Higher testosterone levels often result in increased risk taking behaviors. Especially in men. But on the flip side, perhaps consciously taking risks first will also increase testosterone levels. That doesn’t necessarily mean playing chicken with oncoming traffic. It can be something simple like asking a girl for her phone number or squatting a heavy weight. “Risks” that are highly unlikely to result in any sort of permanent harm. But that still make a person a little bit nervous and result in internal resistance. After these sorts of things are attempted, regardless of success or failure, I personally feel a little bit of a high just from having overcome any hesitation or fear. Only my opinion, but I think taking an occasional risk can be good for our hormone levels. Diet, exposure to toxins, and many other factors obviously play a role, but don’t forget that mindset affects our physiology as well. What do you think about this proposition?
As I was walking to work this morning, I was remarking at how good I’ve been feeling lately. I also look very healthy and youthful. Much younger looking than my age. I’m my leanest in a long time and very strong, and my energy and mood are more optimal than they used to be. My mind is generally working quite well, and my blood work results have been really good. My body is looking much more vascular, and I believe this is likely due to reduced inflammation from eating a ketogenic diet.
So I have a lot to be grateful for, and it’s all because of the way I live now. And the way I live now is a result of a lot of trial and error experimentation. But most importantly, I never would have had the drive and patience to endure so much trial and error if it weren’t for the health setbacks I endured a few years back. Thank you setbacks.
Blow A Little Money From Time To Time To Build A Sense Of Abundance
While on vacation recently, there were a couple of businesses renting waverunners on the beach. It looked really fun so I inquired about the rates. The price was double what I expected, but nothing I’d ever miss. Despite the fact that it was entirely within my everyday budget, I balked at the idea because it didn’t seem like a good deal to me at first. I began to think about all of the “smarter” things I could do with this rather insignificant sum of money. And for some reason I had the thought that impulsive purchases like this add up if one does it all the time. As if I’m going to rent waverunners every day of my life.
A few days later I reconsidered and decided to do it anyway. I was conscious of my previous thought patterns on the matter and knew I was being ridiculous. And it was a blast. The cash I spent means nothing now but I have a memory of flying across the water at full throttle. I’d never tell anyone to blow their life savings on something frivolous, and money is relative from person to person. I’m also opposed to taking on debt to do something like this. There is also something to be said for not spending money on dumb shit sometimes. But the point is that I caught myself in a scarcity mindset over an insignificant amount of money. After I let go of my unnecessary resistance, spent the money, and had fun, I felt a sense of abundance instead. And that felt a lot better. Not to mention an abundance mindset is an asset in life for many reasons, and that’s worth cultivating. So from time to time, just treat yourself and enjoy it.
An Observation About The Power Of The Present Tense
A quick observation. I was recently doing some of my usual affirmations about the things I want to accomplish in life. Yes, I do affirmations. I used to think it was hokey, but I’ve realized they are quite powerful if done correctly. They just have to be done consistently over time for the subconscious mind to truly accept them. Anyway, I became aware of the power of the present tense. If I switched the affirmations from future tense to present tense it changed the way they feel in an interesting way. Not sure why this hadn’t occurred to me before, but it suddenly dawned on me.
This switch requires a small leap of faith in the case of goals not yet realized, and potentially enduring some cognitive dissonance. But it also makes the affirmations feel more powerful.
There is something profound about switching from I WILL to I DO.
What was previously a sense of hope gets replaced by a sense of assurance.
Our conscious minds know when something hasn’t yet occurred, but in order for something to occur we have to believe in it. And by stating something as unequivocally true, as if it’s already happened, it feels as though it entrenches the belief more deeply.
It no longer feels like something out of reach, but something that is already a reality. Even if the brain and ego want to constantly send reminders that this isn’t the case. Just repeat it enough and the mind will start to absorb it.
As Muhammad Ali stated once, “I am the greatest. I said that before I even knew I was.” Apparently it worked.
Convince The Mind Of The Present Tense Through Action
A lot of affirmations include a combination of actions to be taken now, and potential future results from those actions.
For instance, one of my affirmations is that I produce online content and products so I can have freedom and flexibility in my life, while helping others and becoming financially independent.
The freedom, flexibility, and financial aspects of this affirmation haven’t yet fully manifested. I know I’ve already helped a few people, but producing online content and products are items I can accomplish at will. Those are just a matter of doing the work.
