Tuesday Musings on ILLUMINATION — 5 Reasons Why I Write and So Should You.

I write to be a better person.

I write to calm my nerves.

There are days when I don’t feel like writing.

Actually, I can’t be further from the Truth.

I write all the time.

I don’t just realise.

Until I take stock.

It turns out that it is almost impossible not to write a single word for a day no matter how lazy we feel. It is just not possible. Even as we cuddle with our teddy bears within the comfort of our sofas at the living room, I am willing make this bet that we are all posting comments on social media or replying to texts from our family and friends.

We cannot avoid writing.

And in this context, it has nothing to do with social media addiction so to speak.

It has to do with communication.

Humans as a species has to communicate for survival.

Language is the way we express ourselves and it can be done through text, audio, video, images, body language.

When we thinking about writing as the content of communication — It turns out we write all the time.

For me, it goes beyond that.

I write for various reasons and if there is a common thread across all, it is this.

It brings me peace within.

Reason # 1 Why I Write — I Save Myself from Trouble.

While we can say what we want, we can’t just say what we like.

This is true.

Emotions play a big part in the way we communicate and there are many layers of meaning that can be read by the readers even though the original intent is not there.

Maybe you have to wanting to tell your dad to come out of retirement to help support the family in terms of finances.

Maybe you have been wanting to tell your spouse not to bring up how nonchalant you are in terms of housework and you really believe that this is not relevant to external parties.

Logical could sound emotional.

That is the danger.

The things about emotions is once people detect a seemingly offensive move based on words, they go on to the defence mode.

That could spell a premature end to a lovely, quiet weekend.

At least, I feel so.

Thus, instead of saying it out from my mouth, I pen it out into my journal.

I still get to say what I want and I get to save my weekend from excessive drama.

Everyone is happy.

Reason # 2 Why I Write — I Remind Myself to do Things.

I just have to.

There are too many things that I have to attend to for the household and for the office.

Henceforth, I have to turn to writing in order to anchor a To-Do list of items for follow-up.

For this purpose, I have the “Reminders” application on my smartphone and yellow Post-It notes to thank.

Whenever I have to tasks to attend to and I couldn’t — I would reach out to grab a Post-It note at my working desk to scribble what has to be done.

Whenever I think of a business initiative that I have been wanting to start but haven’t — I would take out my smartphone and record that line item into my “Reminders” application with a pre-set notification alarm.

It relieves my brain from additional workload in terms of having to recall what has to be recalled.

In truth – It is probably not that reliable too.

I know my brain too well.

There is a plus side to this.

Using the language of copy-writing, I learnt how to write “Listacles”.

And for some reason, the more I practice extracting thoughts into writing or typing, the easier it becomes to write line items in a simple and straightforward manner.

It could be a matter of “Practice Makes Perfect” at work.

Try it.

Reason # 3 Why I Write — I Commit to Memory what I Read.

I am a reader way before I am a writer.

I love to read from multiple genres and from different authors who write with different styles and perspectives.

Sometimes their ideas aren’t straightforward and this is especially true for presentation of abstract concepts.

Take for instance, the famous 1-inch long formula from Albert Einstein.

E = MC2

Where: -

E = Energy,

M = Mass,

C2 = Velocity of Light.

This formula explains that the total amount of Energy that one Star can punch out is directly proportional to the Mass of that Star and how fast it is moving.

I find this fascinating and at the same time, confusing.

I never knew that the amount of energy produced is a by-product of mass and speed.

Most importantly, I never knew that the limitation of energy is the ability to move fast (since mass is pretty constant).

So when I first come across this equation and the explanation — I knew I couldn’t handle it.

I had to write it down multiple times to anchor Albert Einstein’s idea into my head.

The wonderful thing about writing is this. It gets rooted in the mind and the process for application into day-to-day begins soon after.

I knew this when a bolt of lightning hit me as I was out for lunch.

I realised this equation explains the amount of energy we have in our life at any point in time.

When we feel lethargic and down, try this.

Get out and start moving fast.

Get our heart rate up.

And observe how … we instantaneously feel better.

Give it a shot.

It works.

Reason # 4 Why I Write — I Get to Connect with Great Minds.

I developed the habit of rewriting what I read if it is expressed marvelously.

I use this technique the most when I am learning the basic principles of copy-writing.

For some reason I really cannot explain this — Rewriting the copy or the principles allow me to understand why a copy is good / bad and what is the copywriter thinking.

For instance.

“In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.” — David Ogilvy

Creative thinking on its own doesn’t sell products and services.

Original thinking for business marketing is great, but it shouldn’t be for the sake of being witty or clever. It needs to be directed at business success.

When I needed inspiration from the Master, I simply write and re-write his teachings multiple times before I start my day.

It puts me in a great mental space.

It felt as if I could tap into his brains and see what he is thinking at the moment where he is writing that copy.

I feel great almost immediately.

Reason # 5 Why I Write — I Write Better.

Short of spelling the absolute obvious — I write so I can write better in future.

I used to write research papers for submission to academic journals alongside with my Professors.

There is a standard structure to Research writing and honestly, I don’t see why anyone out of the academic circle would consume these papers.

They are downright … boring and dry.

There are many reasons for that and for me, it is too structured, too data-driven and too factual.

It is almost like how Truth is presented.

Calling a Spade, a Spade does not distort reality and could be harsh.

That is the purpose.

The purpose is not to engage or entertain.

Probably that is why people prefer to hear the alternative.

While I do not aim to be the best liar out there, I write to seek the middle ground.

I write in order to become a better storyteller.

The person who tells the most engaging and captivating stories grabs the attention in the pub.

The person who writes great stories is able to magnify the values behind a Corporate Brand or Personal Brand.

On top of that, writing better helps me attain my bucket list goal.

A book author.

An author of a Bestseller.

I am sure there are other reasons why I write.

I am sure there are other reasons why you write.

Writing, like reading, is about lifelong learning.

I may have 5 reasons why I write today and I may have 5 more in the future as I continue to write.

We learn as we evolve.

And we get better as we make progress towards our North Star.

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About the Author:

As a Consultant by training, I believe in making the complex simple.

Because simplicity adds value.

Simplicity helps us gain clarity, and clarity helps us to grow.

And if we are not growing, then what’s the point of anything else?

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