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o say, and that’s humbling as well. I’m also not immune to the thrill of a few dollars in my bank account at the end of the month. I may not be making the progress many other writers here are sharing for similar, or even less, time on the platform but I definitely don’t begrudge that. I’m grateful that I’m earning at all, and more than I’m earning in royalties on my published novels!</p><h2 id="dc90">What non-numerical achievements make you a badass?</h2><p id="4ea9">I don’t know about badass but I write what I want, how I want, and I can feel comfortable <i>breaking the rules</i>. No doubts, no hesitation. Just me being me. That’s fucking awesome!</p><p id="5872">For a long time, my writing stalled behind a wall of self-doubt and self-imposed rules. I was so busy trying to take <i>all </i>the writing advice on offer, most of it contradictory, that I’d completely lost my own natural voice and rhythm. Writing on Medium taught me the value of letting go of constraints and the power of doing my own thing. There are some things I’m consistent about (I hate spelling errors, and using the wrong words, and repetition) but for the rest? I don’t really give a shit.</p><p id="d38e">There’s a great deal of power in not giving a shit.</p><p id="669e">What I <b>do</b>, however, give a shit about, is people. I pride myself on doing my best to genuinely support and encourage other writers. Not for <b>my</b> personal benefit (although that’s definitely a bonus), but for theirs. I know how hard it is to not receive support and how important validation is, no matter how good things might look in terms of hard numbers. <i>Treat others how you wish to be treated</i> and <i>The more you put in, the more you’ll get back.</i></p><p id="5db2">I think I make a pretty badass friend.</p><p id="8d29">As far as actual achievements?</p><ul><li>As the only fully able-bodied person left standing in our current circle of acquaintances, I’ve been almost single-handedly managing the building and maintenance of three gardens, including my own garden-farm and guinea-pig stud.</li><li>I’ve not had one single <i>episode</i> this year where I’ve lost control to one of my alters, this being due to consistently turning up for and engaging with therapy and counseling.</li><li>I’ve become better at defining my boundaries in a positive way and at accepting that

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the way I think may not be exactly the way other people think, and that’s okay.</li><li>I’ve learned when to speak and when to keep my mouth shut. (Most of the time.)</li><li>I’ve learned patience, especially with myself.</li><li>I’ve learned to take pride in the things I do well and to let go of the things I can’t do at all. It’s okay to call in the experts or help if necessary and it isn’t a weakness to let someone know you’re struggling.</li></ul><h2 id="a218">Describe your badassery in 10 words.</h2><p id="57b2">Don’t fuck with me. You don’t know where I’ve been.</p><h2 id="7d10">What tips do you have for other badasses like you?</h2><ul><li>Only you know you best so don’t let others dictate how to be you.</li><li>Be kind and if you can’t be kind, step back. If you can’t step back, remember, the first punch should always be free and after that, it’s no holds barred and give it your all.</li><li>If it isn’t going to matter tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. . . perhaps it shouldn’t matter today. Be willing to let things go and choose your battles carefully.</li><li>No is a word, too, and you’re entitled to use it.</li><li>Use your opinions judiciously. Not everybody wants or needs to hear them.</li><li>Finally, carpe diem! Live in today rather than with one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow.</li></ul><p id="2f7c">In keeping with the spirit of sharing and encouragement, I hereby pass the torch to <a href="undefined">J.R. Spiers</a>, because any man who can encourage a chook to dance ballet is one helluva badass!</p><p id="73c2">To all of you fabulous writers out there,</p><p id="4cba">Kia kaha and aroha nui. 💞</p><p id="f90f">Fighting! 👊</p><div id="900d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/@tailegrice.origin/membership"> <div> <div> <h2>Join Medium with my referral link - Tai Le Grice</h2> <div><h3>Read more stories from me (and thousands of other writers on Medium). Your membership fee directly supports me and…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*n0rZDTvDVMK-TkC6)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

A Writer’s Life. Prompts and Tags.

Like the phoenix rising, restoring order from ashes

One prompt at a time.

The first week of the new year is a write-off; always has been and always will be. I’ve decided the first week is like gap-week and the real new year begins on the 8th. That’s my new policy, and I’m sticking to it.