The reality is that I’ve already been writing a blog for a year now, and I sell an ebook online. I’ve even made a few bucks off of the ebook. And that opened my eyes to that fact that money can actually be made online. This realization gives my affirmations more power.
So by taking action, I can truthfully state part of my affirmation in the present tense. I DO produce online content and products. And as a result the whole affirmation becomes present tense.
This is a good example of the power of focusing on the things directly in our control. Ideas start to become reality as soon as we take action on the items we can.
So if you have ideas that make you excited and passionate, start by taking action. And as you continue down the path, try thinking of your goals in a way that uses the power of the present tense. I think you’ll find it makes a big difference in your mindset as you go after what you want.
I want to talk about how to strengthen the feet. I’ve been squatting and deadlifting for a few decades now. And one thing that has always been apparent is that a proper connection to the ground has a noticeable impact on the execution of these lifts.
I’ve experimented with many different types of shoes and foot positions to improve my lifting over the years.
But one thing that’s very easy to overlook is the actual strengthening of the feet and lower legs.
The primary movers and stabilizers of the the big compound lifts are obviously the large muscles of the posterior chain, the quads, the back, etc. So it’s easy for the feet and lower legs to become an afterthought.
But the floor is the platform against which the large muscles apply force to the barbell. And the feet are the connection to the floor. So it’s always good to know how to strengthen the feet.
I also know from experience that the feet take a beating when supporting heavy loads. Plantar fasciitis has plagued me on and off for a number of years. So perhaps I haven’t done enough work to make my feet as strong as possible.
And that seems to be a huge mistake.
Making The Feet Bulletproof
I just got back from vacation on a small Florida island with beautiful beaches. I knew when I left town that this would be a chance to take a break from barbell lifting. To rest my bones, tendons and ligaments for a week.
I also figured I’d switch gears a bit and do some running and bike riding. Just to change things up a little, get in some general conditioning and movement, and stay active. I didn’t expect this to teach me a lesson in how to strengthen the feet.
I’m not usually a big jogger but I love running a few miles on the beach. It’s a complete bitch of a workout. And I actually enjoy the soreness of of my feet and calves when I wake up the next morning. But it’s for a reason.
And that reason is because a half dozen beach runs in a week makes my feet, ankles, lower legs, and even my knees, feel extra solid. I can tell my base and connection to the ground has become stronger.
I’ve tried a few foot strengthening exercises at home, and none of them come close to beach running. It puts big demands on the feet, and requires gripping with the toes in a way that running on hard surfaces doesn’t. The feet get stronger all around.
And I know this means that the larger muscles of my upper legs, hips, and back have a great base to rest on.
This was the first time I got home and paid close attention to how it affected my squatting and deadlifting. And I can tell it makes a big difference. I’m glad it got me to put more thought into how to strengthen the feet.
I can feel that there’s less side to side “play” in my lifts. And I feel kind of like a tree with deep, strong roots.
Geographic Constraints
Unfortunately this article is most relevant to people who live near a coastline. I live in the Rocky Mountains and beach running isn’t an option.
But if you live near the beach, I think you’d be crazy not to make beach running part of your regimen if you’re a lifter. Particularly if you’re a lifter who likes to be conditioned as well as strong.
If you don’t live by the beach, take advantage any time you travel to the beach like I just did. You may also have inland sand dunes, lake beaches, or other options where you are, so those are some things to explore and try out. And perhaps it’s even possible to do some interval training in a volleyball pit, etc., to get a similar effect? But the fine soft sand of an ocean beach is hard to top because the feet really sink into it and make you work.
Actionable Tips For How To Strengthen The Feet With Beach Running
I tried running both down by the waterline where the sand is more firm but at a greater sideways angle, and up closer to the dunes where the sand is much softer. Every beach will have slightly different topography, but these were the options I encountered.
Perhaps a bit of both is the way to go to mix things up, but my ultimate conclusion is that the softer sand is preferable for building the feet.
For one, it’s a far harder workout. Feet sink much deeper in soft sand and my heart rate was noticeably higher.
The soft sand required me to use my toes to a much greater degree than firm sand. On the firm sand the emphasis was on the balls of my feet. This meant my individual toes all got stronger. And this is why I recommend ditching the shoes and running barefoot.
