John Green, an American author of young adult fiction is quoted as saying, "You are so busy being YOU that you have no idea how unprecedented you are." I love this quote!
I'm sure you've had an experience, or two, when the more you tried to do something, the more unsuccessful at it you were.
Take me, for example. the harder I work at trying to write a great book for kids, the more clouded my creativity becomes. I wind up with endless rewrites, but I never seem to get a version of it that suits me. Why is this? Well, frogs (and most humans) overthink everything we do. Overthinking is the enemy of creativity. I've learned through the years that productivity doesn't always mean creativity.
Advertisers are the most quilty of this. In recent years they've become focused on content-advertising which means that they are putting the emphasis on revenues not on engaging the consumer. If you think back to some of your favorite ads, you probably watched the whole thing without realized they were trying to "sell you." The ad was clever and brought you in without you even knowing it. You might not have realized what they were selling something until the very end. Now, if you're like me, which product will you remember when you go shopping? The one with nothing but content, or the one that made you laugh?
I have found that when I simply go about my business, working diligently at my writing but not trying to create a best-seller, that is when I turn out some of my best work. Often, I'll be doing something completely unrelated to writing when inspiration will hit me like a Mac truck! Those ideas always turn out the best.
And when it comes to social media, always let your passion shine through. You're social experience shouldn't seem contrived; it should just be effortless. But we can also take this advice to every aspect of your life. Whether you're working, entertaining, or out having fun, just be yourself. Don't try so hard. You'll be awesome without putting much effort in at all. I bet the best parties you've been to were the ones where the host was readily available, not fretting about the food, or trying to make sure everyone was having a good time. Everything was ready ahead of time and the whole affair just seemed to happen without a hitch. Having fun is the same way. We often gear ourselves up for fun, whether it's a day with the kids or attending a long-anticiapted concert. We just try TOO hard to make everything perfect all the time. But, and you know as well as I, that perfect isn't really perfect. Perfection is when things are allowed to happen naturally. Those are the times we remember...not the ones that were stresseded-filled.
Being committed to what you do is the key to any real success. Always do your best, but never try to acheive perfection. Your "gold standard" is you. And being true to that is what will make you shine bright in the eyes of others, as well as garner the results you are trying to acheive. Happiness isn't being famous or getting a fat paycheck. We are all special and wonderful...especially when we quit trying. So go about your day and don't overthink anything. You may be pleasantly surprised at how awesome you really are!
I'm sure you've had an experience, or two, when the more you tried to do something, the more unsuccessful at it you were.
Take me, for example. the harder I work at trying to write a great book for kids, the more clouded my creativity becomes. I wind up with endless rewrites, but I never seem to get a version of it that suits me. Why is this? Well, frogs (and most humans) overthink everything we do. Overthinking is the enemy of creativity. I've learned through the years that productivity doesn't always mean creativity.
Advertisers are the most quilty of this. In recent years they've become focused on content-advertising which means that they are putting the emphasis on revenues not on engaging the consumer. If you think back to some of your favorite ads, you probably watched the whole thing without realized they were trying to "sell you." The ad was clever and brought you in without you even knowing it. You might not have realized what they were selling something until the very end. Now, if you're like me, which product will you remember when you go shopping? The one with nothing but content, or the one that made you laugh?
I have found that when I simply go about my business, working diligently at my writing but not trying to create a best-seller, that is when I turn out some of my best work. Often, I'll be doing something completely unrelated to writing when inspiration will hit me like a Mac truck! Those ideas always turn out the best.
And when it comes to social media, always let your passion shine through. You're social experience shouldn't seem contrived; it should just be effortless. But we can also take this advice to every aspect of your life. Whether you're working, entertaining, or out having fun, just be yourself. Don't try so hard. You'll be awesome without putting much effort in at all. I bet the best parties you've been to were the ones where the host was readily available, not fretting about the food, or trying to make sure everyone was having a good time. Everything was ready ahead of time and the whole affair just seemed to happen without a hitch. Having fun is the same way. We often gear ourselves up for fun, whether it's a day with the kids or attending a long-anticiapted concert. We just try TOO hard to make everything perfect all the time. But, and you know as well as I, that perfect isn't really perfect. Perfection is when things are allowed to happen naturally. Those are the times we remember...not the ones that were stresseded-filled.
Being committed to what you do is the key to any real success. Always do your best, but never try to acheive perfection. Your "gold standard" is you. And being true to that is what will make you shine bright in the eyes of others, as well as garner the results you are trying to acheive. Happiness isn't being famous or getting a fat paycheck. We are all special and wonderful...especially when we quit trying. So go about your day and don't overthink anything. You may be pleasantly surprised at how awesome you really are!
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