Like Ernest Hemingway! 

This morning as I stumbled along reading posts I found the Positivity Blog, Simple Tips and Habits That Work in Real Life.  What a great concept for a blog. Everyone is looking for things that really work every day.

This particular post was Ernest Hemingway’s Top 9 Words of Wisdom by HENRIK EDBERG. 

Now you may not be a writer, or maybe you are already a successful writer but this article is for everyone. I believe these nine words of wisdom which Mr. Hemingway applied to his life and his writing could benefit us all.

Here is what I gleaned from the post:

1. Listen more.
   • Be present. How many times have we heard that lately? Seems everyone is attempting to slow down and smell the roses. Some of my best lines came from a conversation I overheard in a restaurant.
2. Trust yourself.
   • This is very hard for me. But at some point, as a writer, I must trust my writing and the readers. Did I mention this is not easy?
3. Eyes on the prize.
   • Again, not easy. I have a tendency to get distracted. Busy does not mean moving in the right direction. Multi-tasking is not a talent. Keep writing.
4. Make writing a habit.
   • Nike once had a motto, Just Do It. Seems I need to adopt this for my writing. What about you?
5. Attitude is everything.
   • Fake it till you make it. Failure is okay as long as I don’t quit. Get back on the horse that threw me. All right, all right that’s enough platitudes.
6. When the times are tough, the tough get going.
   • Sorry, had to do one more bit of bullshit, LOL.  But in all honesty, writing is hard so sometimes I have to slough through the hard days.
7. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
   • I think we all struggle with this concept. But when I think about it will anyone really remember that I left the sink full of dirty dishes last night?
8. Turn my imagination loose.
   • If I can’t suspend disbelief, how can I expect my readers to? Hmm, food for thought. Gotta mull this one around a little more.
9. Understand rather than judge.
   • Whoa, that’s deep. Accepting and understanding not only what I feel and think but also the feelings of others. Kinda brings us full circle to #1 (Listen.)

Reading this post tells me that not only was Ernest Hemingway a great writer he was a wise man.

What do you think?

Could this apply to everyday life?

Talk to me – I love reading your comments.

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