Attitudes and Positive Affirmations

Attitudes make all the difference in the world. I've been exploring my own attitude about being a writer and how it affects my work. I've discovered that the poorer the attitude, the harder it is to write a good story. Lately, I've discovered a definite lack of positive affirmations to build me up and give me the courage to write. I constantly question my writing skills.

Am I really writing on a level that portrays what I'm trying to say?

Am I good enough to put my work out to the public?

I see other writers that are able to say their work is good. Why am I afraid to do this? Sometimes I lack confidence in myself and will find myself running self-criticism in my head. This is called your inner critic. An example of this is when I recently won third place in a writing contest. My reaction was: What? Did only three people enter?

I've been told that all writers go through periods of self-doubt and lack of confidence. With this in mind, I can lean on the fact that all writers have been through what I've experienced. Therefore, I've decided to give myself an exercise and attack the inner critic with a barrage of positive self-talk.

1. I am an aspiring writer, climbing up the ladder and learning as I go.
2. I can only be who I am and the more I write the better I will become.
3. As my urge to write increases, my desire for more knowledge expands with it. This will make each story more in exciting and appealing.
4. I am not alone, even though as a writer I write alone. My friends and colleagues support me with their critiques and friendship.
5. I am a good writer. Each stage of growth proves that I grow and become better all the time.

Even as I write these positive affirmations I feel my inner being becoming stronger and lighter. The heavy burden of intense criticism is peeling away like the layers of an onion. What's left is the honest critiques that we give ourselves as writers.

If you are suffering from an inner critic that is hammering at you, try writing some "love notes" to yourself and see what happens!