This morning I was going through my “idea file” for a good blog post.
Starting a workout only on a Monday and other pointless rules
Have I written that? I scoured my blog but found nothing under key terms. Seems so familiar, I better move on.
The man who believes he knows everything learns nothing
Oh yes! That’s good. Wait… didn’t I write something like that recently?
Then I thought something very discouraging: Am I reframing the same ideas and stories over and over?
It’s like talking to my husband about the time we had a lemonade stand so we could pay our entry to the pool. “It was a slow day and we didn’t think we’d swing it, then the neighbor came over and gave us a $20 bill! That would pay for the whole neighborhood!”
Donnie stops me, “Yeah, I know this one.” My shoulders drop. “Oh. Ok. Good story though, right?” Him, “Yeah, it’s a good story.”
Is my blog getting to that point? Do I need to erase my “idea file” and start over? Is my brain getting to that point? Do I need to read more books? Or maybe different books? Am I reading the same books over and over??
What is even the point of this blog? A collection of stories and rants and observations. Is it useful, entertaining, or is it just a bucket filled with my mushy brain matter?
Boy, that escalated quickly. While I was just wallowing in my own victimhood, I just thought a new blog post idea! That said, this post wasn’t a complete dumpster fire.
What did I learn in the 20 minutes it took to bare my soul?
1. Read a wider variety of books
2. There aren’t many real new ideas out there, only new ways of presenting them
3. There’s nothing wrong with reframing if the story’s good
4. Simply putting pen to paper (or keystrokes to screen) can get ideas flowing.
5. The right people like my bucket of brains.