How Coffee and Cake Make Me a Better Writer

 

Beside the absolute joy and immense pleasure I get consuming a good cup of coffee and a yummy slice of rich cake, it also makes me feel completely relaxed and at peace with the world, as if nothing matters more than that exact delicious moment. Every muscle in my body eases and I gaze out at the world with confidence, filled with an awareness of everything around me with great clarity.

Yes, yes, I know you’re all thinking the same thing: That’s pretty farfetched, Monique, and I agree with you, but . . . maybe not as farfetched as you might think. We can all agree, I’m sure, that when we partake in the greatest pleasures of our lives (and I mean all the greatest pleasures:)) we have moments of great tranquillity and inner joy and a warm physical sensation we can only describe as happiness and contentment because as endorphins, or ‘happy chemicals’ as I like to call them, are released into our systems, very frequently we have moments of incredible clarity and awareness. We pay attention to the people around us, what we and they are doing, what we’re saying, and what we’re feeling. In other words, we become intensely aware of our existence and we pay attention to the minutest detail.

You know where this is going, don’t you?

Yup! Writing does the same thing for me, just like dancing did when I was still performing. Writing makes my spirit soar and fills me with a joy I can only describe as euphoric. No wonder I tell people I’m totally addicted to storytelling – there’s no bigger rush for me! When I sit down at my laptop and begin expressing myself and allowing the magic to flow unchecked, then I become intensely aware of every detail, every nuance, every shift in storyline and what my characters are doing – this includes what’s not working and how to fix it.

The thing is – and here’s why I’m writing this – you have to allow those moments of absolute joy to overtake you if you want to enjoy the full benefits of what the Universe/your Muse/God wants to show you. If for some reason you stop the flow, or you don’t give in to it completely, you miss something vital that could make a huge difference in the long run, a difference that could turn your good book into a great book.

In life, embrace those glorious ‘Coffee and Cake’ moments and look around: notice others, notice yourself, notice what you’re feeling and thinking and then pursue it like a starving person, because in those moments you are more of your true self than you’ll ever be at any other time.

And this is what you need to do when you’re writing!

I know you all feel the passion and joy I’m speaking of when you create because then you wouldn’t do it. It’s so obvious to me when, for example, I read authors’ self-promo’s for their newest releases. I can feel the joy and passion in their words and in the way the invite you to share in it with them.

My goal today is to encourage you to fully embrace that almost mindless exhilaration you feel when you make magic at your computer/typewriter/notebook, and to never be afraid of it – because IT IS ALL YOU! I’ve had moments of not fear per se but that scary feeling you get when you’re falling, and I’ve paused in my creating and pulled back from it because I’ve entered another level of ‘power’ I’ve never experience before. But over time I’ve learned to trust those feelings and allowed them full reign over me and the creation process because I’ve come to recognise that what I’m experiencing is, in fact, FULLY me! And why should I fear myself?

I believe that we need to work everyday towards allowing the Universe/our Muses/God – whatever your personal belief of where your power comes from – to take full control of us in our everyday lives and when we write. I don’t think we yet fully understand just how much power we possess as creators, but what I do believe is that in those moments when our heart rates increase and adrenaline pumps through our veins like fire and our eyes open to a greater understanding of the story we are currently working on, then we MUST give it full control and we must not fear it!! Those are the moments we become truly alive and truly great! Trust in those moments and don’t pull back from them but embrace them eagerly because you are embracing your true self!

Coffee and cake come close to what I feel when I write, but nothing beats the combination of me, my laptop, and my Source coming into perfect alignment and making magic!!

Tell me about your own experiences of full awareness, and those moments when everything became so clear you knew you were on the cusp of greatness! I love hearing from you.

Images courtesy of stock.xchng

 

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