Here’s how first drafts usually go for me: There is a voice in my head that has a lot of things to say about what I’m writing. The criticisms can be endless: this is not original enough; this doesn’t make sense scientifically; this is just plain lame; this is okay—but where’s the story going really, and on and on it goes.
Continue reading “When writing the dreaded first draft, listen to the right voice”
Sometimes in author interviews, I’ll hear an author talk about a book that changed their life. Until recently I was always kind of surprised that many authors could name single titles (or possibly a series) that they deemed had changed their life. I wondered whether one book can have such a significant impact on you as to call it life-changing. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that I had a few books like that. One of which is Anathem by Neal Stephenson.
Continue reading “A book that changed my life: Anathem by Neal Stephenson”
Just as rushing (read that post here) takes one out of the present moment, so to does waiting.
Continue reading “Waiting”It often seems like so much of our lives are spent rushing. Rushing to get something done, or rushing to get to a particular place. Whether that place is a physical location or some idealised life in our head, we think that being there will make us feel better.
Continue reading “Rushing”One reason why fantasy and sci-fi is my favourite genre to read is because it connects me to a sense of wonder. These genres often explore expansive, unknown worlds, strange technologies or magic systems, and new ways to tell old stories.
Although the settings and ideas in sci-fi and fantasy might be too out there for some, the themes are often relevant and real: courage, corruption, the impact of technology on civilizations, and humanity’s place in the universe.
Continue reading “Science fiction should be an exploration—not a sermon”
People often tell me that they just can’t meditate. They say they simply can’t switch their minds off. But the goal of meditation isn’t to switch off the mind. It’s too hard, especially if you’ve never meditated before. I once heard Eckhart Tolle say that he could stop thinking for 7 minutes. I had to pause and wonder, Is that even possible? I’ve meditated for years and I don’t think I can get to a minute. Of course as soon as meditation becomes a chore, or something where you have to strive for some goal, it kind of defeats the purpose.
Continue reading “The goal of meditation”Have you ever wondered why we see depression as a “mental” disorder. Depression is felt in the heart—not the head. You don’t go to a psychiatrist because you have a headache. You go because you’re experiencing overwhelming emotion. You might be feeling a deep sense of sadness or heaviness in your heart. Or a constant sense of fear in your gut.
But psychiatry sees all emotional issues as mental disorders. You have to wonder if western psychiatry even knows what it is that they are treating when they’re treating mental disorders.
Every year, at the start of the year, people ask me about my new year’s resolutions. Usually, I mention a few, like running regularly, eating better, etc. But this year I have no resolutions, only a few intentions. Those include: being mindful, starting slow, and staying consistent.
There might be many reasons, but for myself I’ve discovered one main reason: usually I try to escape the present because I’m experiencing too much emotional discomfort. An escape into the fixer (problem solving mental) mode avoids the discomfort in my body.
We don’t often believe that mere awareness can change things. We want to fight and grapple with the thing we’re trying to change. Whether it’s something relatively easy like getting up earlier or something difficult such as quitting smoking.
Continue reading “Breaking patterns and the power of awareness”