The soft sand also tends to result in the feet slipping a bit in any direction depending on the consistency of the under layers. It’s unpredictable. The feet might even slip to the sides a bit, and I could tell that worked the muscles stabilizing my hips to a greater degree. Keeping those stabilizer muscles strong will always be beneficial when squatting, or skiing, or anything else.
Also, because the energy generated by the feet gets absorbed to a greater degree in deep sand, I felt that my glutes and hamstrings had to work a bit harder to compensate in propelling me forward. Nothing wrong with that.
It’s also worth noting that soft sand makes for a lower impact workout. This could be beneficial for larger lifters and athletes.
The firmer sand near the water caused large blisters on the balls of my feet due to the sideways angle (but that angle also put more emphasis on my ankle stabilizers for what it’s worth).
In contrast, the soft sand caused a few small blisters on my toes. But they were minimal compared to the blisters on the balls of my feet. These were merely an annoyance as opposed to the kind of thing that will keep one sidelined for a day or two.
All that said, I’d recommend starting slowly with beach running to allow the feet to adapt and toughen up. Don’t go and run a 10k the first time out. Maybe start with ten or fifteen minutes and work up. For true strength athletes, I don’t see a lot of reason to go beyond twenty minutes or so. The real goal there is just strong feet. For others who focus more on conditioning and pure athleticism than building top end strength, go for longer if desired.
Also, don’t go run on the beach at noon in the summer. The sand will be scorching hot on a sunny day. Morning and evening when the sun isn’t directly overhead are safer choices. As are cooler, overcast days. And for a mountain dweller like me, the sheer heat and humidity of running on the coast in the middle of the day can be overwhelming. If you happen to be out midday, don’t forget that you’re running right next to a body of water. It’s an option to jump in for a second and cool down if you feel like you’re overheating.
Time To Stop Writing And Put My Stronger Feet To Use
Off to squat. If anyone else has experimented with beach running or has other thoughts on how to strengthen the feet for lifting and athletics, please share. I’d be interested in other methods of keeping my feet strong and resilient when I’m not by the beach.
Every morning on the way to the office, I walk for about fifteen minutes through the city. It’s a nice chance to stretch the legs, get the blood flowing, and get a little sun on my face before being at a desk all day.
But it’s more than that. It’s a chance to set a pace for the day. A mental pace. A spiritual pace.
I see lots of other people walking to work, and many of them are walking as fast as they possibly can. Why? Are they stressed out about the day ahead and letting their inner anxiousness reflect in their physical movement? Are they going to be late? And if they’re late, why didn’t they just get up a few minutes earlier?
Maybe some just like to walk fast and I get that, but to me it seems like a great way to start the day wound up and in a hurry for no reason. And I notice that I almost always catch up to them standing at stoplights anyhow. So they don’t actually make it to work faster. Or maybe they get there a whopping minute or two earlier.
Even though I can move faster at top end speed than the vast majority of people if and when I want to, walking slowly is my choice. I never shuffle my feet, and my strides are long and purposeful. But I pay attention to the pace and ensure it’s putting my mind in the correct state.
I get to the office feeling relaxed. I’m ready to deal with any stress thrown my way with a nice calm demeanor. I can cruise through a ton of work without giving myself a mental wedgie.
It’s All About Being Conscious
We can all mindlessly go through the motions of our day to day and let the rigors of life build up inside of us to the point that it results in bad posture, headaches, poor sleep, etc.
Or we can be conscious at all times of how we move through the world, how we hold ourselves, how we react to the things we encounter.
The benefits are too numerous to mention here. But several come to mind.
When I walk slowly and develop a relaxed mind, I put out that energy. And then other people sense it from me and I put them more at ease. They are less likely to bring their stress to me because they can tell I won’t absorb it.
So I’m far less likely to react to people. If someone comes to me with anxious energy, I see it and essentially create a barrier around myself. I hear their message but I don’t let their energy affect me. And then I respond to them in a calm and logical manner.
By being relaxed, I avoid a lot of the health issues that come from stress as well. I don’t get headaches, I don’t get exhausted, and my mind doesn’t spiral out of control which keeps my cortisol levels in check. I’m able to breathe properly and make sure my posture is straight and upright.
Generally speaking I don’t get derailed from my real missions in life by the dumb shit we all have to sort through sometimes.
And it all started that morning with a conscious decision about how I walk.
Again, if walking fast is your thing more power to you. The real overarching point is being mindful of your movement. Pay attention to the details when walking, and one begins to pay attention to details in other parts of life.
