Three hours of writing, 5500 words, an inspiring experience.

Three hours of writing, a challenge I’ve been concocting for myself for some time. In all actuality, I am planning to spend an entire day writing. Something like 8 hours straight. I may take a more creative approach during that challenge. But for now, I am challenging myself to three full hours of writing.

Right now it is 4:20 PM CST. The time of cannabis. Three hours from now it will be 7:20 PM CST, the time when I will allow myself to step away from the keyboard for the day.

At the moment I am writing from the kitchen table. Is this a conducive environment for writing? Maybe, or perhaps I am challenging myself to write no matter the environment. Writing is a cerebral experience, and the environment should not hinder it from taking place. Of course, certain environments may be more conducive to writing, depending on the goals of the writer.

My goals for this piece are fairly ambiguous as of now. I say as of now due to the fact that I may mould this piece towards certain goals if I come up with them during this adventure.

I find myself searching for excuses to take a break, though I have only just began. This isn’t due to any negative feeling I have, it seems only to stem from a place of seeking perfection. It is as if I don’t wish to allow myself to continue without the perfect environment, physical comfort, or hardware. But that’s just the point isn’t it? I’m here to write, the physical world at this time does not concern me.

I have been learning lately that pushing through discomfort is an integral piece of the process of positive change. If we are always to avoid discomfort, we may never embrace positive changes. The fact that sitting still for multiple hours to write something that no one else may ever read bothers me is exactly the type of feeling I’m looking for. I seek these challenges now in order to lean into them. What the world sees or thinks of me does not apply here. What matters is what I feel I am capable of, and what chances I am willing to take.

This is not to say I wish to ignore or avoid the outside world, quite the contrary. These challenges I hold myself to are all a part of the process of being noticed. More importantly they are the stepping stones to create a positive impact on the world. Without deliberate practice such as this, how can anyone ever expect to further themselves and the world around them?

We must be careful with our choice of words regarding deliberate practice. As an example, my proposed question alludes to practice being a requirement in order to benefit the world. This is not entirely true. We can all have a positive impact on the world each and every day with very simple actions. Kind words, a smile, a donation of clothing, or any other kind gesture can ripple out through the universe and create great positive change. And you don’t need years of practice to do it.

What I am speaking of is the path towards sustained positive impact on the world. Words like ‘exponential’ are what that path I speak of lead to. Deliberate practice over time builds up a persons skills to a point where their practice has an effect far greater than themselves on a consistent basis. Whereas those kind gestures we spoke of earlier may only have a small positive impact equal to the gesture, or through the magic of luck and circumstance may grow larger than ever imagined. Deliberate practice is the path which ignores luck and works to impact the world no matter the circumstances.

How long will this deliberate practice to major positive impact take? Well, hopefully just three hours! The real answer is that there is no answer. Deliberate practice could take a year, three years, ten years, ten thousand hours, or any number of hours. Luck still plays a role here, but unlike the complete randomness of a random act of kindness, deliberate practice builds upon luck with every moment of practice.

The truth is, we may never see the fruits of our labor. But by deliberately practicing day in and day out, we build upon our luck. A year of hard work creates a pool of luck capable of drastically changing our lives and the lives of those around us. Two years can generate an even higher chance of positive change. Three years even more, and so on.

At a certain point our deliberate practice builds upon our luck exponentially. Instead of increasing our chances of being noticed by say 0.0001% we increase it by 0.0001% x 2. Now each session of practice has become far more valuable than any of us may realize. We can’t predict the future, but we can improve our chances it will turn into something amazing.

The beauty of deliberate practice is that we will never know how close we are to “breaking out”. We may be doubling our chances every day, or we may not. In any case we still practice. At a certain point we are no longer attached to the outcome of our practice. We do not truly care where it leads us. We care only for taking a part in our practice, because our practice has become a true part of ourselves.

It’s not to say that we don’t all wish for something. It is human nature to seek more. We all have desires, be them hidden or obvious. Some desires are short term pleasures, and others are long term goals.

Human nature finds many of us in a place where immediate desires trump those of the long term. It takes a certain something to send a person on the path towards long term goals. What that something is varies entirely from person to person. It is why the self-help genre will continue to generate thousands of books, videos, seminars, and programs as long as humans exist. No one besides yourself has the answer for you, and that’s okay.

Those of us who have found the inkling of a greater sense of fulfillment don’t always know where we should go with it. There are millions of highly intelligent, highly capable world changers out there still spending the vast majority of their free time wasting time. It is not because they are any lesser than the billionaires changing the world. It is because they are paralyzed, staring into an abyss of infinite choices.

