I delayed writing anything today as an email normal comes through from James Clear and I wanted to see what he had to say.  I found it interesting because of what I have been doing.
"Inspiration comes on the twenty-fifth attempt, not the first. If you want to make something excellent, don't wait for a brilliant idea to strike. Create twenty-five of what you need and one will be great. Inspiration reveals itself after you get the average ideas out of the way, not before you take the first step."
Merril is doing a formal course of study at the moment.  I am doing an informal one of my choosing.
Why I find the above interesting is it is really my experience at the moment.  Merril asked me if I was enjoying what I am doing.  The answer is I am finding it a hard slog but was inspired to start it and am inspired at certain points.  It is great to learn new things and sometimes get a different perspective on what is known.
So I agree with what is being said.  Something that has been a motivator for me is what I wrote a while ago.  A quote from Earnest Hemingway.  “Gradually then suddenly.”  As I think I have indicted I am feeling this is a gradually time for me.  Gradually times are the times I reckon are for building.  They can be wasted but if used as a building time hopefully I am ready for the suddenly times.
It does not mean that gradually times are “rah rah”.  More often than not they are slow and steady.  Sometimes they are downright boring.  But the thing for me is that even boring times come to an end.  I really feel I need to take the good with the bad.
Sorta like a mantra I heard and use. “Never make a decision when you are down.”  By that I feel I should never abandon something when it is hard, when I felt it was right at the start.  Sure there are hard times.  To me that’s life.  But hard times end and trying to avoid them prolongs them.
So it does not matter to me if something is the 14th go or 25th.  If it was right at the start, it is right now - despite stuff rather than because of it.

I looked into something I have been hearing a lot of of late.  That is, “people don’t read anymore.”
I did have a problem with that.  The first reason was the number of books on shelves I see behind those being interview on tv.  The second was by “believe it or not” a Mills and Boon author.  She said Mills and Boon book production had doubled over the pandemic and has doubled again since. The third was my own experience.  I like to read, and I know others, both young and old like to read.
Yet having said that my research showed that what is considered “deep reading” has declined.  A web site called thoughtco.com defined deep reading as “the active process of thoughtful and deliberate reading carried out to enhance one's comprehension and enjoyment of a text.”
It was put forward that while reading has not declined the method of delivery has.  E-books and social media play a bigger part than ever.  It is more interactive than in the past - to the point where some authors respond to the immediate internet feedback.  I know I have responded to feedback.  My articles are shorter than they were.  Good for others, and good for me really.
It was acknowledged that internet generated reading has some dangers.  Big on the list was distractions.  Two thirds of respondents to a recent study said they were checking social media “often” or “very often.”  While it is acknowledged that digital reading does improve comprehension skills, the improvement is between six and seven times smaller than print reading.  It has also been found that grammatical rules are less often adhered to. 
Yet I found this very interesting. “Recent data from the American Library Association point up some surprising choices by today’s Generation Z (ages 13-25) compared with those of Millennials (ages 26-40). According to their study, Gen Zers are not only reading more books per month (presumably for pleasure) than are Millennials, but are reading more print than their older brethren.”
So it may well be like what has happened to vinal albums.  There has been a resurgence. 
This is not an attempt to harken back to some good old days.  Each generation is different and have pluses and minuses in my mind.  “Different” to me does not mean “not as good.” 
Books may well be in decline, but reading is not.

I have been thinking about a word this morning that I really want to be my experience.  “Clarity.”
When I look up its meaning the first is, “coherent and intelligible.”  I can say I want that for sure.  There are times thought I know where I am not understood or misunderstood.  That is unfortunate and in most cases does not mean what I want to say does not make sense, but sometimes the way I say it leaves a bit to be desired.
I also battle against something I think is prevalent.  People (including myself) hear what they want to hear.   In my experience this is way common.  I think it is often a reason for motives being ascribed to someone that are not there - or are in very small amounts.
The clarity I was thinking of that is important to me is, “clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding’
I really do not want to take on board something that may be believed by another but is built on lies.  Or perhaps built on what they have been taught that really represent the teachers view of the world that is lacking or simply handed down and believed without examination.
To me there are many voices in this world.  None (as far as I am concerned) is invalid.  But being valid does not make it right.  It may be believed, (and I think everyone deserves respect and dignity) but that does not mean I agree with everything I am told.
That is really what I mean by valid.  It is not my role to attempt to shoot down the thoughts and ideas of another just because I do not agree.  What I will always attempt to do though is hear and understand what is being said.
Where I do not agree it is incumbent that I express my thoughts with respect.  Because I respect each person it is my desire to be closer to someone despite my maybe disagreeing with them.  True friendship may involve someone coming around but always at the very least involves respectfully agreeing to disagree.
As far as I am concerned true friendship is based on mutual respect despite differences.  Friendships built on agreeing only are valid but it seems to me are sometimes not as strong.