Flannery O'Connor on Habits

jculler1972

Jun 27

I recently posted about the importance of developing good spiritual habits. Then I came across this Flannery O'Connor quote, about why habits are important to writers. The same applies to all of us, whether our God-given vocation is writing, or some other activity or ministry.

"I'm a full-time believer in writing habits, pedestrian as it all may sound. You may be able to do without them if you have genius, but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows away. I see it happen all the time. Of course, you have to make your habits conform to what you can do. I write only about two hours every day because that's all the energy I have, but I don't let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and place. Sometimes I work for months and have to throw everything away, but I don't think any of that was time wasted. Something goes on that makes it easier when it does come well. And the fact is if you don't sit there every day, the day it would come well, you won't be sitting there."

Flannery O'Connor, The Habit of Being

So, don't bury your talents (remember the parable in Matthew 25). Form a habit to develop them.

For more on the topic of vocation see:

What's Your Vocation?

Are You Called?

Spend Yourself

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