Gyppo's post on psychology is a great 'think starter'.  I'd like to share something I went through earlier this year - where some psychology is involved, but it's about an analogy that will make sense to you folks.

The 'inner voice' that we have, that tells us 'that's not good enough' or 'you can do better' or 'what, not writing today lazy?' or even 'wow, that's amazing. Put your pen down you are DONE!'....

That little voice in your head, we all have it.  I went on a course that defined this inner voice as a 'script' - it's a script that has been gifted to us since the day we were born, line by line.  It's contributed to by our parents, friends, media, peers, experiences, everything that we take in and absorb gets added in a line or a chapter to our inner script.

I didn't like the analogy at first, but we went through five (gruelling in some ways I have to say) days of analysing what our script tells us.  So mine tells me I'm a failure, and not good enough, that I'm not passionate enough about anything to make a difference, that I'm a bad mother... you know, the usual crap. 

The thing about this course was that, turning into a script, gave me the opportunity to not play to it.  So, I don't think anyone on here who knows me (or even who doesn't) would say any of those things about me, so why should I listen to the script and believe it? 

It's a whole load more complex than that, of course, but I thought I'd share as the script may resonate with others. It did with me in the end. The result of the course, by the way, is that for almost the first time since I can remember, I like me!

I do think we can use NLP techniques in writing, BTW, especially using all the senses  8)

Wow Carrie that makes 100% sense mate. It must have been mentally exhausting for a lot of those days but to have that outcome is pretty cool  ;D

Thanks Fly. Yeah, in a good place now. Hence wanting to write again!

So glad to hear you're writing again, Carrie.

Yes, that resonates with me.

The you're not good enough part in particular. It's paralysing. And believe me when I say it's much worse than being in a wheelchair. But I'm fighting it, and getting better at it.

I like the idea of it all being a script, and my being able to choose to play along - or not. Saying no to the script sounds like a mighty good idea.

Glad it makes sense to everyone.  If you are interested in the guy who delivered the course I went on, search Richard Wilkins and Broadband Consciousness. He's a bit of an odd fish, but talks a lot of sense.

The 'you are not good enough' is such a hard one to bust - because it can apply to so many things; work, love, family...

But the answer is you are good enough. None of us get it right all the time. It's OK to be not OK. Failing doesn't make you a failure, it usually teaches you something. I used to think of myself as a failure it lots of ways, but I understand now that failing at particular things is something that happens, and has happened to me. Doesn't mean that 'failure' is my identity any more than 'secretary' (in the 1980s) is my identity.

Happy New Year folks

Carrie