perspective

I read an article about how attempting to view and understand yourself and others from an outsider perspective can be life changing. One of the examples given was about reacting with anger to something upsetting, and how — if you could observe yourself from a third-person perspective — you’d probably see that anger was counterproductive and lashing out would be regretted later.

I started thinking about that in my own life and in what I’m trying to do right now: writing.

If there were a movie about a character who had written a novel, studied screenwriting, always wanted to write, and was writing several promising-seeming projects all at the same time, the audience would think “this person should be writing.” If that character was applying for dozens of jobs a week doing something other than writing their own stuff, the audience would think this was being untrue to themselves and their own ambitions, desires, and talents.

So I guess I’m on the right path.

It doesn’t change the fact that I need to make money to keep my kids and me fed and housed, though.

So I guess the idea of shifting my perspective clarifies what I should be doing — what I want to do (and maybe what the world wants me to do). It doesn’t change what I need to do, though.

I scheduled an interview for Tuesday, though, so for now I’ll allow myself to get to work on my pseudo-vampire thriller novel.