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Annie Dillard Was a Real One: The Woman Who Understood That Seeing the World Is Not the Same as Understanding It

Annie Dillard spent her life examining the extraordinary mysteries hiding inside ordinary existence. Her passing reminds me that the greatest writers don't simply teach us how to read the world. They force us to confront how little of it we've actually bothered to see. There is something profoundly unsettling about losing a writer who spent her entire life reminding us that everything was temporary in the first place. It's almost as though death, that arrogant bastard, decided to interrupt a conversation about its own inevitability. And in the case of Annie Dillard, the irony is particularly cruel because few writers understood the strange relationship between life, suffering, beauty, and mortality quite like she did. Annie Dillard died on September 15, 2026, at the age of 81. The world lost a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, an extraordinary essayist, a fearless intellectual, and a woman who possessed the increasingly endangered ability to look at something ordinary and reco...
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How to Stop Unhelpful Self-Talk Holding You Back

 


Fearful inner dialog is like a fence between you and your goals. When your internal voice says it will hurt to step from your comfort zone, you stay put. If only you could switch off unhelpful self-talk, you could branch out without so much stress.

Imagine you want to start a business, but self-talk discourages you. It says “you haven’t got enough time, money, or intelligence.” Your internal discourse is persuasive. Its job is to stop you from doing what might be uncomfortable.

Initiating a startup, however, may be the best thing you’ve ever done. But the voice in your head doesn’t take this into account. It’s designed to keep you in your comfort zone and prevent you from trying new things. Whatever your goal, self-talk might suggest you’ll be unsuccessful.

Switch off anxious dialog


Attention powers thoughts, so worries fade when you don’t focus on them. Shift your attention when concerns arise and refuse to engage with them. Concentrate on a practical task or do something enjoyable.

If it helps, schedule a specific time to think about challenges in constructive ways. You might make an appointment with yourself to brainstorm solutions, for instance.

Speed counts


The part of you that wants you to stay in your comfort zone responds to hesitation. When you hesitate before you act, your nerves rise. Self-talk suggests your idea is dangerous and exaggerates risks.

The answer is to act rather than ruminate when you want to reach your goals. The second you recognize inspiration, move ahead. When you go forward, anxiety won’t fill the void between your ideas and acting on them. As a result, you will not worry.

You can get past the nervy dialog in your head by switching off its power. Take action when inspiration hits. When your muse suggests you ask for a pay rise, paint a masterpiece, or follow your dreams, move ahead. Don’t let a fence form between you and success. Put energy into what you want, and you’ll travel toward accomplishment.

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