So how do we grow and become more evolved versions of ourselves?
Three steps drove my evolution when I began my writing journey.
Firstly I decided to commit myself to constant and never Ending Improvement. This was my all-time most significant discovery to begin unraveling what felt like the mysteries of life to my young mind.
- I kept reading and studying
- Kept physically fit and as healthy as I could.
- I found quiet time to myself and meditated.
In time you will cultivate a deep sense of faith in your abilities and an indomitable spirit. Nothing can stop you from succeeding. Take the time to master your mind, care for your body and nourish your soul and it will put you in a position of power.
Secondly, I needed role models.
When I finally decided to give myself permission to be an author, finding role models was complicated for me. The writers I admired, were simply out of my reach, so I had to use my imagination if I wanted to learn from them. Don't get me wrong. I didn’t want to be Stephen King, even I knew that was a pointless exercise in self-delusion - I strived to be Anton Marks with Stephen King's story skills. I had a top 10 list of writers who could teach me to be
great. I needed guidance, so I chose Stephen. I read all of his works and created a mental avatar of the man. Whenever I wrote I was thinking of Stephen King, how would he describe this scene? When I had writer's block, I would think - what would Stephen King do if he were in this situation? I was inspired, and it gave me power! The desire to be as good as King challenged me and pushed me forward.
Thirdly having belief in myself and my goal.
This was the most difficult step to apply. It’s a state of being that you express in the way you go about living your life. With belief, you step out of your comfort zone, take more risks and trust in yourself more. You may not be able to say when with any precision but you have faith you will eventually reach your goal. I suspended any expectations of how long this should take, despite my youthful impatience with all things taking longer than I’d like them to. When I understood this, I got
to work, being honest about the process but also determined to succeed at some point.
It was tough in the early days but the older I became, the more I understood the importance of these things and why I kept at them. Thank God, I never gave up. My evolution continues.
.
