Cynthia Harrison

Here’s my take on the last two reasons (that I know of anyway) for writer’s block:

9. Insecurity (confidence)

Confidence seems like the cure for so many writerly ills. But how to find it? I read somewhere once that lack of confidence is just another way for the ego to feel special, and that confidence is everyone’s right as a spiritual being in a human body.

“Oh, I’m too shy to put myself out there on the page,” the ego claims. As an introvert, this idea that insecurity is part of my lesser nature horrified me. The blushes, the stammers, the refusing to be part of a group or speak in public, the apologizing for my writing…all of that was my ego happily keeping me small and itself in control.

What if it’s true? What if I am, you are, more than an ego-driven machine? What if we have spirits and souls that want more for us? In that case, it seems a shame to be paralyzed by some egoic trick.

The Fix: I’m smarter than a mere ego. Or if I’m not, I’m going to pretend I am until it feels real.

Ignore the urge to act humble. You’ve got as much right to write as anybody else on the planet. Own your passion. Start by writing. My favorite self-criticism bust is to tell myself everyone writes awful first drafts and nobody ever has to see it but me. With each revision, with every writing day that passes, confidence increases.

10. Fear of Success (confidence)

I had this for most of my life. I actually had flying dreams that terrified me because I flew too high. I didn’t like flying out of my orbit, just like in daylight I didn’t like going too far out of my comfort zone.

Successful people have so many demands on their time. Everyone wants a piece of them. Or at least some of their cash. On a recent webcast, Oprah admitted that often she’s too busy working to enjoy all that success has afforded her.

I think Fear of Success bundles together insecurity, fear of failure, fear of judgment, and tension. How can fear of success have fear of failure as a component? Well, there’s the idea of the sophomore slump. The first book is a bestseller and the next one flops. If you never attain the first, you don’t need to worry about the second.

The rest of the bundle goes the same way: once you succeed in publishing a book, you’ll have to promote it (insecurity!) people will have opinions about it (judgment!) which can lead to tension.

The fix: Learn confidence. Study it. Practice it. Be it. Our thoughts create our lives, so pay attention to what you’re thinking. I’ve heard you should always “fix” a negative thought with two positive ones.

Affirmations are great, so is visualization. Imagine sitting next to Oprah on the same couch where Tom did his famous love jump. Heck, maybe Tom’s sitting next to you. You’re completely at ease. Chatting away.

The brain doesn’t know the difference between vividly imagined events and reality. You can think your way into confidence, and into success.

And when you attain success, you can do it on your own terms. You don’t have to be Oprah-busy. Eckhart Tolle was asked in a recent interview about the impact Oprah’s endorsement has had on his personal life. He admitted that sometimes people recognized him on the street during his long daily walks, even if he wore a cap and sunglasses. He said that was fine, he was happy to talk to them. And he is determined to keep his grounded “in the now” life, walking the streets of his city, enjoying being present, not hiding out simply because he’s found success beyond anything he’d imagined. He’s open to the moment, whatever it brings, just like he’s always been.

I like that. To find success unexpectedly and be as open to it as any other ordinary day.