Posted on by Denise Hartzler

Face Everything And Rise Mindset

In the past, I wrote about the many acronyms for the word fear. The one I specifically wrote about was “False Evidence Appearing Real.” While there is truth to this acronym, I am shifting my mindset to realizing that FEAR should mean “Face Everything And Rise.”

Reframing how one looks at fear can have profound positive effects on one’s ability to push harder toward one’s goals. When we realize the power of facing our fears, we transform an obstacle into an opportunity for growth. Each fear we push past provides a stepping stone toward our most authentic potential. 

How do we embrace this new perspective: 

  1. Acknowledge the fear. Denying a fear gives it power. Write down what you are afraid of and acknowledge its presence. Are you afraid of failure? Are you afraid of upsetting someone? Are you afraid to put your needs ahead of those you love? Are you afraid to make a career change? Are you afraid to give up drinking? Are you afraid of not being perfect? Regardless of how big or small this fear you are holding on to and feeding, it does not matter. The moment you acknowledge its presence is enough to make a shift toward liberation. 
  2. Analyze the source. This part can sometimes be painful as we move towards the root. Finding the root means looking at past experiences, familial or societal pressures, or self-doubt. Find the negative experience and reframe the situation to learn the lesson. Side note: I firmly believe that certain things will keep repeating until the lesson is learned. So, what can you learn from this experience that has your fear firmly rooted in you? 
  3. Take that first step (and small ones after that). Facing everything and rise doesn’t mean diving into the deep end. Take incremental steps toward your goals. I’ll use my fear of public speaking. I started by speaking in front of a small group. Gradually, I began to increase the audience size, and I felt the confidence building. I’m still acclimating, and it’s still nerve-wracking right before I have to speak, but once I get going, I find my nerves settling in for a conversation.  
  4. Celebrate. Every time you face a fear and rise above it, celebrate your achievement. Recognizing your progress reinforces the positive mindset and motivates you to tackle more challenges. Keep a journal of your successes to remind yourself of your strength and resilience.

When you adopt the “Face Everything and Rise mindset,” fear becomes the catalyst for growth. You’ll develop resilience, gain confidence, and expand your comfort zone. Shifting your mindset about fear from avoidance to empowerment can transform your life. 

I hope you can try to embrace the concept of “Face Everything and Rise” to confront your fears head-on and use them as opportunities for growth. Remember, the path to your authentic self often lies on the other side of fear.

Up next on the blog: It’s time to check your surroundings! We are talking about how to take account of who is in your circle. Friends, family, colleagues…if they aren’t inspiring you to be creative, it’s a cage, not a circle!

Posted on by Denise Hartzler · 1 Comment

Motivational Writing Tips: Part II

In last week’s post, we discussed getting into a motivational mindset for any writer struggling or needing a reset. Now is the perfect time to shift your mindset from struggling to striving because the seasons are about to change, and NaNoWriMo preparation month is only a few weeks away! 

This week, let’s focus on the next four steps in our 12 steps of cultivating a positive writer’s mindset. Here we go:

4. Morning Routine: You will hear this in every motivational mindset training known to humankind. Ask any successful person, and they will tell you that they have a non-negotiable morning routine – it is a routine that they rarely skip out on and never apologize for having. This routine travels with them as well. Hotels. Family vacations. Bad weather. Good weather. There are no excuses for skipping out on their morning routine. Starting your day with prayers, positive affirmations, exercise, journaling, or watching the sun rise has endless benefits on your mindset. It sets a positive tone for the day. It may feel like the only positive thing that happens on some days! It may be the only task you accomplish on some days. But again, it sets the tone for the day. Make your morning routine positive and non-negotiable. If you don’t feel like getting out of bed, do the Mel Robbins 5-4-3-2-1 countdown. Remember your ‘why’ ~ remind yourself why you are getting out of bed.

5. Visualize Success: I am new to practicing visualizing (or manifesting). It follows the general law of attraction. If you can see it, you can be it. I encourage you to visualize your writing success. Imagine the accomplishment and joy you’ll feel when you complete your writing project. Several authors I know take pictures of themselves sitting on a mini-stage in Barnes and Noble. They imagine what it will be like when they are a guest speaker reading from their novel. Once you have your success image, have faith that God (or whatever higher power you believe in) will make it bigger than you can imagine. I often talk about ways to serve others with or without commercial success. After all, helping someone who is facing a struggle or is just beginning something you have been working on for years is what we need in this world, especially now more than ever.

