A Mantra For Writers–and Others

I have too many books.  So, every now and then, I weed.  Or try to.  In doing so, I unearth unusual things, surprises and, all too often, duplicates (oops).  Sometimes I can scan a book quickly and add it to the donate pile.  Other times, the book is worthy of a full read, so it goes back on the shelf.  Once in a while, an item is quirky enough to entice me to read the whole thing.  Sometimes I’m a little disgusted with myself for what turns out to be a waste of time.  But other times I come across one thought that makes it worthwhile.

I just finished Jews Who Rock, by Guy Oseary (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001).  The entry for Adam Gaynor of matchbox 20 includes this note:  “Adam’s personal  motto is “Inner strength . . . inner peace . . . focus . . . fire.”  It seems like a perfect guiding phrase for artists, including writers. Like me. Or maybe you.