Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Write Habits: Not Just Talking The Talk, But Walking the Walk

Hello #JustWrite family and welcome to November!! I recall this time last year, I was writing a blog showcasing the details for our first writer's workshop back in March. Here we are again, coming to the close of another year. As we are one week away from Thanksgiving, I just want to say that as we sit down with our families this year, let's not just be thankful with our words, but also be thankful in our deeds. It's very important for us to understand that what we think and meditate on is what we act out. And what we act out becomes our character...... Sound familiar? Some of you may recall the following quote:


We as a people have a bad habit with saying that we are going to commit to something without actually putting forth the action to see it through. Let's explore that. What is a habit? According to Wikipedia, a habit is "a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously." Interestingly, the definition for habit uses the word subconsciously to describe the nature of a habit. According to various sources, it takes 21 days to start a habit and 21 days to break a habit. Everything that we eventually do begins in the mind. Our habits coincide with what we think about daily and if we decide to act on those thoughts. As writers and most importantly as Christians, we are responsible for what we think, say, and do. We may not want to believe this, but we are being watched by others. From social media to in person interactions, we are being watched. The people that are the closest to us see our good and bad habits.  They hold us accountable when we slack and go into a state of lackadaisical despair. You're probably wondering, "Lequvia, where are you taking us with this blog?" Well, I'm glad you asked. {inserts smile here}. As the year is winding down, please be mindful of your thoughts. Philippians 4:8 ESV says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." From a practical standpoint as writers, the above quote shapes your reality. I know when I look at it, I see a story developing: "I think I can write a book." (thoughts) turns into, "I am going to write a book."(words) which develops into  "*insert your name here* is writing his/her book" (actions), *insert your name here* gets up at 3 am daily to pray and write his/her book" (habits), "*insert your name here* is a diligent writer" (character), and " insert your name here* is an influential author, speaker, editor, entrepreneur, change agent, literary agent, and so forth" (destiny). 



For the month of November, we have been challenged to partake in the book club reading of Jean Kuhn's, How To Think Like A Millionaire in 30 Days. This book will not teach you how to be a millionaire in 30 days, but how to be disciplined in your thoughts like millionaires, who are considered to be successful by society's standards. Everyone desires success in some shape or form, so why not apply principles that other successful people have perfected? If you are one of those people seeking to be more disciplined with your habits, be sure to join us tonight for a conference call with author Jean Kuhn at 6PM.  Be sure to dial in to the call with the information posted below:
We will not only talk the talk, but help you walk the walk, one habit at a time.


In His service,


~Lequvia Ousley~