I’m running a marathon, and the fact of my training often comes up in conversations about “what I’m up to.” This is especially true when talking to people I only see once or twice a year.
It feels like a compliment: "Wow, I could never do that!" but in reality it's kind of a sad moment. Ideally we could look at cool people doing rad things and think to ourselves, "They're just a random person like me. I could DO that!"
I had that same thought with TTRPG books. I was reading Dungeon World and it was transforming how my brain saw games and stories. Then I looked up the authors and chatted with Sage and realized that he's just some guy who had a fun idea and made it happen.
It wasn't long before I met a bunch of folks who were just making stuff. They didn't need special qualifications or permissions. They didn't even have to have talent or dedication; they just had to put in the time. And I think that's true of almost any activity or profession.
Yeah, I might not set world records, but I can DO almost anything. It's just a matter of finding things that I enjoy and setting goals that I want to work towards.
Seeing you accomplish your own goals is a huge inspiration. Thanks for writing this up!
YES!! Knowing that we could do something is so huge. I feel like I'm so much more willing to try something new because I know that nothing's stopping me and if whatever it is isn't for me, then oh well!
Writing a book is definitely a feat, for sure, wink.
As for running: folks often don't see their own "hard" so to speak, their own "overcoming," they don't see their own resiliences, and to each his or her own. Yes what you're doing is amazing AND it's been a challenge, AND you're putting in the work.
When I go on a run, for me, it's not a distance/marathon, it's structured such that I'm high intensity, or jogging, then walking (ack, much like a basketball player or boxing training, rounds, rest, rounds suspended slow). And it works for me. And I agree w/ you, most folks, if they wanted something, they would find the structure that works for them and hopefully put in the work to develop that skill, or thing, understanding their own overcoming. You also brought something up I thought was good in that, people treat these things like hobbies, (the writing esp) as if it's not work, and discipline and that the value is a mind, body, soul engagement, this to me speaks of what our society values vs. what it doesn't: the body, the creative mind.
I really love this pushback.
It feels like a compliment: "Wow, I could never do that!" but in reality it's kind of a sad moment. Ideally we could look at cool people doing rad things and think to ourselves, "They're just a random person like me. I could DO that!"
I had that same thought with TTRPG books. I was reading Dungeon World and it was transforming how my brain saw games and stories. Then I looked up the authors and chatted with Sage and realized that he's just some guy who had a fun idea and made it happen.
It wasn't long before I met a bunch of folks who were just making stuff. They didn't need special qualifications or permissions. They didn't even have to have talent or dedication; they just had to put in the time. And I think that's true of almost any activity or profession.
Yeah, I might not set world records, but I can DO almost anything. It's just a matter of finding things that I enjoy and setting goals that I want to work towards.
Seeing you accomplish your own goals is a huge inspiration. Thanks for writing this up!
YES!! Knowing that we could do something is so huge. I feel like I'm so much more willing to try something new because I know that nothing's stopping me and if whatever it is isn't for me, then oh well!
Writing a book is definitely a feat, for sure, wink.
As for running: folks often don't see their own "hard" so to speak, their own "overcoming," they don't see their own resiliences, and to each his or her own. Yes what you're doing is amazing AND it's been a challenge, AND you're putting in the work.
When I go on a run, for me, it's not a distance/marathon, it's structured such that I'm high intensity, or jogging, then walking (ack, much like a basketball player or boxing training, rounds, rest, rounds suspended slow). And it works for me. And I agree w/ you, most folks, if they wanted something, they would find the structure that works for them and hopefully put in the work to develop that skill, or thing, understanding their own overcoming. You also brought something up I thought was good in that, people treat these things like hobbies, (the writing esp) as if it's not work, and discipline and that the value is a mind, body, soul engagement, this to me speaks of what our society values vs. what it doesn't: the body, the creative mind.
I'm freakin' Proud of you. Keep going.
I enjoy reading all of your newsletters, but this was a particularly good one ❤️
Thank you 💜💜💜 this means so much!!!