I Walk Slowly In My Free Time Too
I like a calm mind in my free time too. It’s no different on non-work days. It’s an attitude thing. People with a funky groove pulsing through their bones don’t walk like they’re on a constant series of deadlines. They walk like they set their own deadlines and are the masters of their own destinies. They’ll get there when they get there. This shows self mastery.
Be An Example
Give walking slowly a try. You won’t be the only one out there, but in my experience you’ll be in the minority and will be moving against the grain in a sense. Watching others scurry to their cubicles while you take life at your own pace. Like a master. I see it as a small step towards claiming personal sovereignty. And every step counts (pun intended).
As a follow up to my recent post on imitating and then innovating, I wanted to share another trick I came up with for developing new skills and knowledge, as well as staying productive and consistent in any pursuit.
For anyone who has mastered a skill such as playing an instrument or writing (among many other endeavors such as developing physical strength or learning a martial art), they know that it’s always a marathon and not a sprint to achieve results. It takes years, not weeks or months.
It’s common for people to want to get results and become great at something overnight. But it doesn’t work that way.
It takes diligence, repetition, and commitment over the long term. But the commitment doesn’t have to be eighteen hours a day, every day. Consistency often goes further than Herculean efforts.
So lately when I’ve been writing, I’ve simply been committing to fifteen minutes a day. I can always fit that in no matter what. And it’s minimal enough that it’s a very easy commitment to stick to.
This is important because setting unrealistic goals is one of the biggest reasons people quit a pursuit. They make a decision to bite off more than they can chew and quickly get burned out. They aren’t patient enough to let small incremental results build up over time.
Some Days Are More Productive Than Others
The reality with creative pursuits, acquiring new knowledge, strength training, etc., is that human beings aren’t always “on”. It’s unrealistic to expect oneself to be 100% every day. Some days ideas and words flow, some days they don’t. Some days a musician’s playing is effortless and flawless, some days they miss more notes than usual and feel frustrated. Today a certain weight might feel easy to lift, while tomorrow it feels twice as heavy. There will also naturally be some days when a person just doesn’t feel like doing anything in general.
All that said, it’s still important to remain diligent and practice/train/study regularly to stay on an upward trajectory. At the same time it’s important to maintain enthusiasm. So it’s not advisable to plow ahead endlessly when things aren’t clicking.
On the days when it’s evident that I’m not going to make huge strides forward, it’s still beneficial to do a little work. And it doesn’t take very much to keep the wheels greased so to speak.
By doing at least a little bit every day, I avoid slipping into a rut where a couple of weeks pass by, I haven’t done anything, and I’m super rusty when I get back to it.
I only ever insist that I put in fifteen minutes. I can knock that out while eating breakfast. But if I’m feeling great, having fun, and ideas are coming to me easily, fifteen minutes can easily turn into several hours or even most of a day. The small commitment is all that’s necessary to find out if I’m ready to put in a larger effort that day.
Even if I only put in a quarter hour I still got something done. A little bit every day adds up. Fifteen minutes a day becomes over ninety hours in a year. That isn’t a huge amount of work overall, but it’s far from nothing. And as mentioned previously it maintains overall momentum. Add in the numerous longer and more productive days when things are going well and the time and effort really adds up.
Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day
When picking up a new pursuit, keep in mind that it takes time. Some days will be better and more productive than others. It’s literally impossible to become Jimi Hendrix overnight. It takes many years. So on days when something feels like a struggle, just do a little work and stop. You’ll avoid frustration, be more likely to stick with it, and numerous small efforts turn into big results over time.
Writing A Blog Has Begun To Change My Life And Mindset
When I began putting thoughts, ideas, and experiences into blog posts, I had no idea how the practice would ultimately begin to reshape and focus my mind and views on the world.
I saw that it would be an outlet and an opportunity to share some things have been beneficial to me. But the internal changes I’ve seen have been unexpected and remarkable. And it’s has had a huge impact on how I approach life on a day to day basis. Rather than going through the motions, I’m now constantly looking at how I live and think. I analyze my thoughts and actions and gain new insights every day as a result.
A Few Of The Ways Writing Has Been A Huge Benefit To Me
1. Writing on a regular basis has helped focus my thoughts. I’m still working on the ability to organize the things going through my head. But I feel far more mentally organized on a day to day basis than I did a year ago. Now I go into all situations in my life feeling increased clarity about what it is I want. And I’m much better at communicating it.
