There’s a poet named Iain Thomas whose poems and quotes periodically appear in my social media feeds. This one speaks to me the most of all I have read:

And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!” And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, “No. This is what’s important.

The rest of the world has an agenda and it rarely aligns with your own. It’s up to you to guard yourself, your heart and your priorities.

Everywhere I look it seems there is a ton of work to be done. The things I consider important often get pushed to the side because the wishes, whims and procrastinations of others take me by the hand and lead me astray.

I suspect I’m not the only one who has this experience but it does feel lonely sometimes.

A quick google search for Mr. Thomas revealed little about him as a person but did produce several videos of him in interviews and speaking on various topics. One was on overcoming writer’s block, a problem I experience from time to time. His advice was simple: write something anyway.

If writing is making you anxious, write about what’s bugging you. Just start putting down words because, even if they’re not the right words, any words will propel you toward your goal.

While he speaks specifically about writing, this is stellar advice for any situation. It doesn’t matter if it’s right. Just do something to get you moving in the right direction.

In other words, whatever the obstacle – a mental block or the world’s interference. Yank your hand back and start moving in the direction where you want to be.