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Put the Pen Down: When to Get Away
A professor in college once told my Soviet studies class, “Sometimes you have to go away to get close.” I can’t remember the reference, but the meaning behind the quote stuck to me permanently.
Writing can provide great therapy. It’s often an effective negotiation tool. It’s a means of making a living for many. For others, it’s a way to build a legacy or document a story. But there are times when putting the pen down for a while is the healthiest—and even most productive—choice. Here are a few of those times.
Dr. Maya Angelou Interview on Courage and Fear: “Write Letters. Protest…Never whine.”
One of my career highlights was interviewing the late Dr. Maya Angelou decades ago. A highly respected poet laureate and author, she shared words about fear, courage, and how to act on them. They feel as helpful today as then, so I’m sharing them again.
DR. MAYA ANGELOU: “Write letters. Protest. Never whine. Whining lets a brute know that a victim is in the neighborhood. But protest, yes, all the way to the Supreme Court.…I will not condone cruelty. I will not condone unjust actions….
I intend to use my energy constructively instead of destructively. If I can say that about the negative, then what about the positive, then what about the faith and the hope I can garner from someone who loves somebody, from someone who is trying to make the world a better place? What about me identifying with someone who is charitable?…
Sit down. Go inside yourself. Don’t look outside for it. Look what you’ve overcome already. And some of the things no one ever knows but you...the times you were afraid and lived through that.”