Blog-Talking; finding a new way to keep the writing flowing

It's a new year and I'm finding it necessary to find a new way of doing things when it comes to blogging. I don't know about you, but I have a lot more ideas in my head that I want to write about than I actually end up getting on paper. I seem to be blocked, and it really has started to put me in a funk. I've been really frustrated and mad at myself about not writing and so when I would sit down to write, the pressure of the blinking cursor would hinder the flow of my writing even more.

I knew that it was time to try something new. Score one for the myriad of television commercials that bombard us every day. I saw a Dragon Dictate Software advertisement that gave me a light bulb moment. “Who says that I have to fight with that blank screen and blinking cursor?” I thought. “Who says that I can't try something new? Where is it written that I have to type to write?” After all, many times it’s the conversations running through my head that become the outlines for blogs that I eventually write anyway, so why don't I just cut to the chase and dictate the blog posts, then go back and edit what I've said. Not only will this help me get the thoughts out of my head, and material on the page, but also help me hone my proofreading and editing skills.

So here I sit, alone in my home office, speaking you this blog post. And, I have to admit, it feels a little odd. (It doesn’t help that I am not necessarily the biggest fan of the sound of my own voice.) I’m not facing my monitor, so as not to be distracted by the words magically appearing on the page. I'm working to string together ideas in a somewhat coherent way— searching for the rhythm that used to be set by the pace of my fingers dancing across the computer keyboard. Now all that is taken away. It's just my thoughts, my voice, and me. In a way it feels as liberating as I thought it would be, yet it’s kind of like when you start working out again, you discover your weak muscles.

Will dictation become the key that unlocks my writing process blockage forever? I think with just this one post so far, it is too early to tell. Perhaps I’ll find some hybrid process of talking and typing. But I know if I don’t give up on my goals, ultimately I will find the right blend that will determine my success.

Being self-aware enough to ask yourself the question that I have to give talk-show host and Life Strategist Dr. Phil McGraw credit for originating, “How is that working for you?” is something that I have known for a long time, and lived on a deeper level my whole life. Born with a physical disability I have faced personal adversities, social challenges, and physical obstacles that have required me to problem solve and think creatively. Many times, changing just one or two things—finding one or two solutions “outside the box” —made the difference for how I could navigate in my home, interact with my peers, or achieve personal milestones. When I set my mind to accomplish a goal, I wouldn’t let anything stand in my way of achieving that goal. I credit this personal philosophy with a lot of the success that I have achieved in my life.

But it's funny how as we get older and reach adulthood, not only is our youthful innocence eroded, but also the idealism that makes us believe we can achieve anything we set our mind and heart to. It is easy to look to outside influences and external forces as excuses or blame others for why we aren’t able to achieve that success that we so desire, when truthfully, many times, it is really only ourselves that is keeping us from reaching our highest potential.