Don’t Worry. Be Happy and Write
By Erika Hoffman
Years ago, I took a class on “Authentic Happiness” taught by a NC State professor who offered these continuing education classes at UNC’s Friday Center. Often, I signed up for classes related to writing. Although this one wasn’t, I reflect on it when I sit down to compose a fictional story, personal essay, or even an article.
Professor O’Neal stressed that the happiest people are those who feel gratitude. People who kept gratitude journals were more optimistic about the upcoming week and made more progress completing goals. Children who felt blessed and grateful had a more positive attitude toward school and families. Faith enhanced feelings of gratitude. He encouraged folks to think about three blessings in their lives each day.
He said it’s important to share good news. It will make the news more personally meaningful to you due to the effects of receiving enthusiastic feedback from someone rather than the act of just retelling your good news.
So, express your thankfulness.
Look for ways you should be grateful.
Feel the effects of it.
Happiness comes from taking risks and giving yourself permission to be human. Be a merit finder, not a fault finder. Simplify your life; cultivate relationships; forgive yourself; forgive others and exercise. Work toward worthy goals, journal, determine your strengths, be spiritual, let your word be impeccable.
As I listened to his lecture, I thought how much of his lessons on how to be happy can be applied to writing. Your words determine how you experience the world. The world furnishes evidence for your opinions. We make up our minds and then look for facts which reinforce what we believe. Internal monologues are what we bring into the world when we write. Affirmative affirmations can help a body feel safe, happy, and at peace.
One exercise we did was to turn to a partner and say: “Tell me how terrific you are.” The person would answer: “I’m terrific because…” When he finished relating to us why he was terrific, we’d ask him again to tell us how terrific he was and then again and again. The person focuses on what is right with him and his life and not on what is wrong or negative.
Would those of us who want to be writers be better off if we concentrate on what is right with our stories, not what is wrong with them? Aren’t we, as writers, better off, when we write that first shitty draft and not concentrate on dotting every “i” and crossing every “t?” Don’t we writers have better take away messages when we write from the heart and give ourselves permission to be human, showing our warts et al? And don’t we succeed more when we take risks and market our oeuvres divers different places and when we experiment with different genres?
Only you know your life and see the world through your eyes. Convey your take on the world. Never worry about what you think might sell. Simplify. Don’t cloud your prose with unnecessary jargon and gibberish.
Write and be happy and grateful that you have found that peace of mind writing gives you. Share with the world what you know, what you think, what you imagine.