6. Practice Self-Compassion: Writing can be challenging, and setbacks are a normal part of the process. I encourage you to practice self-compassion and treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer to a friend. I listened to a conversation with Matthew McConaughey last week in which he talks about how to be the best version of ourselves to serve others. The biggest takeaway was when he said, “We must learn how to be selfish to be selfless.” It was a simple statement, but it is heavily weighted in truth. To be the best versions of ourselves, we must take care of ourselves first, and then we can help others. We can serve other’s needs because most of ours have been met. Think about what needs you have right now. For me, my physical health needs attention. I need to overhaul how I eat for my body to feel well. So, I have to comfort myself by giving it organic foods that will fuel me rather than the inflammation. All summer, I’ve been practicing mindfulness. I’m taking time to pray and journal at sunrise. This small 30-minute practice gives my anxious brain time to be calm. It gives me time to breathe in peace. Another trick by Mel Robbins is the High-5 habit. Every morning, she looks herself in the eye in the bathroom mirror and gives herself a high-5 – physically touching her hand to the mirror. Giving yourself this type of encouragement is a form of self-compassion. It feels awkward at first, but it can be powerful.

7. Find Inspiration: If you are stuck in a writing rut, I want to help you discover sources of inspiration. Whether reading other authors’ work, exploring new genres, or taking nature walks, finding what fuels your creativity can make the writing journey more enjoyable. If you are tired of walking in nature or around your neighborhood, go to a coffee shop in a nearby metropolitan area and people-watch. Immerse yourself in a new environment. Take a journal with you to capture the moment using all five senses. And vice-versa. If you live in a city, go to a nearby park. Taking an informational course can be inspirational to your writing. Seek out free online seminars about topics you always wanted to learn about. I have a very active public library that always hosts hands-on workshops or lectures, and it’s all free. One day, I found an old church and asked if I could sit in the chapel. I sat there for nearly an hour, taking in the stained glass windows, listening to the pew creaking under my shifting weight, and noticing the smell of frankincense and lemon polish. If there’s one thing I am sure about, it’s that to find inspiration, we must unplug. Unplug from the phones and the noise of the world (even if it’s positive). Start by taking a few minutes and then a few hours, eventually taking breaks for an entire day. It will feel good, I promise. You might have some anxiety initially, but the more you ditch the noise, the calmer you will feel.

This mini-series aims to bring you closer to your writing dreams and help you breathe new life into your writing life. Making subtle shifts can have profound effects on your life. Come back next week for the final four tips! 

I’d love to hear if any of these tips resonate with you and if you have tried them or plan to give them a shot! Remember, writing is a journey worth sharing.

Posted on by Denise Hartzler

Happy birthday, America!

Happy fourth of July, America! Another year to celebrate all that this country has been through and continues to face. As we celebrate America’s birthday with all things “American” – hamburgers, hot dogs, picnics, family gatherings, fireworks, concerts, work, and so much more, it got me thinking, what does celebrating the Fourth of July have to do with writing? A lot, but I’ll mention only a few that are on my mind.

First and foremost, America was born from an idea.

Much like stories, America was nothing more than an idea. That idea led to conversations that expanded into a more extended narrative and reached more and more people. These people then took upon the idea of freedom and fought hard for it, and because they put the word freedom into action, a new nation was born. That is America’s history at its core. A nation born from an idea.

America’s narrative continues to undergo edits and rewrites, year after year. If you are a writer, you know that your first piece of writing must undergo edits and revisions before leaving your computer. No one, and I mean no one who wants a career in writing, will ever submit the first draft to an agent, editor, or even their blog without a few rewrites or edits. And that’s how this great country survives and thrives. I will not get into the politics of rewriting history, but whether we like it or not, America is undergoing a revision. And as writers, we know revisions can be long, arduous, and painful but necessary.

So, my dear America, I want to tell you on your birthday: stay strong. You will survive all that we have faced this past year, and you will continue to thrive. How do I know this? Because you are that never-ending novel that doesn’t want to stay in the top drawer, you have never-ending revisions, and with each passing year, authors write their version of your original idea – freedom and justice for all.

Happy Birthday, America!