So many choices face us that most of us see no choices at all. Those of us privileged enough to have grown up with access to the entire human knowledge should all be changing the world positively, in a perfect world. But that is not anywhere near the case. Access to such knowledge does not mean beneficial usage. Along with an infinite source of knowledge comes an infinite source of entertainment and distraction

Bombarded 24/7, 365 days of the year with pictures, posts, videos, games, news, etc. it really is no wonder that we find ourselves paralyzed in life. Most people are entirely unaware of there being anything beyond the confines of the life they are already experiencing. Being conditioned to consume from a young age, we leave little room for ourselves to grow beyond our current lives. The constant noise drowns out the voice inside of us who wishes to make an impact on the world.

We feel stuck in our lives, or perhaps we aren’t even aware of being stuck. How many brilliant minds are out there that have been born in a place and time where the light of opportunity has not struck them yet? The inner city, the rural south, the third world at large are but vague examples of places lacking opportunity.

But let us not lose hope. For even these seemingly hopeless places have produced some of the most influential people in the world. Somehow, against all odds, these individuals were struck by opportunity. They found a way to seek out possibility and create a positive change on the world.

Perhaps they were lucky enough to read inspiring words, hear inspiring speech, or learn how they could make a difference. It is this concept that some refer to as “planting a seed”. A seed of change that grows within a person until finally it blooms into a positive impact on the world.

Some people who have experienced this planting of a seed are able to think back to the moment it happened. Their father said something profound to them, they read a passage that affected them deeply, or perhaps an atrocity occurred causing them to take a vow. But what about the rest of us who have yet to experience this seed, or feel that we never will?

I can promise you that we all have seeds of change planted within us. They need only to be watered and cared for to grow into lush forests. But, as with the growth of a forest, it can take substantial time and effort to cultivate a healthy thriving ecosystem from the humble beginnings of a single seed.

With an infinite source of knowledge, inspiration, entertainment, and distraction at our fingertips each and every day, we have all the tools necessary to cultivate or kill our inner garden. Will you tend to your garden with the water and nutrients of knowledge and inspiration? Occasionally using the naturally disruptive nature of good entertainment to uproot the weaker plants. Will you dry up or toxify your garden’s soil with constant distraction, blowing away the husks of what remained with entertainment?

We are all capable of cultivating infinitely beautiful forests within our minds, no matter the damage that has been done. Mother nature has a wonderful way of coming back after even the most disastrous of circumstances.

We must not let our pasts determine our future. Even if the past is seemingly littered with negativity, we can overcome it. Every event holds within it lessons to be learned, no matter the circumstances. The most negative or emotionally charged events always contain at least some positive lessons. Even if the lesson is as simple as “well I won’t be doing that again”.

It is a fallacy to believe that past events determine the future. At any time we are capable of recalling a past horror in our lives and attaching a positive lesson to it. This can be challenging, especially if an event has haunted us frequently over the years. Fear of something that hurt us as a child, distaste for a subject that bored us in school, or any other long lasting hurt we’ve encountered.

All of those memories which you may consider negative are only as such based upon how you felt at the time. The circumstances of that time, and the person who you were then, created a feeling that you’ve since held on to with that memory. But in the here and now you are no longer that person, and you are no longer under those same circumstances. The universe does not require you to feel the same about a memory as you did when the event took place. You are in charge of how you feel about your memories. It is your choice whether or not to love or fear the memories which you have.

This is your mind we’re talking about. Your mind is a malleable place. Inherently we all know this to be true, as we are making new memories and habits every day. Who said that you shouldn’t change your feelings about a memory you have? No one. This is your mind, do with your memories what you wish to do. You do yourself a great service by choosing to love each and every one of your memories, no matter the events that took place. And if you can’t bring yourself to love a memory, you can at least take away a positive lesson from the memory before storing it away. For now you know that you have little need to recall it.

Saying that the past has no effect on the present may be somewhat of a misconception. For your past holds in it the knowledge you have absorbed throughout your life, and therefore aides in dictating your reaction to present situations. A memory filled with lessons means a mind prepared for any situation. A memory filled with fear means a mind ready to run.

By filling our mind with knowledge, positivity, and wisdom we prepare ourselves to take on the present with great alacrity. For it is the present in which we make the greatest impact on the future. The future will one day be the present. And if we’re learning to deal with the future in bigger and better ways, then we are preparing ourselves for an amazing future.

