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Writing Helps You Find Your Way · The Daily Writer

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey my friend, welcome to the Daily Writer, where we help writers become authors of their own lives.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a question for you to open this episode.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever found yourself feeling like Dante did when he wrote this line in his inferno?
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: He said, Midway in life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood having lost the way.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I had always wanted to be a writer, but I started taking it far more seriously about 10 or 12 years ago.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I didn't do this just as a way to grow my business, but I also did it as a way to help make sense of what I was thinking and feeling at the time.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're feeling lost and you feel like you can't find your way in life right now, I recommend leaning into writing as much as you can.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: For me, writing has been a really life-giving way to make sense of myself and the world, and also at the same time, provide for my family and connect with readers.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: So, how does writing help you find your way exactly?
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let me share two quick thoughts.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, it helps you process your thoughts, your feelings, and your experiences.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: I started journaling back when I was in college, and I estimate that in the 34 years since I started college, and yes, that is a bigger number than what I thought, but once I did the math, I thought, oh my gosh, it's been 34 years since I started college.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: In those 34 years, I've estimated that I've written at least half a million words in my journals, probably a lot more than that, to be honest.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I believe that journaling and writing in general is the best tool to help you find out what you really think about something.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: And when you're upset or you're feeling anxious, it really helps to have a place where you can do a brain dump for all the things that are upsetting to you, your anxiety and problems you're facing and frustrations and so forth.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: So, first of all, writing really helps you process all those things, which is fantastic.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: But second, though, when you're writing in public via social media, articles, blog posts, or newsletters, those types of things, writing helps you find out what's connecting with readers.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: For example, just this morning, as I'm recording this, I got a reply from a thoughtful email reader who shared what he liked about my email from the previous day.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I really loved that.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: I thought it was fantastic.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: And whenever you publish consistently via whatever channel you write on, feedback from other people is going to give you direction and guidance.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: Let's be honest, as a writer, it's really easy to get consumed with our own creative impulses and forget about the other side of the equation, which of course is our readers.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: But don't forget about them because they make the writing all worthwhile.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Right now in the Midwest, so I live just outside of St.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Louis, and right now we're in the middle of a brutal heat wave that's going to last for at least a couple of weeks.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, a lot of people are just kind of grumpy about it.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't blame them because I don't like the heat as well.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if the heat in your neck of the woods is getting to you, or if you're feeling out of sorts or lost, or you're just kind of feeling like you need something to give you some direction and momentum, I encourage you to get back to the basics of writing.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Sort out your feelings in a private journal or share something helpful in public for your readers.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Either way, you're going to win because writing always helps you find your way.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, thanks for listening.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Keep writing, keep showing up, and I'll see you tomorrow.