Lately, I’ve been reading a devotional book called Blaze of Recognition OR Through the Year with Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Writings by Thomas McDonnel. In it I have found a lot of inspiration for my journey as a writer as well as fresh ways to think about my purpose as a writer. I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes with you in the hopes that they will inspire you as well. Even if you are not a writer, I believe that there is wisdom to be gleaned from Merton’s words that can work its way into our daily lives.

About Being Cautious In Writing:

If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that cannot be criticized, he will never write anything that can be read. If you want to help other people, you have to make up your mind to write things that some men will condemn.   — New Seeds of Contemplation

Sometimes we fail to speak the truth because we are afraid that someone else will condemn our words or thoughts. This is more about our own need for self-protection than anything else. At times we fail to tackle the difficult topics for fear that our words will be unpopular or invite criticism. However, if we fail to say anything, we do not allow for open dialogue to take place which will grow us and others as well. When writing, our aim should never be to shock or incite anger in our readers as we see too often today, but rather to communicate truth in love.

About Finding Balance in Writing and Life:

How weary I am of being a writer. How necessary it is for monks to work in the fields, in the rain, in the sun, in the mud, in the clay, in the wind; these are our spiritual directors and our novice-masters. They form our contemplation. They instill us with virtue. They make us as stable as the land we live in. You do not get that out of a typewriter.   — The Sign of Jonas

This serves as a great reminder that our lives are not meant to be lived behind a typewriter, or in today’s world, a computer screen. We are human beings first, writers second. If we notice ourselves growing weary of writing, perhaps it is because we are too far removed from the other good things in life. Nature, family, friends, play. I believe that the best writing comes from the best living. The best living requires getting out and experiencing the world around us. It also requires being still and appreciating the gifts that we see in the natural world and the people that mean the most to us.

About A Greater Purpose In Writing:

I am finding myself forced to admit that my lamentations about my writing job have been foolish. At the moment, the writing is one thing that gives me access to some real silence and solitude. Also, I find that it helps me to pray, because when I pause at my work I find that the mirror inside me is surprisingly clean and deep and serene, and God shines there and is immediately found, without hunting, as if he had come close to me while I was writing, and I had not observed his coming. And this, I think, should be the cause of great joy, and to me it is.   — The Sign of Jonas

I believe that anyone who has tried their hand at writing has experienced the frustration that can come along with it. There is frustration over not being able to find the right words; frustration when you do find the right words but can’t find an outlet to share them; frustration when your words are misunderstood or misconstrued. And that is just the tip of the iceberg! This frustration can lead to complaining and irritation with one’s vocation as a writer.

At these times it’s helpful to remember that there is more to writing than putting words on a page and having them read by others. As for me, I have learned that writing helps me to be silent. In this age of constant noise and distraction, to be able to be still and focused at one task is a great gift. Furthermore, writing gives me a deeper understanding of who I am and where I am on the journey. It helps me find my own pulse. It also assists me in separating the wheat from the chaff in my life.

Through writing, I can see that God is at work in me. That He has always been there, even in the moments when I was too busy, too distracted to take notice. This certainly does fill me with joy; and isn’t that a much greater pay-off than so many of the other things that we strive for as writers?