Even if you are unaware of your purpose in life and feel that you have little direction, you can still make great strides towards a positive future. You do not need to know exactly what you wish to do with yourself in order to make leaps towards the self you wish to be. In a world that is experiencing change at an ever accelerating rate, you may very well be setting yourself up for success by not knowing exactly what you wish to do.

Start simple. You don’t have to stop partaking in all of the entertaining things you do each day in order to live a more fulfilling life. You only need to begin to filter that which you consume. Unfollow a few people on twitter that you don’t actually enjoy the content from. Follow a few people who talk about topics you are interested in. Unsubscribe from some newsletters, subreddits, blogs, etc. that are producing entertaining but click bait content. Subscribe to some content that inspires you, or teaches you about things you were at one time interested in.

It may seem trivial, but in a world of constant bombardment of information, small tweaks of your data stream can lead to big changes down the road. Who knows, that astrophysicist you subscribed to because you liked looking at the stars as a kid may post an article that inspires you to head back to school. By filtering out your data stream, you are increasing the opportunity to learn, grow, and inevitably find what moves you.

The next step you might take, is to take on a daily practice that will benefit you in the long run. This practice doesn’t have to be an absolute choice, it can be but a means to an end. Perhaps you take up writing in order to communicate about a topic or two that interest you. Then after some time, you begin noticing your posts are all centering around a particular subject. That subject leads you to a new goal in life and an impact you can believe in.

Writing is only one example. It could be a musical instrument, programming, dancing, hiking, or any other practice that on some level you enjoy but also challenges you.

Finding a skill to learn is a great way to lead yourself to finding a passion to pursue, but it can also do something else. The skill can become the passion you pursue. You may pick up an instrument as purely a hobby. You know that you will never be a famous musician, but you keep reading these blog posts that say how beneficial playing music can be to your health so you start playing. After a year or so you find yourself playing more and more, dedicating an ever increasing amount of time to it. You’ve formed a weekend banc with some friends, and even started partaking in some open mic nights. The owner of the bar asks your band if you’d like to play a gig next weekend, and out of nowhere you’re getting paid for something you only ever expected to be a hobby.

Obviously these little stories are circumstantial and they don’t literally mean that any skill you choose will lead you to a perfect reality. But the truth is, you will only ever experience the present so sooner or later you will need to learn to enjoy the present. These stories take place in real life for many people, because they decided in the present to enjoy something, or to put the time into something in order to get better at it. Yes, their present choices were driven by an ideal future, but the future was not taking place when they first made the decision to spend an hour a day working at something.

Deliberate practice over long periods will lead you to substantial impact. But that’s far too over simplified. The truth is, the road to substantial impact is filled with challenges, obstacles, and countless times which you may be driven to quit. This brings us back to an earlier point of leaning into discomfort.

When you find a deliberate practice to take part in, you must be willing to take part in it even when you feel most unable. It is by pushing through the hard times that we create the resilience needed to stick with something over the long term. It is also why we must choose something we can believe in.

Finding something you believe in to begin practicing daily is a great human challenge. Some people find a calling early in life, some are forced into it, some fall into it unknowingly, and the rest of us are left to dig through life blindly searching for purpose. It is only by taking deliberate steps forward, even in the seemingly wrong direction, that we will one day find, or more likely create our calling.

How do you create your own calling? This question has infinite answers, or at least as many answers as there are people alive at any given time. But the simple answer is: just do something. Create something. Whether it’s a shape your body makes: dancing, a shape your pencil makes: drawing, a shape your mouth makes: speaking, or symbols on a digital screen. Maybe you’ll like it, maybe you’ll hate it, but you won’t know unless you try.

There is no way a person can go through life and try everything. But more importantly, there is no way for a human to go through life, trying things constantly, and not stumble upon something they enjoy doing that adds value to the world. Sure, most of us enjoy consuming entertainment, but that’s a short term desire being fulfilled not a long term positive impact. The thing that you will enjoy that creates a positive impact on the world will likely be entirely different from most other people, and that’s great. It may also be something simple that anyone can do, that’s great too. It does not matter what you do, and it does not matter what others may think of you for doing it, it only matters that you care enough to create positive change with it.

Being willing to try new things is a first step towards finding your purpose. It’s perfect to not know what you wish to do with yourself. In fact, many of those who have found their calling would be envious to know of a person seeking purpose who hasn’t found it yet. For that person seeking purpose will be able to experience so many different things on their path towards finding purpose.

