Writing

I'm having a lot of frustration writing lately. The longer things that I have written that used to come easily to me always aren't coming as easily as they once did. I in my mind often attribute this to "Too many traumatic events in my life since about 2008. This might be true and it might not be. But, if I'm not satisfied with something I write because it is not going the direction that I want it too often I will just delete it which often means it completely disappears. I don't like to do this but the alternative is going back later and being really unhappy with whatever I have written. Also, one can write with perfectly good intentions but then go back and reread what one has written and then realize that things you have written might be taken in a different way than you intended.

For example, in an article I just deleted I was talking about how the way things are designed in a hotel room might be dangerous for people who visit the hotel. However, there are likely no liability laws regarding things like this there, so maybe the desired affect was achieved because many people aren't as concerned about safety as we are in the U.S.

And besides, in the U.S. we tend to be so concerned about safety in regard to children that often they don't grow up right because they have been so very protected they are never going to be able to deal with adulthood ever. And this didn't happen in previous generations much except to the very very rich.

For example, I just read that two officers shot two people in store nearby where my wife likes to shop and the perps were killed and two officers were wounded. For someone living over here in South Korea now that makes where I live in California sound dangerous. However, this likely is the first time something like this has happened in about 40 years near where I live so it just generally gives the wrong impression.

When you are talking or writing and literally hundreds to thousands of people are either going to read what you have written or watch your video online I think you have an obligation to try to give them something worthwhile and if you can't then maybe deleting what you have written or made a video of might just be the best choice.

And then there are always projects where you are stopped or stumped for some reason and you know the basic thing you have written is pretty good. Then saving what you have written until you are better in the mood to finish it is likely a better idea. However, discernment in all things might boil down to: "Can you live with revisiting something you have written or made a video of? If the answer is "yes" then maybe leave it, if the answer is "no" then maybe delete it. (by revisiting it I mean rereading it or viewing it one month, one year, or even 10 years later).

One of the adult ways to look at all this is: "Can you live the next 100 years with what you have done or are going to do?"

If the answer is "Yes" then that is your answer. But, if the answer is "No" then likely whatever you are doing might eventually take your life directly or indirectly.

Because in the end, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well".

This way the quality of your work you are relatively happy with and you don't suddenly turn back to something that you feel just wasn't put together right online that you have done.

For me, writing is a lot like falling in love. It isn't just the person (or writing or music or artwork) you are meeting it is also about you. Unless you are at exactly the right place in your life it cannot work out to where you might be satisfied with the result. If there is no likelihood of you ever being satisfied with the result of what you are trying to do, why do it at all?

There is enough suffering in life without creating more for yourself and potentially others unnecessarily.

So, in the end it becomes about quality of life for yourself and all others.