Why write?

Friends and family often ask me why I bother with writing.

The answer is quite simple really. It’s because I love it. It’s what I like to do in my spare time.

Some like to play games, for instance candy crush, ha-ha, while others like to gamble or go to pubs. There are those who devote every spare minute that they have to the gym. Some read, some drink, some do gardening or build things. There are those who are big on renovations-they will finish one project and immediately begin a new one. Some are into their sports, some cook, others clean and some drift.

Not me-I write.

I write even if no one reads my words. Why? Because I enjoy it. It is my favourite pastime. Just as others have their favourite activities, I have mine. My writing takes me into a world which I create. A place where all my secret fears and desires congregate until I bring them out into the open. The place where I have total control over them. And since I am a bit of a control freak, that suits me perfectly.

There is a little bit of me and a little bit of everyone that I know in everything I write. The teaser for those who do actually read my work, is trying to figure out which parts are based on myself and which parts are based on those around me. My characters may be fictional, but most of them are inspired by my acquaintances-family, friends, work colleagues, and of course, adversaries.

My chosen genre is paranormal romance. The paranormal because I love all things that cannot be explained. My favourite quote here would have to be from ‘City of Angels’ – “Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” And I choose to merge romance with it because I’m a sucker for a good love story with a happy, or at least... an almost happy ending.

Now that I’ve clarified why it is that I write, one question still remains...

Who am I writing about? And are they playing the part of the antagonist or the part of the protagonist? That is, and always will, remain classified. However, you are more than welcome to speculate. (Wink, wink.)

Until next time..

M.C.

Self image

Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you were flawless?

I have.

Unfortunately most of us will never know what it’s like, but I assume that those who have been blessed with ‘having it all’ are totally oblivious of how lucky they are. Most of us can only dream of having the perfect body, the perfect face, being the perfect height, having great hair, skin, and so on. It’s a shame that those who come close to perfection often take it for granted.

We set the standard for perfection. The advertisements on TV show images of beautiful people. The majority of us fall short, to a degree, of that standard. A shame really, because each and every one of us has something beautiful to offer to the world. Whether it’s a feature or a characteristic or a even a form of charisma, it’s there, but we refuse to see it because we are so critical of ourselves. We forever judge or compare ourselves to others which is wrong, and we know that it’s wrong, but we can’t help it. It’s the way we are.

Would we really be more successful if we were better looking? Had a great body? Were taller, shorter, whatever?

Who says that ‘pretty Mary’ will have a better career than ‘ordinary Kate?’ (Not real names by the way.) Our upbringing does, that’s who.

Self image is formed when we are young. Because of this, every child needs to be enlightened with positive words about themselves, no matter what! Every child needs to hear that they are capable and clever as well as beautiful. They need to be constantly reminded that they can do whatever they want to do and they can be who they want to be when they grow up. It’s a must!

Words are powerful and a child will remember them. They are also free. So be generous with your positive words and tight with your negative ones because chances are they’ll be remembered more than the Playstation 3 that you bought for them last Christmas. Positive words are the only tools needed to build up confidence. If you don’t supply those tools and continuously keep them well stocked, then consider yourself the reason for creating a weak structure that will inevitably collapse at the first sign of a storm.

Look at the bullying situation in schools. A bully is a bully because they have poor self image and a child that is continuously bullied allows it to happen because they feel as though they deserve it. Is there such a thing as a child with a ‘great sense of self’ that is constantly bullied? I don’t think so. I haven’t seen one yet. And it’s THAT confidence that they have in themselves that actually repels the intimidators. Bullies only attack the weak because they know that they can get away with it. They’ll never attack the popular kid because the popular ones radiate poise and poise is the enemy of insecurity.

Teach your children how to wear the armour of self-confidence and self-worth and they will not be dragged down by the tyrants of this world. You can’t always be there by their side to shield and protect them, but you can teach them how to defend themselves. It is our responsibility as parents to keep our children safe and happy and if given the right tools while they are young, they can then go forth into the world of adulthood and succeed with confidence, no matter what they look like on the outside.

Never ever tell a child that they are not good enough to achieve a certain goal!  

As for the rest of us who already reside in THAT land, all I can say is...let’s change the way we see ourselves and that in turn will change the way others see us. Not all of the rich, famous and powerful people are beautiful on the outside, it’s what you can’t see with the naked eye that makes them different. If we could get inside their heads I’m sure that we would see that it’s filled with nothing but faith and self-assurance which is what powered them towards their goals in the first place. We can have those qualities too, we just need to believe.

Until next time...

M.C.