inspiration

Enjoy Reading A Post? Here’s Why You Should Ask Yourself Why.

/ Stuart Danker / 9 Comments

I’ve taken to asking myself why I do things recently, and actually taking the time to scrutinise my actions.

Like browsing the Search tab on Instagram all day. Why? Is it because I just want to kill time? Why that app, specifically? And why the Search tab?

Turns out, it’s because of my self-improvement tendencies. I’m the type of person who thinks consuming inspirational content will help me land that promotion at work. As if watching videos alone will bestow me with the hidden kung-fu skills of life.

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Thanks For Coming To My TED Talk

/ Stuart Danker / 26 Comments
Stuart on stage for his TED Talk

That’s me!

This year has proved to be a productive one, as I’ve managed to land a new job, get married, and—perhaps most surprising of all—I’ve been invited to give a TED Talk.

I mean, it was a TEDx event, so it wasn’t exactly the real deal, but I’ve been meaning to use the TED Talk meme unironically, so I guess I finally get to!

I was flattered to share the stage with people who’ve accomplished so much with their lives, which got me thinking, just what did I do to deserve it? All I could think about was finishing my book.

In fact, so much of my career has stemmed from that sole action in my life. One decision that would alter my writing trajectory.

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The One Thing That Helps Me Deal With Waking Up Unhappy Every Day

/ Stuart Danker / 15 Comments

As an anti-clickbait measure, I’ll give you the TL;DR upfront: Accepting that you won’t get things your way will dramatically improve your outlook on life.

However, if you’re interested in knowing what I mean when I say I wake up unhappy every day and—more importantly—discovering the ways I try to combat this mindset, then simply read on to find out.

How’s that for double clickbait?

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The Social Skills I’ve Picked Up As A Socially Awkward Person

/ Stuart Danker / 36 Comments

A blur image of

First off, let me start by saying that I haven’t been socialising on WordPress at all. So if I’ve yet to reply to your comment, I’m super sorry. I’ll get around to that, I promise.

It’s just that life has thrown me a new challenge to overcome, and that’s meeting ten to twenty new people a week, not just in a touch-and-go capacity, but to actually hold a conversation for minutes. Minutes!

Of course, as a self-proclaimed introvert, I might as well crawl over broken glass, or worse, have a smudge on my spectacles that I can’t clean for the entire day.

But I knew what I’d signed up for when I accepted the role of deputy editor for a lifestyle magazine. Going to events was part of the deal. We have to represent our magazine, after all.

Which is why for today, I’m going to list the things I’ve learned by stumbling through the foreign art (at least to me) that is socialising.

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The Dangers Of ‘Just Write’ As Writing Advice

/ Stuart Danker / 57 Comments

Notebook and Pilot G2 pen alongside coffee and plant

As much as I love the ‘just write’ motto, I have to say that there are times when it could be detrimental to your writing career.

I mean, it is good advice if you’re the type of writer that prefers dreaming over actual writing. Just write and you’re bound to pick something up along the way. That’s how I learned most things in life too.

That is why I feel ‘just write’ has its merits. Especially since most of us writers tend to err on the side of avoidance.

So why, then, does ‘just write’ not apply to your craft sometimes? Read on to find out.

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