Huxley Versus Chafee

Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead.

Aldous Huxley

Trust is built with consistency.

Lincoln Chafee

It seems like Aldous and Lincoln have very different interpretations of consistency. Who is right? It would seem both ideas cannot exist at the same time and be right. What do you think? 

Think about it.

Thanks for reading. 

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Let's Focus a Bit...

By Douglas Clark

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.

~Tony Robbins

A very big challenge for me has always been focus. True at heart, I am a day dreamer. There have been and are multiple scenarios and situations where I find myself being whisked away to a dreamland conjured up from my imagination. It's just fun to get lost in a world of my own creation. 

From a young age, if I were staring out the window of my parents’ car, watching the rain come down, stuck at the dentist’s office, bored at school, etc., I would always find myself creating fantastical narratives for me and my imaginary characters to explore. Now I never got in trouble in school or work for distractions, but I realized a long time ago that even though daydreaming and imaginations are great fodder for creating art, lack of focus can wash away all relevance those daydreams brought.

You see, focus keeps us in line. Focusing on the job at hand, getting things done, and checking things off the ‘to do’ list help you keep an organized life, but if you don’t find time to daydream, that life becomes pretty sterile. I find that sometimes when I get focused on my day-to-day chores and responsibilities, I lose that head in the clouds type mindset that helps me create.  

It took me a long time to realize balancing my life between focused responsibility and daydreaming is vital. I love to daydream and just imagine, but when I apply my focus and determination to expression– that’s when real creativity begins. For a long time I wanted to write a full novel, but it wasn't until I focused my determination and married it with my creativity did I actually finish one. 

Being good at a few, or even just one thing can bring order and meaning into our lives. I’ve often thought about my education and what type of expertise and authority it brings to my opinion about literature and writing. From my experiences and studies I know I don’t know everything, but I know enough to comment and help others improve. It’s more than I could do in a physics class. I’d be totally lost. But the written and spoken word – well I’ve done pretty good for myself learning how to use them both. 

Now obviously I still have a lot to learn. With such a diverse and growing language as English, there’s always more to know. But language is the one thing I know I’m good at, even if sometimes I need a reminder about how much more I need to know about focus. I’m not myopic in the subject matter in which I’d like to learn more, but I narrowed it down considerably from when I was younger.

Learning who you are and what you like is a long process; you change as you grow up and gain experience. Staying focused on what you want and love helps to bring clarity to your actions and direction. If you suffer from a lack of direction or focus, look at the things that are distracting you. The answer to finding focus might be staring you right in the face. Oh, and no matter how many times you get side tracked and distracted, make sure you come back to focusing on your dreams and goals. Sooner or later, staying focused on your mission will become a habit.

Thanks for reading

Questions and comments welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Need a place to publish your work?

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Every once in a while I find a cool website that really makes an impression. Recently I found one that I think will help budding young writers get their work out there. The website is called Every Writers Resource. It really has pretty much everything that you could ask for as a writer. There are articles, interviews, forums, writing courses, blogs, but my favorite part is the lists of literary magazines and book publishers. You can find valuable submission information and what to expect if you try to publish. I’ve used this valuable resource dozens of times during my attempts at getting published. Every Writers Resource has made it infinitely easier to find publications that fit my writing style. Granted, I haven’t been published by anyone yet, but half the battle is just finding the right publication to submit your work to.

If you are interested in publishing any of your work, give this website a try. I think you might find it a valuable addition to your publication ambitions. 

Thanks for reading.

Questions and Comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

In an effort to expand the powers of motivation and creativity, the Inspiration Engine has expanded. Recently, the Engine provided a guest post to Studio 747. Check out all the great advice they have over there. I think you will find it very helpful. 

And if you want to give the Inspiration Engine's guest post a read, click here. 

Thanks for reading.

Questions and Comments are welcome. 

