The Joy of Writing

I just finished a really fun job.

I wrote a 600 word devotion for my church’s daily online devotion. It took me a couple of hours between research, writing and editing. About an hour and 300 words in, I knew it was worthless.

So I kept writing. I wrote another 300 words, and I realized it was just above worthless – barely worthwhile.

So I kept writing. I edited sections, reworded sentences, deleted paragraphs. I finally began to see something I actually believed in.

So I kept writing. I massaged words, looked up synonyms, and rewrote half of it. The final product is something I’m actually proud of.

More importantly, I found joy. In the middle of the pressure of needing a finished, final product, I had fun.

Pressure and Pleasure

The KU Jayhawks ended their basketball season with a loss on Saturday night. They were successful enough to win their conference (for the 12th straight year), win their conference tournament, earn the overall top seed in the national tournament, and be one of the last 8 teams remaining in the tournament.

By most people’s standards, it was a successful run. For a top college basketball program, it was a failure. Or was it?

Bill Self, KU’s basketball coach used this quote to describe how he kept his team going through the season. He would say,

Never let the pressure exceed the pleasure.

He got it from the Chicago Cubs manager, who writes it on the top of every line-up card before every game.

Easier said than done, and you could argue they didn’t actually do it. The Cubs and Jayhawks lost their last games. Yet, this is the mark of success.

Success is finding joy in your purpose.

It doesn’t mean their won’t be pressure. It doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. It doesn’t even mean other people won’t get it, hate on you, poke holes in your purpose.

Do you find pleasure in your purpose? Does the pleasure exceed the pressure?

What ever it is you are doing, find pleasure in it. Never let the pressure exceed the pleasure.