Tyler Erickson's Blog: Listening to Yourself - Posts Tagged "vulnerability"
The Vulnerability of Writing Listening to Yourself
Writing "Listening to Yourself" was vulnerable for me. Since writing it, questions have crept in: Is it good enough? Will others like it? Did I edit it enough?
You know it’s strange to realize that once your words leave your hands, they no longer belong to you. Readers will interpret, question, and experience them in ways you can’t control, and that’s part of the beauty and terror of art. A book, like any creative work, is never truly finished. It’s simply the moment you stop working on it.
When I finally set the manuscript down, I felt a mix of relief and anxiety, but mostly gratitude. And since finishing it, hearing from readers who found encouragement or clarity in its pages has been deeply humbling. A few have even said it helped them reconnect with themselves, and that alone makes it worth it.
So, to answer my own questions that are in my head, “no, it probably wasn’t good enough for everyone, some won’t like it, and I certainly could have edited more. But it is enough. And it was my first book. And I’ll get to write more. And anyway… there’s always a 2nd edition!”
So, in the end, Listening to Yourself became what I hoped it would be: a companion for anyone learning to hear their own wisdom. Moreover, writing it taught me that the goal isn’t perfection, but honesty. And honesty is a big step in the process of growth and self-understanding for everyone.
You know it’s strange to realize that once your words leave your hands, they no longer belong to you. Readers will interpret, question, and experience them in ways you can’t control, and that’s part of the beauty and terror of art. A book, like any creative work, is never truly finished. It’s simply the moment you stop working on it.
When I finally set the manuscript down, I felt a mix of relief and anxiety, but mostly gratitude. And since finishing it, hearing from readers who found encouragement or clarity in its pages has been deeply humbling. A few have even said it helped them reconnect with themselves, and that alone makes it worth it.
So, to answer my own questions that are in my head, “no, it probably wasn’t good enough for everyone, some won’t like it, and I certainly could have edited more. But it is enough. And it was my first book. And I’ll get to write more. And anyway… there’s always a 2nd edition!”
So, in the end, Listening to Yourself became what I hoped it would be: a companion for anyone learning to hear their own wisdom. Moreover, writing it taught me that the goal isn’t perfection, but honesty. And honesty is a big step in the process of growth and self-understanding for everyone.
Listening to Yourself
Self-understanding isn’t just an idea to grasp but a practice to live. Each reflection is drawn from my work as a therapist and chaplain, as well as from my own journey toward authenticity, purpose, a
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