, if you learnt some new concept, as esoteric as it might me, share it in your own words. Others benefit but you yourself benefit the most. 

Challenge 3 : Is it worth it…

Response: Our inside world is way bigger than the one outside. It has the nooks and crannies of our insecurities, the dark caves of our failures, the lanes and by lanes of our attitudes that we just trot along on. And then the vast immense Universe of what is not yet known to us. We can’t learn about most of it in books or school or at work. We need to traverse inwards. That’s where the real journey of life begins. And as we traverse it, we can document it.. each little beautiful piece of it. Is it worth it? You tell me!!

Finally, we all know that we are all engaged in something 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are, for sure. But, are with running with our priorities or those of others? Take a pause here.. Reflect some!! Our work day, our evenings and weekends, are driven by some insatiable set of demands on us to do something, to be someone. 

Question is whether you are an Original, driven by your own thinking and persuasions or an automaton driven by others. Thinking, reflecting, and it’s clarifying component “writing” is the ONLY way to be an original in this world of automatons. You really don’t have a choice. The greatest thinkers were always writers. Always. 

So this journey of writing is not to just to put together a cute story, which is also welcome by the way. It is indeed to reclaim your Originality, without which, were we ever really needed in this Universe?

So be an original, build this muscle, clarify your thoughts. Eat, Love and …well Write. The world needs you!!