DouglasHClark.com

The Little Island That Could

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

So the forces that keep our planet in a perpetual state of rebirth did it again. Off the coast of Japan, a new island was born yesterday. Granted, it’s a tiny little thing, but the idea of land, reaching from below the ocean waves, cresting the water’s edge and  rising up toward the sky fascinates me. The concept is not new, one only needs to study the Hawaiian Islands to understand just how powerful island building can be. But for me, I like to get lost in the idea of the new island's growth. How big will it become? Will flora and fauna take hold and make it a lush paradise? Will it remain barren and lifeless because of continued volcanic activity? Will it get washed away from the relentless pounding waves against its tiny, fragile infant shores? I find myself wanting to visit that little speck of land, just to see it in person.

In reality, only time will tell what happens to this little island, but imagination brings a whole host of possibilities. That’s the beauty of taking reality as the basis for your ideas. Mother Nature gives us everything we need and all we will ever have. But it doesn’t have to end there. As a writer I use reality as a spring board, a starting point, and a frame of reference. From there I expand and explore the story, creating a new reality. Each story is different and takes on its own unique set of details, characteristics and flaws. Much like real life the unexpected arises, tragedies and triumphs unfold, and lives are lived, people are loved, lessons are learned, and remembered.

It’s impossible to rewrite the past. However, when writing, you can mold the characters, setting, plot, actions, and whatever else you wish to tell the story. Unbound by the limitations of reality, the only thing needed is to remain true to the reality you create in your new universe. You decide if that tiny infant island grows up to be a colossus like Kilauea or gets pummeled and washed away by relentless tides.

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Let's Be Positive

by Douglas Clark

You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. ~Epicurus

When things are their hardest, you really need people around you that are of high quality. Positive, honest, and genuinely caring relationships make life so much easier. Forging relationships with even just one person that sees the positive and virtuous elements in life will lift your spirits and change your perspective on life, your outlook, and your demeanor. I count myself fortunate to know several positive, virtuous people. And to be honest, I’m glad they are in my life for the simple fact that they help me to see things clearly. It is especially true when life and the negativity that sometimes clings to it seem to attack you.

There’s an old saying that goes something like “you know your real friends when things go wrong”, and that’s really true. Those that stick around and help you out when you are feeling low, downtrodden, beaten by life, and sad truly deserved respect and admiration. Not everyone you know will stick with you when life gets rough, even if it isn’t your fault. Drawing on their strength and support is invaluable. And those who have such wonderful people in their lives know what I’m talking about. These people are an inspiration in their own right, even if they don’t believe it or are unaware of just how supportive they are.

I’ve made mistakes in my life and said the wrong thing, but I’ve always tried to communicate as effectively as I could. To me, the ability to really listen to what the other person is saying, but also how they are feeling makes a true difference in understanding their perspective. Now, I have also experienced people that care for nothing but churning the hate and stirring up controversy. The key is avoiding that type of negativity and focusing on the positive. Obviously that is easier said than done, but if you continually steer yourself back toward the positive, you might just find that it becomes a habit.

Adversity is a fact of life. It cannot be avoided, but it can be mitigated. If others you know are more successful, more focused, more motivated, or just happier, look to them for inspiration. Ask them what keeps them so positive and try to emulate their style. At least attempting to change your ways is better than submitting to apathy.

Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

NaNo Update

By Douglas Clark

Hello everyone! I hope your week has gone well. Mine has been full of drama and excitement. I wish I could say all of it was contained in my novel, but alas real life must sometimes intrude on every writer's quest. I did however feel it necessary to give an update on my writing progress during the National Novel Writing Month Contest.

The contest started on November 1st and goes to November 30th. So here's a simple breakdown of how I've been doing.

November 1= 1672
November 2 = 0 (ouch, this really hurt me)
November 3 = 1420
November 4 = 1357
November 5 = 1440
November 6 = 905

Not even a week in and I've fallen almost two days behind. That is not insurmountable, but I need to be more diligent in getting to my quota each day. However, I've decided that I will not sacrifice quality for quantity. I look at this contest as an exercise to help build discipline and consistency, not just to spew word vomit on a page to reach a specific number. The way I see it, even if I reach the 50,000 mark or not at the end, I've already won, because hey, I'm writing another novel. 

I'll give updates every week until the end. Next Thursday's post will be back to my weekly attempt to inspire and motive with tales of everyday life and moments of brilliant inspiration. Until then, keep creating.

Thanks for reading.
Questions and Comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com