“Death of a Salesman” tells the story of the last 24 hours in the life of Willy Loman, a salesman who never quite achieves the success he always dreamed of. He has a faithful yet disappointed wife and two sons who are equally as lost as he is.

By the end of the play, you come to understand Willy’s main downfall: he is unable to truly be himself. He has spent his whole career trying to manufacture a winning personality and measuring his success by how much money he makes.

It’s tempting to criticize Willy Loman for being misguided and superficial. But this character isn’t just confined to the stage. The ghost of Willy Loman is alive and well in each one of us.

Every day, you are tempted to play by other people’s rules and conform to their definitions of success. That’s why you need the courage to carve out your own identity as a writer.

And isn’t that one of the defining qualities of a writer, anyway? You have a voice that is unique, and you must have the courage to share it.

The actress Lily Tomlin once said, “I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should’ve been more specific.”

Of course, you want to be somebody. We all do. But you’re not just somebody or anybody. There is only one person who can be uniquely you… and that’s YOU.

Don’t settle for the death of a salesman. That’s a sad, depressing story. Instead, embrace the life of a writer, sharing your own story so you can, in turn, give life to others.

Today’s Challenge: Get a copy of “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. You can find copies of the stage play online or in used bookstores. If you’ve never read it, you might be surprised at how much of yourself you see in Willy Loman… and you’ll be motivated to strive for something different in your life.

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We don’t just write to express what we think. We write in order to discover what we think.

For many writers, it goes even deeper than that. It’s an itch they keep on scratching, but it never seems to quite go away. This itch is what we call a life theme. It’s a statement or an idea that ties your body of work together.

This isn’t true for all writers. But for most, it is. They write because there is a singular theme that resonates from their soul. It’s a golden thread that ties it all together.

This was true of Maya Angelou. She said, “In all my work what I try to say is that as human beings we are more alike than we are unalike.” That was her golden thread.

Is there a theme or idea that you keep coming back to? Something you’re trying to say, but you never quite feel you get it right?

That feeling of not getting it quite right is not an indication that you’re inadequate. It’s a sign that you still have more to say.

Don’t be afraid of your golden thread. In fact, lean into it. The more you do, the more your writing will resonate with people because it represents the truth of who you are and how you see the world.

And if you have been true to your golden thread, someday you’ll be able to look back on your body of work and see how that golden thread has been woven into a stunning tapestry.

Today’s Challenge: Write down a few ideas of what your golden thread as a writer might be. Share it with a couple of friends to see if they agree.

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As they say, there is nothing new under the sun. When you look at the millions of books, blogs, podcasts, and magazine articles that have been created, what could you possibly say that is unique?

The answer is simple. What makes your writing unique is not that you’re writing about something new. It’s the fact that it’s you who is writing it. You are the unique factor in the equation.

Unique means “one of a kind.” And there is only one of you in the world.

Your unique combination of skills, experience, and viewpoint is what makes your writing worth reading. You might be writing about the same things as a hundred other people, but they’re not saying it in the way you say it.

So, how does this inform your writing? The novelist Barbara Kingsolver has the answer. She said, “Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.”

Well, as it turns out, the only thing you have to offer is also the best thing you have to offer. There will only ever be one of you in the world. There is only one person who can speak with your voice.

Don’t waste the opportunity to let us hear it.

Today’s Challenge: Ask yourself if you’re holding back because you mistakenly believe you don’t have anything unique to share. Be honest.

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From 1962-1992, Johnny Carson ruled the airwaves as the King of Late Night. If you were a stand-up comedian in the late 70s through the early 90s, and you were invited over to the couch to talk to Johnny after your 5-minute set, you were now Hollywood royalty.

Everybody comedian on the planet wanted to be like Johnny Carson. In 1992, when Johnny Carson retired, everyone thought that David Letterman would be a shoe-in as the new host. And why not? Letterman’s own late-night show had been following Johnny Carson for the last ten years, and it was no secret that he idolized Carson. And in turn, Johnny personally liked David Letterman more than Jay Leno, who had guest-hosted “The Tonight Show” many times.

The TV world was scandalized when “The Tonight Show” hosting spot went to Leno instead. As a result, Letterman moved to CBS to start his own show opposite Jay Leno.

The next year, in 1993, a young upstart comedian who was a writer for “The Simpsons” got his own late-night show at NBC. For years, he followed Jay Leno in the lineup, even though his style was much more like David Letterman, whom he adored. This, of course, was Conan O’Brien.

In the irony of all ironies, Conan had a brief stint hosting “The Tonight Show” for nearly eight months in 2009-2010, until his low ratings prompted NBC to bring back Jay Leno as the host.

What’s the point of this little stroll down late-night memory lane?

All of these hosts have been victims of what you might call “Carson’s Curse.” In one way or another, they all wanted to be like Johnny Carson, who will forever be immortalized as the greatest late-night host ever.

Even today, people who remember Johnny Carson will watch Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and other late-night hosts, and remark that they just can’t measure up to Carson… even though it’s been over 30 years since he was the host of “The Tonight Show.”

But let’s be clear: Johnny Carson didn’t put a curse on anyone. Rather, he was so good that everybody wanted to be like him, but nobody could measure up. Instead, over time they developed their own styles with their own audience.

Conan O’Brien alluded to this when he said, “It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.”

Is there a writer you look up to? Someone you admire so much that it’s hard not to want to be like them? Maybe you emulate their style or you’re trying to build your platform just like theirs.

