Be Polished

Do you ever get irritated with all the nonsense in the news about political figures and celebrities who aren't capable of conducting themselves properly? The scandals and the secret babies, the destructive behavior and the just plain moronic behavior...I'm sure you know who I'm talking about with that last one. It all makes for great fiction, but that's about all it does.

Whether you talk in front of the camera or post online, people need to be responsible for their behavior and words. How you put yourself out there matters.

I know there are people who enjoy the gossip mill. And there are people who love drama. I've managed to stay clear of both because I don't gossip or desire drama, I lack the time and interest, and in the end it doesn't serve me to get involved. It doesn't add benefits to my life or well-being. It stirs negativity and hinders creativity. If you can't say something worthwhile and constructive, why bother?

For writers, and really for all professions, words matter. We want our words to have meaning, substance, purpose. There is a lot of power in words. You can empower with words. You can also strip someone of their power with words.

Putting the spotlight on writers, we spend a lot of time editing our work. We edit, edit again, and then edit again before we send our work to an editor who then edits even more. Why? Because we want our work polished before it's presented to the world. We want our best work to shine because it represents us, our brand, and our business. That mentality should extend beyond stories. It should extend into our daily lives.

We can all strive to do and be our best. We can conduct ourselves with grace and dignity. We can make a difference with our words in a way that counts. It just takes a little polish.

~Ann Cory