Try new things, and if you’re having trouble finding new things to try, change your data stream. Unsubscribe to media that does not serve you, subscribe to things that will feed your mind with ideas. Use the habits and mediums which you already take part in as tools on your search for purpose.

Give yourself more credit, for you are capable of anything. Know that even the most prestigious of people in the world are just like you. We are all human, and at a certain level are capable of the same things. As much as the victims among us like to think they are incapable of certain talents, and as much as elites may think themselves better, we are all very much the same. History and science show us that innate talent is a fallacy. Passion, practice, effort, and time are the ingredients of greatness.

We are all capable individuals with infinite potential wrapped up inside of us. It takes only a single seed to create a forest. For that seed, if tended and nurtured, will grow into a tree. That tree will spawn more seeds, which grow into more trees. These trees attract birds, who bring with them even more seeds. These seeds grow into fruit bearing underbrush, attracting more animals with more seeds. Soon this growth becomes unfathomably large as an entire forest takes root.

This metaphor applies to each and every one of us who is willing to take positive steps in our own lives. That change could be as simple as eating better, exercising more, or watching less TV. It could be a commitment to go back to school, to read more books, to subscribe to educational media. Maybe you’ve picked a skill to work on such as drawing, writing, or programming. Whatever your positive step is, take heart in knowing it may be just the nutrients your inner seed needed to grow. Now you need only to keep caring for it.

How do you know if you’re on the right path? Honestly, you may never know. This is why the journey is far more important than the destination. You must learn to enjoy the present, wherever you are, right now. For the present is all you will ever truly be able to experience, for we perceive the world in three dimensions. Our minds are capable of bending times, through projection and memory, but we ourselves are only ever right here in the now.

Okay, so maybe there are some signs that you’re onto something. One of my favorite signs is this: time stops mattering. It’s that feeling you get when you’re with a group of friends talking late into the night. That feeling you get during a profound movie you weren’t expecting to end. And sometimes it’s not so much a feeling as a choice. Such as now, writing these words, I could turn around at any time and take a look at the clock but I’m not going to. The time does not concern me, at least not so much as the words I am writing do.

An artist may experience this feeling while painting, working late into the night to finish a brilliant piece. A musician gets lost in their music, unconcerned with the world outside of the studio. A programmer, many coffee’s into a long night of programming, doesn’t stop until the feature works perfectly. Perhaps it’s a state of flow, perhaps its a sign of obsession, but either way it’s a sign that you’re truly involved with whatever you are doing.

When you’re early on in your practice you may get the feeling that there’s only so much you can do. Fifteen minutes may be all it takes for you to feel accomplished. An hour a day is a substantial amount of practice over time. You may even feel that after an hour there are no more words to say, no more lines to draw, no more moves to make. But there will come a day when you realize that inside of you lies a near infinite amount of energy, limited only by the physical world in which we live.

Don’t fret if this “infinite energy” thing seems entirely out of reach or just plain crazy. You may or may not experience things the way that has been written here. We all experience the world in our own way, so the words of others can only ever be considered guidelines to your own life. You alone create the rules of your life.

Your own universe is a story, and you are the writer of that story. Whether or not you allow others to write that story is entirely up to you. Having collaborators is highly encouraged, but having an author outside of yourself forcing a story upon you may not be an enjoyable experience. Take the reigns of your own story, and begin writing it.

Sure, there are limitations in the world that may seem to hinder the story you were wishing to tell. But aren’t some of the best stories the ones that take place here in the real world? The ones where a seemingly normal person rises to the top, fighting adversity along the way? Who’s to say your story can’t be just as amazing as theirs? The answer: It’s all up to you.

Patience may be the biggest obstacle for being the author of your life. We may or may not find an ideal image which to strive for. We may even have the wherewithal to begin writing our story towards that ideal. But we may also find ourselves easily discouraged when the story doesn’t move as fast as we had wished. The real world has a funny way of slowing us down sometimes.

Every setback is an opportunity for our story. Humans love nothing more than to see another overcome adversity. Setbacks should not be seen as discouraging, as they are part of what makes our story so amazing. The setbacks and imperfections of our climb towards an ideal are what gives our story color. These struggles are the highlights on the canvas. The most profound pieces of art hold imperfections that make them really come alive.

Between every stimulus and reaction to it is a space. This space is our opportunity to make a choice. Sometimes this space is wide enough for us to evaluate how we wish to react, before we react. Sometimes it is too small to be considered anything more than a moment. In this space we are able to decide how our story will unfold.

