Monday, April 13, 2015

A to Z Challenge - K is for


K is for Kindness

I know you've heard it a thousand times before: be kind to yourself. You've heard that, and maybe even rolled your eyes. You're kind to yourself. What's not to be kind about.

But are you?

Really.

As a writer, you thrive on the isolation of writing. You spend the better part of your life alone, in solitude, writing about characters that don't exist. You pass on social interactions because the need to write is so strong.

Who says you don't take care of yourself? You write, and that's a form of self-love.

But what about when things aren't so great and your career feels as if it's standing still? Are you kind to yourself then?

Think about that for a moment....

Kindness isn't a bad thing. Kindness to oneself is a privilege and an honour. Self kindness will make you a better writer.

So...

Next time you're not being so kind to yourself, ask yourself "Why?"


24 comments:

i b arora said...

i thought a normal is kind to himself only for it's really difficult to be kind to others, no?

Jolie du Pre said...

First, I read A to Z blogs early in the morning. Thank you for having your K post ready. I've been to at least 11 blogs so far, but only a few had their K posts ready. Second, yes, I need to remember to be kind to myself. I'm guilty of a lot of negative self-talk these days.

Precious Monsters

Christine Rains said...

What a lovely post. I think a lot of us are generous with others but harder on ourselves. I know I am.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Great reminder, Joylene.

Pat Hatt said...

So I can't just ask the cat why? lol

Michelle Wallace said...

I need to practise being kinder to myself.
Thank you, Joylene.

cleemckenzie said...

Thanks. I'm often guilty of unkind acts toward myself. Like, cursing myself out when the writing sucks. I'm going to stop that right now.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Morning everyone! Thanks for your comments. I'm trying to be kinder to myself too.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I guess we're unkind to ourselves because as writers we're used to pushing ourselves.

Carol Garvin said...

I think we're conditioned from childhood to be kind to others, and that it's selfish to consider ourselves first, so when it comes to addressing our needs as adults, we feel guilty. The other problem is identifying *how* to be kind to ourselves. I'm going to have to give this some thought. Any suggestions? :)

Dee said...

Oh gosh, this hit me. I'm often unkind to myself. I guess that's the main thing causing my insecurity as a writer. I need to change that.

K is for Kisses from the Future [a short story]

Susan Kane said...

My post for today is also Kindness. With out kindness to self and others, this world would be a desolate place.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I'm not always kind to myself. That's why this year, I'm taking steps to ensure I'm better about it and appreciate what I accomplish.

~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

Lisa said...

I try to be, but habits are hard to break and sometimes I get so caught up in my own head, I forget I'm not being kind in my thoughts to myself and my writing efforts. Comes from basing everything on how much one makes moolah wise I think... Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Joylene - I'm pretty good with my being kind to me - but probably could definitely concentrate more on me ...

However I do try and respect others and be kind as I deal with everyone .. and I smile .. cheers Hilary

Unknown said...

powerful one.

Dani said...

Thanks for visiting me at News From Nowhere !

HappinessSavouredHot (Julie Saint-Mleux) said...

I love your blog's title! I think "insecure writer" must be redundant... aren't we all? But being kind to ourselves is THE way to get ahead with our writing. Keep it up!

Aidyl Ewoh said...

Being kind to ourselves and to others is a really important thing. :) Thanks for sharing!

Stopping by from the A to Z Challenge! Aidyl@Noveltea

Chris K. said...

That's a very good point, thanks for mentioning it. Of course, the next question that pops up is, "now that I know I want to be kind to myself, what's the best way to do that?" :)

Come visit me at http://chriskelworth.com/blog/

Michael Di Gesu said...

Nicely said, Joylene! We do need to be kinder to ourselves...

Thanks for the reminder!

klahanie said...

Hey Joylene,

Delighted to see you on MY site. Thank you, Kindly.

I understand what you are saying here. In my case, a bit of self-loathing has balanced my writing along with self-kindness. Yep, I'm a bit of an enigma...

Take care of your kind self :)

Gary, eh....

Nadine_Feldman said...

I think we writers need posts like this more than any "how to." When I am kind to myself, I remember why I write and don't get caught up in the results (sales). Kindness get the job done...I just sometimes forget that. When I get regimented or too much into the "work," the work suffers.

Anonymous said...

I like that.