Day two-hundred ninety of my 365 Day Writing Project.
How do we know that we are doing something worthwhile and that it isn’t all for naught? How do we know that we are writing something that will interest others and will bring them enjoyment in life? How do we know that our time building a dream isn’t time wasted? Or even worse, are we just chasing that dream? How do we know? Well, here is a dingle berry of an answer: we don’t.
Doubt is as much our friend as it is our foe. Doubt can infest our minds to the point of paralysis of motivation. It can choke our creativity and stifle our drive to succeed. In my opinion, doubt is worse than fear, because fear is born out of doubt which is a fear of the unknown. It’s an ugly thing. But on the flip side, doubt helps us self-govern and self-regulate. It causes us to keep ourselves in check, to not let our egos take over. Doubt forces us to subscribe to an “all or nothing” philosophy. We either give our all to crush that doubt to rubble, or we get too scared to crush anything. Yes, we can fail and crash in a pile of flaming turd, but just think: we can soar and reach the stars.
As a writer, doubt be damned…I keep thinking about those stars.
orienting details 
Hey E, long time!
I, too, have these doubts, all of the time. I try to ignore my own doubts, especially when I’m just beginning something, like a first draft (doubt is the editor, not the writer). It’s easiest for me when I hit this sweet mix of ‘yes, this idea is important’ and ‘wow, I like this. ME. I don’t care if anyone else does, because I really like this’.
For me, this usually happens when I write something that’s been in my mind for a while, and I firmly believe nobody else has written, at least, not how I would write them.
What are you stars?
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Hey, P.S. Good to see you around again! I like what you said: “Doubt is the editor, not the writer.” That’s perfect – I will try to remind myself of that from now on. My stars are many, but the ones shining the brightest right now are my aspirations to publish novels, be a full time writer and get out of the legal profession. You know, nothing too big. Haha.
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