How did we decide to react to that break up, getting fired, or that unexpected bill? How did we deal with the consequences afterward? Was it a learning experience, or are we victims of circumstance? No matter the situation, we always have a choice. Even if our response came too quick as to make a good decision, we still hold control over our reaction to ourselves. Do we apologize to others and forgive ourselves, or do we hold grudges and stick to our guns?

It takes practice to respond positively to all situations. We are all human, and sometimes our responses are knee jerk and hurtful. But once the dust has settled we can always go back and apologize for something. Even if we are only forgiving ourselves within our memory. It does not matter if the event took place 5 years of 5 seconds ago, we are still capable of forgiveness to ourselves and others.

By letting go of past grievances we can lift weight from our mind leaving more space for growth. Think of it like pulling weeds from a garden or working to purify the soil for future growth. If you let weeds take over, or consistently put toxins into the soil, nothing fruitful will grow.

This may all sound a bit fluffy, so let’s try a more specific scenario. Think of a friend in school, who one day said something to you that was quite hurtful. You reacted to this with a stream of hurtful words yourself, all but severing your friendship. Your friend never invites you out ever again, not trusting you to be friendly around them or others.

But, what if you apologized? Truly apologizing to your friend about your reaction, telling them why you said what you said and genuinely letting them know you valued the friendship beyond words. Swallowing your pride, some might say. Your friend, after some time perhaps, forgives you and begins inviting you to their friendly get togethers. It’s at one of these gatherings that you meet the love of your life, forever changing your life.

This is a somewhat cheesy scenario, but it does not lay outside the realm of reality. You never know when a kindness will lead to an amazing positive change in your life. While negative events are also capable of steering you towards great things, there is little reason to burn bridges. If you wish not to travel on a bridge anymore, then don’t. You do a disservice to others by burning bridges they may have needed to travel on.

The bridges you build in life serve as connections to others and to opportunities. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you may have as well. But this is a simple way of seeing things. It’s true, you can become quite successful as a professional networker, but quality trumps quantity. A strong network of positive relationships is a great tool towards finding your purpose.

Your network, especially if it is made up of people close to you who support you, can aide in your search for purpose. They may likely see things in you that you are unable to see for yourself, giving you signs towards the purpose which you seek.

Of course, when you feel that you’ve found your purpose the people closest to you can at times try to steer you away. Especially if they don’t see the positive return that you see. It is important not to let even the closest people in your life to deter you from pursuing what you love.

When you have found your path, or just discovering it, your network can be a strong tool for fortifying your purpose. They may likely be the first people to share what you have created with others. This is one reason why it is important not to burn bridges. The more connections you have, the more chances at amplifying your creations.

Another benefit of not burning bridges, is what some refer to as the law of attraction. When you’re well on your way down a path, others begin to notice the energy you’re creating. They may wish to join you, or aide you in your journey. Without bridges, how are they to get to you?

The truth is, the entire world wants to see you succeed. As much as those videos of people hurting themselves may seem funny, we are always more inspired by the people who get back up and try again. If you’re on stage, we all want you to do well. If you’re creating art, we all wish to see something amazing. You may not directly hear encouraging words from others all of the time, but inevitably we all want to see you create amazing things.

People may speak unencouraging words to you, especially early on in your journey. These words are only someone’s projection of themselves. They are seeing you take action on something that they wouldn’t do, or something they are too scared to do. They rationalize this disconnect by trying to get you to be more like them. Forgive them for this, it is only human nature.

Don’t let the words of others discourage you from following your dreams. Even if you’re not following your dreams so much as trying something new in an attempt to find your dreams. You are in control of your own life and how you react to others. Who’s more inspiring? The person that quit because his friends said his new found hobby was silly, or the person that stuck with it?

It may take time, effort, and some heart ache, but sticking with it brings great rewards. The feeling you get when the naysayers from your past begin to cheer you on is ineffable. If you’re passionate about something, even if that passion is a simple as a desire to discover yourself, then the words of others have no weight, unless you give it to them.

It is 7:20PM CST now, which brings me to the end of this little project. I hope whoever read this far enjoyed what they saw, as I have done little to no editing of the words. The time snuck up on me. I was at the same time enjoying this experience while also struggling to keep going. The struggle was far easier than I expected, and I feel that I could continue on.

These three hours created around 5500 words. Though I do not feel the need to quantify how much writing can be accomplished in three hours. The experience of putting thoughts to words is what truly matters.

Thanks for reading.

_Mikenseer