Create or Hate
by
Dan Norris
The Excuses That Hate Comes Up With
1. “I don’t have enough time”
2. “What if I fail?”
3. “What if I suck?”
4. “I should be doing X”
5. “It’s too hard”
6. “It’s probably been done”
7. “I need permission”
Zero Tolerance for Negativity
“Negativity is Hate’s currency.”
How to Avoid Negativity in Other People
How to Avoid Negativity in Yourself
Empathy Breeds Creativity
“Empathy is another way to kill negativity.”
“Becoming a more empathic person makes you more understanding, more grateful, less negative, and therefore more creative.”
“The secret to empathy is not imagining what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. Because all that does is put you in their shoes. It’s them in their shoes we need to understand, not you in their shoes.”
“When you prescribe simple solutions to people’s problems, that’s mistakenly putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
How to Be More Empathetic
Be More Grateful, Be More Creative
“A lot of Hate stems from a lack of gratitude. Having a lack of gratitude will lead directly to negativity, which is the currency of Hate. If you can become more grateful, you will become less hateful and, therefore, more creative.”
How to Become More Grateful
Create More Than You Consume
“Create so much they can’t ignore you.”
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” —Henry David Thoreau
“Understand that you have two choices: to create something or consume something.”
“If you want to be an actively creative person, you have to create more than you consume.”
“Make your creative projects simpler, and you’ll be more likely to start.”
“In order for your creativity to thrive, you need to feed it.”
“There’s something about a change of scenery that puts you in the mood to create.”
“Create with others, help others, and creativity will flourish.”
Am I Good Enough?
“One of the biggest reasons people don’t make things is because they let Hate convince them that they aren’t good enough.”
“Perfectionism is another trick Hate will use to stop you from making things. If Hate can convince you that everything has to be perfect, it knows you won’t begin, or at least that you won’t finish the task you are striving to complete.”
“If you feel like you aren’t good enough, the first thing to think about is whether or not you have to be good.”
“No matter what you do, it always helps to be as good as you can be. But you don’t always have to be the best in the world to do something successfully.”
“If you really feel like you can’t be good at something, and you are really honest with yourself, you can do something else.”
“There is no magic bullet that will kill Hate off for good. Instead, you need to constantly practice creating more. You can’t just become creative or be creative indefinitely.”
Cultivate Self-Awareness
“Self-awareness is the key to recognizing and managing Hate.”
How to Cultivate a Healthy Level of Self-Awareness