With that in mind, this is my week to try and establish some order in the chaos that currently is my life and I’m beginning by catching up on some of the things I’d put on hold to attend to later, like the prompts I’ve been tagged in and that I haven’t yet gotten around to.

This one’s for Brett Jenae Tomlin and her Badassery Challenge.

What Medium numbers make you feel happy, accomplished, and stronger (more badass) than you were before?

I try really hard NOT to look at the numbers and most definitely NOT to compare myself to other writers. Everybody’s journey is different and I’ve learned during the past few months that there’s nothing to be gained trying to write like anybody else because I am me and they are them and we are not the same.

One of the most important numbers to me is the comments and engagement I receive. I always feel so humbled when writers I respect and admire take the time to not only read my work but to offer genuine praise and support. Those are the numbers I take home to my emotional bank. Opening Medium of a morning and seeing the number in my Notifications is the biggest thrill of the day, and they certainly contribute to a sense of genuine badassery.

I’ll be honest here and admit I’m also thrilled by the slowly increasing number of Followers and subscribers because I feel they’re genuinely interested in what I have to say, and that’s humbling as well. I’m also not immune to the thrill of a few dollars in my bank account at the end of the month. I may not be making the progress many other writers here are sharing for similar, or even less, time on the platform but I definitely don’t begrudge that. I’m grateful that I’m earning at all, and more than I’m earning in royalties on my published novels!

What non-numerical achievements make you a badass?

I don’t know about badass but I write what I want, how I want, and I can feel comfortable breaking the rules. No doubts, no hesitation. Just me being me. That’s fucking awesome!

For a long time, my writing stalled behind a wall of self-doubt and self-imposed rules. I was so busy trying to take all the writing advice on offer, most of it contradictory, that I’d completely lost my own natural voice and rhythm. Writing on Medium taught me the value of letting go of constraints and the power of doing my own thing. There are some things I’m consistent about (I hate spelling errors, and using the wrong words, and repetition) but for the rest? I don’t really give a shit.

There’s a great deal of power in not giving a shit.

What I do, however, give a shit about, is people. I pride myself on doing my best to genuinely support and encourage other writers. Not for my personal benefit (although that’s definitely a bonus), but for theirs. I know how hard it is to not receive support and how important validation is, no matter how good things might look in terms of hard numbers. Treat others how you wish to be treated and The more you put in, the more you’ll get back.

I think I make a pretty badass friend.

As far as actual achievements?

As the only fully able-bodied person left standing in our current circle of acquaintances, I’ve been almost single-handedly managing the building and maintenance of three gardens, including my own garden-farm and guinea-pig stud.
I’ve not had one single episode this year where I’ve lost control to one of my alters, this being due to consistently turning up for and engaging with therapy and counseling.
I’ve become better at defining my boundaries in a positive way and at accepting that the way I think may not be exactly the way other people think, and that’s okay.
I’ve learned when to speak and when to keep my mouth shut. (Most of the time.)
I’ve learned patience, especially with myself.
I’ve learned to take pride in the things I do well and to let go of the things I can’t do at all. It’s okay to call in the experts or help if necessary and it isn’t a weakness to let someone know you’re struggling.

Describe your badassery in 10 words.

Don’t fuck with me. You don’t know where I’ve been.

What tips do you have for other badasses like you?

Only you know you best so don’t let others dictate how to be you.
Be kind and if you can’t be kind, step back. If you can’t step back, remember, the first punch should always be free and after that, it’s no holds barred and give it your all.
If it isn’t going to matter tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. . . perhaps it shouldn’t matter today. Be willing to let things go and choose your battles carefully.
No is a word, too, and you’re entitled to use it.
Use your opinions judiciously. Not everybody wants or needs to hear them.
Finally, carpe diem! Live in today rather than with one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow.

In keeping with the spirit of sharing and encouragement, I hereby pass the torch to J.R. Spiers, because any man who can encourage a chook to dance ballet is one helluva badass!

To all of you fabulous writers out there,

Kia kaha and aroha nui. 💞

Fighting! 👊