Be careful. It’s OK to learn from other writers and their styles or techniques, but the world doesn’t need another JK Rowling, Stephen King, or James Patterson. What the world needs is for you to give the most valuable gift you can possibly offer… and that is uniquely you.

Today’s Challenge: Grab a sheet of paper and write down 3 things that are unique about you. How can you integrate these into your writing?

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Are you dealing with your personal problems head-on, or are you avoiding them?

Do you engage in conversations about hard things, or do you shut down when you’re confronted by a truth you don’t want to hear?

Would the people who know you best describe you as brave? Focused? Determined? Disciplined? Or would they say you’re aloof, timid, or uncaring?

It’s hard to face your real-life problems instead of running away from them. And it’s easy to turn to substance abuse or other unhealthy patterns as you try to escape from reality.

Henry David Thoreau said, “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”

Just because you’re a writer, it doesn’t give you the license to check out of real life. You need to show up on the stage of life where the action is happening.

Nobody is perfect. But your writing should reflect the person you are trying to become—bold, brave, and above all, a true-life superhero to the people you love the most.

Today’s Challenge: Think about the past twenty-four hours. What did you do that was brave, bold, or fearless?

The post Before You Sit Down to Write, Stand Up to Live appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

As they say, there is nothing new under the sun. When you look at the millions of books, blogs, podcasts, and magazine articles that have been created, what could you possibly say that is unique?

The answer is simple. What makes your writing unique is not that you’re writing about something new. It’s the fact that it’s you who is writing it. You are the unique factor in the equation.

Unique means “one of a kind.” And there is only one of you in the world.

Your unique combination of skills, experience, and viewpoint is what makes your writing worth reading. You might be writing about the same things as a hundred other people, but they’re not saying it in the way you say it.

So how does this inform your writing? The novelist Barbara Kingsolver has the answer. She said, “Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.”

As it turns out, the only thing you have to offer is also the best thing you have to offer. There will only ever be one of you in the world. There is only one person who can speak with your voice. Don’t waste the opportunity to let us hear it.

The post The Only Thing You Have to Offer appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Even though we live in an age when anyone can self-publish and potentially reach millions of followers and readers through social media, most writers seem hesitant to really make a go of it.

Why? Because they’re waiting for someone to give them permission to go ahead and reach for their dreams.

Our society is based around permission-giving. As kids, we couldn’t do anything without the permission of parents and teachers (or maybe older siblings!). Then as adults, we feel hamstrung by needing permission from bosses, leaders, our social circle, or society in general.

A lot of people spend their whole lives just waiting for someone to give them permission to go ahead and be a writer. But I’m here to tell you—you don’t need it. Just do it. We’re all waiting for you to share your wisdom, your voice, your knowledge, and your perspective on life.

But if it helps, I’m here to be your permission-giver. If nobody else is giving you a green light, remember that your friend Kent is GIVING YOU PERMISSION TODAY. Go ahead. Do it. You have something important to share. We’ve all been patiently waiting.

Question: Have you been waiting for permission to be a writer?

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On July 4th, 1776, the Second Continental Congress pronounced that it was officially independent of British rule. Known as the Declaration of Independence, this document made it clear that the thirteen colonies had their own sovereign identity. They would no longer be content to stay under the rule of another entity.

July 4th is a uniquely American holiday, but there is another kind of declaration that every writer should make, no matter their nationality. This declaration communicates a simple truth to the world. The writer Jeff Goins alluded to it in the title of his profound book: You Are a Writer.

But what does it mean to declare to the world that you are a writer?

It means that you call yourself a writer. You tell others about your work. You aren’t afraid of other people’s reactions when you tell them you’re a writer. Ultimately, it means that you courageously stand up and tell the world, “I have something to share.”

When you embrace your identity as a writer and begin sharing your voice, other people will embrace you as a writer, too. So go ahead. Make the declaration. Today is a great day to tell the world you are a writer.

Daily Question: Do you believe you are a writer? Are you ready to declare it to the world?

The post A Declaration Worth Making appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Most people don’t like the idea of being put in a box. We want to keep our options open and avoid labels.

But if you want to be successful in your writing, you have to put yourself in the box of being a writer. You have to talk about it on social media. You have to talk about it to your friends and family. You have to bring it up in conversations in a way that feels natural and helpful.

By all means, put yourself in a box and make your primary identity that of a writer.

Here’s the reason why this is helpful: people can only put you in one box. Aside from your friends and family, most people are acquaintances and only primarily know one aspect of your life. So if you want writing to be your main thing, you have to be known primarily as a writer. It’s the best way to build your business, your professional identity, and your momentum.

So go ahead, put yourself in a box.

Daily Question: Are you comfortable putting yourself in a box and being primarily known as a writer?

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We writers have a reputation for taking everything personally. Many of us would describe ourselves as introverted artists who are highly sensitive. As such, we tend to absorb other people’s emotions and have a hard time letting things go.

Am I right? Or am I right?

This can make it hard when trying to build an audience and keeping your readers in mind. Here’s one way to approach life: take nothing personally. Remember that every comment, every review, everything other people say has more to do with their perspective and emotional state than it does you.

This is where your skills of observation as a writer can come in handy. Whenever someone says something you don’t like, or makes a negative or critical observation, examine it like a doctor does a patient. See if it’s true and make a correction if needed. But do so without emotion or feeling that it reflects on your personal worth or identity.

Nobody said this was easy. It’s not. But it’s absolutely necessary if you are going to keep your sanity and remain emotionally healthy.

Daily Question: Would you say it’s hard or easy for you to not take things personally? Why or why not?

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