2. As a direct result of increased organization of my thoughts, my goals are much better defined. A year ago, if somebody asked me what I wanted from life I wouldn’t have had a succinct answer. I could have rattled off a few things I was working on to improve myself, things I could maybe go back to school for, or the list of things I’m passionate about. But my future goals and plans were not well articulated. I now have a more defined vision for what I want to accomplish in the next few years and how I want to live. I may not have every detail ironed out, but I have a very strong outline and a series of goals to get from A to B. If someone asked me out of the blue, I could tell them what I want in life, and what I want to accomplish by age 45.
3. Writing publicly has a couple of benefits. For one, it makes me more accountable to my own thoughts and ideas. If I witness myself contradicting something I wrote, I think about what I wrote and then either heed my own advice or admit how I might have been previously wrong and correct course. And that then makes me think more diligently about what I actually want to publish. I’ve started far more articles than I’ve published because I’ll often start to elaborate on something that came to mind only to realize that I don’t actually stand behind it. And this then helps me re-focus and shed unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs. This has trickled over into my conversations, emails, etc., in day to day life. It’s a very good exercise to find clarity.
I Would Encourage Everyone To Write
I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the benefits of writing regularly. I’m really just scratching the surface with a short post, but these three benefits quickly came to mind as I walking yesterday.
I’d never been one to keep a journal, but I’m sure it’s beneficial. That said, writing publicly forces a greater level of self-scrutiny. For me, it requires thinking about what I really want to put out into the world.
If you’re looking for a way to start dialing in your own thoughts, mindset, and direction in life, I highly recommend this practice. Even if nobody reads what you write, the work is not in vain. Far from it.
A Trick For Productive Interactions – See The Other Person As Yourself
When interacting with another person, it’s easy to see them as separate from oneself. This is not the most productive way to approach an interaction. Instead, see the other person as yourself.
They are you, talking to yourself. You talking to your own consciousness. That may sound a tad schizophrenic and new-agey, but this approach has changed the way I experience conversations with others.
It helps me separate my ego from the situation and be far more objective about the messages coming into my life. And perhaps it’s allowed me to glean greater insight from conversations.
How This Approach Helps To Re-Frame A Situation
I have a tendency to get defensive when someone attempts to give me constructive criticism. I generally make an effort to remain indifferent externally, but internally I want to strangle them.
Lately, however, I’ve tried to see another person’s criticisms or suggestions as my own. This completely changes everything for me. I’m able to see them as some sort of messenger helping me out and challenging me to be better. Telling me the things I might already know deep down but haven’t made conscious yet.
And in several instances I was able to put some of these “suggestions from myself” into action and see good results.
Not only did this help avoid unnecessary anger and annoyance, but I was actually able to make some beneficial improvements to myself that I would have otherwise avoided out of sheer stubborn pride.
It helped me let the message in as opposed to putting up a wall.
On the flip side, I tend to quite like public praise. When someone compliments me in front of others.
Seeing this as me telling myself something positive is also helpful. I now see this as validation that I’m on the right path. It validates the things I put my effort into.
If someone says I’m glowing with health, it’s a reflection back to myself to stay the course with regards to diet and training.
If someone comments that I’m unusually well rounded and good at a lot of things, I feel glad that I’ve spent a lot of my free time learning new skills instead of watching TV.
And instead of only absorbing it as some sort of ego validation, I’m able to also see it as a beacon letting me know I’m on the right track.
Give It A Try
Not too much more to say about this. Just a quick post about this thought experiment I’ve been exploring lately. It’s proven to be a more productive way to interact. Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.
I haven’t been writing blog posts for very long. I just felt that I had some things to say and share. And with the internet, I figured I might as well write publicly in a blog format and perhaps help somebody else along the way. But I don’t consider myself a fabulous writer. I’m just figuring this out. However I plan to dial the craft and get very good.
On the flip side, I’ve been playing the guitar for twenty three years. In that time I’ve developed my own style and mastery. My own voice. My own tone. I’ve even built my own amplifiers and tools of the trade.
These days I can just pick up the instrument and play. And what comes out is authentically me and sounds great.
But I wasn’t always able to do this. In fact, it took a long time to get to that point. And I’m still developing.
