I have a confession to make: for the last few months, I’ve become a writer who doesn’t write. Well, that’s not necessarily true. I write all of the time for my business. I’m constantly creating workbooks and newsletters and emails and guides and courses. And while I love seeing how they are helping others to live their best lives and reach their dreams, I’ve found that, if I’m not careful and conscious of it, I have a tendency to forget my own writing in the midst of all of this creation. My own writing – the writing that lives deep within my soul, the writing that yearns to be expressed, the books that still long to be written (some of which have been started and others that are still waiting in the wings), have patiently been put on hold…pushed aside for the day when I’m all caught up, when my calendar clears a bit more, when I have time, when I’m fully ready.

This is such a vulnerable confession for me to make because I know better. I really do. Every day, I help others move through their own writing resistance. I give them tools to make sure they’re making time for their writing. I let them know how important it is that they show up for themselves and their writing. I offer support and encouragement and accountability to help them continue writing, no matter what excuses or obstacles come their way.

Because writing from the heart matters. And I want those who are in my writing community to live a life that feels fulfilling. I want them to go to sleep each night knowing that what they did that day mattered. And I’ve found that the days when we express our truth – especially in the form of writing – are the days when we sleep peacefully and restfully. I love seeing their faces light up when they share that they’ve been writing. I love feeling the excitement in their Facebook posts when I read about the progress that they’ve made toward their books.

In the past, I would have beaten myself up for not writing, for not making my soul’s work a bigger priority. Not today. Today, I’m going to do something different. I’m going to be more loving. I’m going to treat myself like I would treat one of my writing students and offer encouragement instead. I’m going to let myself know that it’s okay that I’ve been off track – no matter what the reason. What matters more than anything is that I’m here now. What matters is that I see – I feel – just how important writing truly is to me, and because of that clarity, I trust that I’ll do whatever it takes moving forward to make more time for it…for me.

We all get off track. Life can have a way of weighing us down, causing us to lose focus of what matters most. And the last thing we need to do when this happens is beat ourselves up about it.

So, we veered off course. It’s okay. That’s life. We’re human. But here’s the thing: we can choose whether to get back on course again. That’s completely up to us. That’s where the magic happens. That’s where the dreams are realized. That’s where our lives can change.

It’s all up to us.

And I know that I’ll write again sooner rather than later. I know that I’ll show up for myself. Because it’s too important not to. I’m too important not to. And so are you.

Hugs and love,