I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Month: October 2016
I took a walk yesterday. I came up with some excuse that I needed to go shopping for something, so I went out. I probably didn’t need what I thought I needed, not right then, but I went out anyway.
It was a reason to get away from what I should have been doing. I’ve got a lot to do, and I believed a full and free Sunday would allow me the time to make a good dent. I need to make some progress.
But, from the moment I woke, I allowed myself to do a few other things. These were things I also needed to get done, but they were things I could do anytime. I did them anyway.
I was procrastinating.
I do that sometimes. I find an excuse to put off projects and I know I shouldn’t, but I do anyway. That’s pretty much the dictionary definition of procrastination, and yesterday fit the exact description.
I strolled towards my intended destination. I almost stopped for coffee but avoided the delay (another word for procrastinating). As I walked, and as I looked, I began to take notice of the graffiti that smears the city. Often I will stop and photograph the bits and pieces that catch my eye. Sometimes they will appear in this space as a daily breath; little thoughts that get me thinking.
Sometimes the messages are strong, almost a sign.
“The will must be stronger than the skill.”
This graffiti hit home.
I know what I have to do, and I’ve got what it takes to get it done. I have less time to do it in (especially after wasting much of yesterday), and still I put it off. I can’t figure out why.
I have the skill, but have I lost the will?
If you want to do something, to accomplish anything, you’ve got to keep pushing. You have to be able to put off all the distractions and indulgences (and excuses), and forge ahead with your intended purpose.
It takes willpower, more than skillpower.
So I took the writing on the wall to heart and I turned around. I never made it to the store to get whatever I thought I needed. I sat down and got back to work on my project, and I got it done.
Well, I didn’t actually complete what I started, but I will.
Willpower.
j.g.l.
off the grid
away from it all
no e-mail
no distractions
don’t answer the call
what else will you do
if you simply unplug?
do you remember
the sound of silence?
