I went to lunch with some friends this past weekend. We got talking about hair and one of them mentioned that she doesn’t attract as much attention from men when she wears her natural hair as she does when she her hair straightened. I asked how she felt when she wore her hair natural. She slow shrugged and kind of leaned her head over to one side, and that pretty much answered my question.
“You don’t feel as confident as you do when you wear your hair straight, do you?” I asked her.
“Not at all,” she said.
I went on to explain that the reason she wasn’t getting any play wasn’t because she didn’t look good with kinky hair. It’s because she didn’t feel good with it, and insecurity has a way of glowing in the dark. That ain’t to knock straightened hair at all. If it makes you feel better, whip that shit! I used this example to highlight the relationship between how you feel and how you perform.
According to Deion Sanders, “When you look good, you feel good; when you feel good, you play good; when you play good, they pay good.”
In this instance, to play is to write. If you want to write good, then you gotta feel good. I feel better when I start my day out working out. It ain’t like I jump out of bed anxious to work out because I don’t, but I do remind myself how much more productive I am when I do so and how much better I feel.
The same goes for water, which I’m notorious for not drinking enough of. However, like working out, when I’m properly hydrated, I have enough energy to meet my writing goal, cook dinner, play with the kids, clean the house, and meet Darrien at the door with a kiss and a smile when he gets home.
Don’t let me eat right on top of all that! That’s what I LOVE about fasting and clean eating challenges. When you give yourself a break from itis foods, you give your body a chance to perform in its optimum state. I liken it to getting my car cleaned, oil changed, and gas tank filled up. I’m ready to ride!
Writing is a mental, physical and spiritual process.
Writing is fueled by good ideas, and those light bulbs shine brightest when that dopamine’s flowing and both the left and right side of your brain are in harmony. That only happens when the body is in good condition. You gotta show some love to your whole self!
The spiritual component, which includes taking a break from the world to tune in, is the part that will maintain balance. When something’s off, Spirit will tap you on the shoulder and let you know how to realign.
When working with me, I don’t just focus on getting you to spit more words on paper. I’m more interested in what’s going to make you look and feel good because that’ll help me in my job of making you a better writer. I wanna know if you worked out today, if you drank enough water, and got some chill time in. Otherwise, you’ll keep running into the same wall because you’re off balance.
You feel me?