About a year ago, before the pandemic, I came to the realization that the only time I was actually still was when I was sitting on an airplane or a train. The irony of this observation was not lost upon me. As a writer, who, at times, hesitates to write (alright, call it what it is, I procrastinate!), I need to face the fact that I never sit still. One problem, to write, one must sit still. For most of my life, I’ve lived in the world of “go and run and do”. In my value system, accomplishment involved physical movement from place to place. I can see now that to write, I can’t go and run. I must just do. As Yoda tells us in Star Wars Episode 5, “Do or do not. There is no try.”
I’m a pragmatist, and as an Executive Coach, my work with clients is to take ideas and concepts and make them actionable. To be actionable in coaching and in writing, one’s body must be still. When I began writing, I only wrote on my iPad and only in cars, on trains and in airplanes. But during the pandemic, being at home all the time, I’ve realized that to be a writer, I need to stop moving (even if just from bedroom to living room and back) and just write.
My passion is working with people, whether solving problems, thinking through challenges, improving communication skills, or getting to the heart of an issue. I draw energy from working with others. So how does one write, when being with others is my best-known form of “doing something”? Writing is a solitary art. I have a lot to say, and writing is going to be my way to express my ideas. I can’t ride on trains or airplanes all the time, especially during a pandemic. You are hearing this from the person who when asked by a store clerk in a city far from home, “Where do you live?”, and I replied, “Delta Airlines!”, it’s time for me to stop moving and start writing in earnest. I’ve had clients and colleagues who have always told me, “You must write that book!”. This blog begins that journey for me.
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