Few things are as compelling—or as terrifying—as a blank sheet of paper. Everything is possible, which makes it ridiculously difficult to know where to begin. Setting down a word is setting off on a journey, and you never quite know where that journey might take you.
What sentence that you have written or read has altered the direction of your journey?
From Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” It always reminds me to find the good and to make sure that I am making something good for others as well. Even at the toughest time, there is good. You just have to open your heart to it.
“If you lie to yourself about your own pain, you will be killed by those who will claim you enjoyed it.” Tasha, in Alice Walker’s novel “Possessing the Secret of Joy”
My life circumstances are radically different from those of Tasha, but this sentence illuminated and validated some of the problems in my own life. It made me understand why I had to accept and name the pain from abusive relationships rather than simply defending the abusers. It also encouraged me to live authentically as myself despite the enormous amount of stigma.
“I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”
These last two lines from “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley inspire me to take ownership of my own life. While I can’t always choose my circumstances, how I react to them *is* my choice. I wish I could say I’ve incorporated this into my life, but learning to claim my power has been a life-long process. I am better now than I used to be, however.