Publish your best self NOW- edits are never ending.
As a writer, (ahem, let me live please!) one of the most basic things you are taught from the beginning is the importance of editing your work. To edit is to diligently go over your project; to correct, modify, condense, amend, remove, add, improve and polish until you are finally ready to publish or release your contribution for the masses to enjoy. This is crucial- lest you end up with something that just doesn't cut it and could even damage your reputation. Many writers find that hiring an editor is a must, as they have the skills and experiences to take your project and tweak it to perfection and move it to the final stage of production, which after all is the goal isn't it? This process can often take months and in some cases even years before YOU finally feel that you have a finished product, worthy of pride and accomplishment, and hopefully garner some fruitful gains if that was your end game.
However at some point, you have to stop editing and trust that what you are presenting to the world will be enough. As critical as we are of ourselves, we could edit time and time again (trust me I've done it- it’s one of the reasons I only blog once in a yellow moon!) and we will always find something that we missed the first time, or something that now needs to be added, a new thought, a new direction. If this continues, you will never have a finished product.
Prosperers, today we are going to apply this basic principle of editing to our own lives in an effort to clear some much needed headspace, so that we are operating in a mental prosperity frame of mind, and not despair. As humans we are constantly looking for ways that we can improve upon ourselves, and if not, we absolutely should be, and MUST. Without change there is no growth, and vice versa for that matter. We are looking for ways to look better, feel better, to increase our wealth, to be a better friend, parent, partner, PERSON; to actually LOVE what we see in the mirror each day (well most days anyway). We need to evolve in some manner each day that we are granted another chance at becoming our best selves while on this earth, otherwise what are we doing? It is usually not enough for most of us in our spirit to just simply exist. Some days, I want to do exactly that however, and I'm sure I am not alone. But the reality of it all is that we must keep doing the oftentimes tough work that is editing our behaviors, habits, thoughts, actions, and even our circle of humans, so we can move on to the next project within ourselves. A personal example- last year around this time, I had (once again) decided that I needed to lose weight. I was barely fitting into my clothes, I didn't look good, nor did I feel good about not looking good. I was overly exhausted all the time and quite self conscious to the point that I didn't even want to socialize on many occasions. Needless to say, this made me agitated and actually angry. So much anxiety presented itself on a daily basis as a result of this that it soon also led to depression resurfacing. Having all of these thoughts running around in your head takes up so much valuable space from other things that you could be focused on.
I decided that I needed to do an editing job in this area ASAP. I edited my diet, my exercise habits, my daily routines, and most importantly my mindset- that I could and would lose this weight and stick to it. I eventually lost my first 10 pounds and I was ecstatic! So I went back and did some more editing! How could I lose the remaining weight, and what other changes did I need to make? I started working out with a personal trainer, and learning all that I could about nutrition, healthy eating and cooking (which as you know from my previous post, I think I'm a chef...) and delved more into how our bodies actually WORK (fascinating stuff by the way). Guess what happened next? I lost even more weight than I anticipated and I can say that I have a finished product that I am now not ashamed to share with the world. I felt good and I felt that I looked good. While I continue to have flaws in areas that are still giving me grief, I accepted that some of those flaws just could not be helped (fluffy tummy, stretch marks be damned!), or that I wasn't ready to do any additional work (what, no wine?!?) because I was happy with what I saw in the mirror and my mental was free to now focus on some other critical areas in need of editing. I knew I needed to round out the entire finished product, i.e. getting my finances in order, eliminating work stress, etc., but I was now one step further than before at least. I was on my way!
While we can all agree that editing is most important to the process of turning out a shiny, complex, beautifully crafted, finished projection of our best selves, I find that many people- self included- do this not for themselves, but for others. If we keep going back to the drawing board based on what others' views of us are, we will likely never turn out a finished product that WE can be happy with. Set a goal for yourself and meet that goal. Don't spend too much time going over and over yourself, with what if's, how comes, and wondering how much is left to do before you present yourself. At some point you're just going to have to put it out there if it's something you currently feel good about. That's major; because one day you can be on top of the moon feeling really great about yourself and your accomplishments, and then the next day insecurities resurface. Now you are back to the drawing board, and with a different, more defeatist mindset and you end up editing out some really great things that actually worked! There will be MANY other opportunities for growth and self-reflection, but it's so important to live in the moment and showcase your current achievements and be proud of them. Think of the person who never got that dream job, or bought a home, or got married or had kids etc., because they were waiting for everything to be perfect. There is no such thing as perfection no matter how badly we want there to be.
As in publishing, many of us need “life” editors to assist us in the journey- the struggle that is to become turning out your brightest and best self. These "editors" in our lives can become extremely important and highly beneficial to us. They take the shape of friends, family, lovers, counselors, pastors, therapists (remember, therapy is NOT a dirty word) personal trainers, mentors, the list goes on. We all need someone to bounce ideas off of, learn from their own personal experiences, and talk out emotions that we need input on. My coworker and I go for what we call sanity walks when things get hairy in the office, and we've both come to really enjoy the sessions and often work through many non-work related issues during them. Caution- be wary of those who want to assume the position of "editor in chief" over your life. You know, the ones that constantly take your ideas, thoughts, accomplishments and progress and make it about them. They will continue to edit you into what they think you should be, and what you should be doing, or push you in directions they think you should be going in order to satisfy their own ego. It's really not about them helping you, it's about them getting recognition and wanting credit for putting out the new shiny you. While these chiefs may mean well, they often deposit negative feelings while doing so, i.e. a good friend saying you're getting too skinny now and you should stop working out or you won't find a mate (oh brother!) There is a difference between someone offering you their help and guidance and yes even constructive criticism, and them trying to make you into a vision of their own, simply to say “look what I've made here! Always be true to YOU. Go on ahead and take that credit you deserve for putting in your own work!
Prosper on!