When I first started, instead of playing what was in my head I played other peoples’ songs that I loved to listen to. I wanted to play like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, John Frusciante, David Gilmour, and many others. So I learned their songs. I learned popular songs from rock bands of my era like Pearl Jam, The Black Crowes, and Stone Temple Pilots. And classic rock songs by Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, etc.
For several years I learned songs. Both the chords and the solos. And I’d play them over and over and over with the albums as my backing tracks. Until it sounded just like I was playing on the album.
I also learned the pentatonic scale patterns and practiced them until they were locked in my brain and the muscle memory of my fingers. And I started practicing them over songs on the radio. It was a great lesson in learning to find the key of a song and then playing over the chord changes by ear.
I digress, but after countless hours of locking myself in my room and playing other peoples’ songs and learning scales, my hands could pull off some pretty impressive feats of guitar playing. I got to a point where I could unequivocally state that I was a guitar player.
My First Band
I then realized it was time to join a band. This was the 90’s and craigslist wasn’t a thing yet. So I wrote up a handmade wanted ad for musicians, made a couple dozen copies, and stapled them on telephone poles all over West Philly.
I got several responses and started going to some jam sessions to see if I might find some good players.
I finally hooked up with a rag tag crew of odd balls, and we jammed in the drummer’s apartment on the third floor of a row house. Unbelievably, we meshed instantly and made up a fifteen minute improvised funk-based jam right on the spot. It was really kind of magical and I ended up playing in a band with those guys for a few years. But that’s a whole other post.
The main thing I realized after that jam session was that I was able to pull ideas from things I learned playing other peoples’ songs and piece them together into something that was my own. A little of this, a little of that. And then a few pentatonic licks to spice things up.
As the band started playing together more, we started writing original songs. Someone would bring an idea from home and we’d work with it until it took form.
Whether I was bringing in an idea I wrote, or creating a part to accompany something somebody else wrote, I continued to see how other guitarists had influenced my now developing personal style. Both from the standpoint of writing rhythm guitar parts and improvised solos.
And that was close to twenty years ago. My style has naturally developed even further in the meantime, playing in other bands and practicing at home. Not only has my style developed with regards to musical notes on paper, but more nuanced aspects of my playing have evolved. For instance, everyone develops their own touch on the strings and this has a huge impact on one’s sound.
My Approach Now
These days I basically never play other people’s songs when I’m practicing. And when I pick up the guitar for the sake of playing the guitar I truly just play whatever comes to mind. I’ve found my voice. And I hardly remember how to play most of those songs I learned decades ago. But that doesn’t mean they’re fully lost. They’re part of the gumbo of influences that has become my guitar playing.
I first imitated my guitar heroes, and after that phase of my learning had run its course I was then able to start innovating.
Back To Writing
So I’m now learning a new craft. Writing blogs. I’ve written lots of papers for school, emails, etc. It’s not as if I haven’t communicated via written word countless times.
But the blog is an art form all its own. So I’ll have to develop my style.
So far I’ve simply focused on sharing information, or getting something off my chest. But each time I post an article it gets a little easier to write in a way that feels fluid. It may not come across that way to a reader, but at least it feels that way when I’m writing.
And I’m working on the unique form and cadence a blog can take on.
So I’ve been reading blogs I really like and paying attention to the things I like about them. The layout, the organization, the attitude, etc. And then I try to use some of those things in my own posts as I write about topics that come to mind. I also take note of things I don’t like about some other blogs so I know what to avoid. It’s a bit like realizing I want to learn Hendrix and not Nickelback, and then focusing on playing Hendrix songs and avoiding Nickelback altogether.
It would be inaccurate to say I’m imitating other blogs in exactly the same way I imitated other guitar players. When it comes to writing that’s called plagiarism. But I’m definitely looking for influences. And who knows, maybe it would be an interesting exercise to re-write someone else’s post word for word just to get a bit deeper into their style (and not post it obviously)?
I hope to get to the next level soon where my writing style really starts to develop. Where a multitude of influences turn into something new and different. And as with a guitarist’s touch on the strings, someone who writes regularly probably starts to sense the way the sounds of words flow together and other nuanced aspects of their art. But at first it’s always helpful to look to those with experience in a certain craft.
One thing I know for sure from the guitar is that it simply takes time. And if I don’t give up I’m sure to succeed.
I just got back from vacation on a small Florida island with beautiful beaches. I knew when I left town that this would be a chance to take a break from barbell lifting. To rest my bones, tendons and ligaments for a week.