Billy Coffey
Billy Coffey

Your story

June 11, 2010  

notebook01A local high school teacher contacted me recently asking for help with a group of her English students. They had a problem, she said. Could I help? Since she happened to be a longtime friend and I didn’t have much else to do, I said yes. Absolutely.

But it turned out to be more than simply helping out a friend or filling in a lazy summer afternoon. Much more. Because the problem was basic. Simple yet foundational.

They had nothing to write about.

They were your stereotypical teenagers—clumsy and loud, with a strange combination of fear and arrogance. They one thing that set them apart from their peers was a love for writing, whether that love was expressed or bubbling just beneath the surface.

But of course a love for writing isn’t enough, is it? You have to do something with that love. You need material. And they had none. Zero. Nada.

Or so they thought.

I can’t say I managed to convince all of them otherwise in the three or so hours I was there. But I think I convinced some. And I most assuredly convinced a few. Considering the fact it’s darn near impossible to get a teenager to change his or her mind about anything, I’d call that a victory.

But then I started considering the fact that thinking there isn’t anything interesting about one’s life isn’t just for teenagers. Not just for writers, either. We all fool ourselves into thinking there isn’t anything that separates us from everyone else. So I thought I’d give the same little pep talk to you today that I gave those students a couple weeks ago. Just in case.

It’s amazing how the rules to good writing are also the rules to good living. The two go hand in hand, I think. Good writing means cutting out all the excess, whittling down what you want to say until all that’s left is what you need to say. Same with living. Whittle it down. Find the basics. Keep it simple. Makes for not just a better story, but a better life, too.

I wasn’t visiting that class to talk about the basics of a good story, though. I was there to talk about the basics of getting ideas. Not surprisingly, that just so happened to be my own Rule Number One to good writing. And good living.

Rule Number One:

You are extraordinary.

Don’t let anyone fool you by saying otherwise. Some will try, of course. Some will try very hard. They’ll say you’re good or nice or polite or even special, but not extraordinary. And maybe you’ll even tell yourself that. Don’t. That’s a lie, and maybe the biggest lie of all. Fall for it, and nothing will really happen. Don’t fall for it, and everything will.

It’s not just you that’s extraordinary, either. Your life is, too. What you’re feeling, what you’re doing, and what you’re thinking. Your dreams and your fears, your hopes and worries. Extraordinary, and in a very special way. On the one hand, those things are unique to you, and how you approach each of them is determined by everything from you DNA to your experiences and beliefs.

But on the other hand, those dreams and fears and hopes and worries are for the most part shared by every other person who’s ever walked in this world. There is an invisible line that runs through the heart of every person, connecting you not only to your family and friends, but to your neighbor down the road and strangers you’ll never meet. As different as we may seem to be on the outside, we’re all the same on the inside.

You are common in that sense, yes. But only in the way Da Vinci and Einstein and Twain were common. They were extraordinary in what they did with their commonness. You can be the same.

Think of this world as a house with many rooms. Some are big and wide and hold many people. Others are small and cramped and hold just a few. But all of those rooms are dark inside.

When you’re born, God gives you a light and places you in one of those rooms. It might be a big one with many people. Maybe it’s just a smaller one with a few.

But my point is this—it doesn’t matter what kind of room you’re in. Doesn’t matter who’s there and who isn’t.

All that matters is that you do what you’re meant to do.

All that matters is that you shine your light.

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Comments

  • Katdish

    Excellent post, Mr. Coffey. Now read it back to yourself, and don’t ever believe that you are anything less than Extraordinary, that you are doing what you’re meant to do.

  • http://thinkingtoodeeply.blogspot.com Karin

    This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine……. It’s been my prayer – that I might be a shining example of God’s love and grace wherever He has placed me. Thanks!!

  • http://topsy.com/www.billycoffey.com/2010/06/your-story/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Your story : Billy Coffey — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kathy Richards, Glynn Young, Helenatrandom, Peter Pollock, Sarah Salter and others. Sarah Salter said: RT @katdish: And here's a new one from @billycoffey: Your Story http://bit.ly/cCeCyW [...]

  • http://alittleofthisandthat2.blogspot.com/ Dayle

    Billy, this is so rich. I almost posted today about the many lamps in my home, and how the smallest one cuts right through the darkness, how the same is true with us, if only we will, as you say, shine. Love this! And good for you for taking your talents to teens. I used to mentor one day a week and teens are amazing and wonderful creatures, if you ask me.

  • http://hikingtowardhome.blogspot.com Sharon

    A good pep talk I needed to hear. I want so much to teach it to my kids but I am constantly failing at realizing it myself. How to pass on that which you don’t fully “get” yourself?

  • Jim H

    What a great reminder! There are so many forces in this big bad world conspiring to tell us otherwise, but if we can realize that purpose that God entrusted us with when he placed us where he did, how satisfying and fulfilling our lives will be!

  • http://susan-moment.blogspot.com/ S. Etole

    You shine so well …

  • http://aspiretoleadaquietlife.blogspot.com A Simple Country Girl

    Those students (and all of us) have been blessed beyond measure by your guest lecture. And I reckon you have been too.

    This is grand: “Good writing means cutting out all the excess, whittling down what you want to say until all that’s left is what you need to say. Same with living.”

    Blessings.

  • http://aspiretoleadaquietlife.blogspot.com A Simple Country Girl

    Something else. Don’t you think this applies to God’s relationship with us? When we shed the excess and are whittled down, then we are truly able to hear what God has to say?

  • http://hisfirefly.blogspot.com HisFireFly

    I needed to read this as I am walking through a season where the enemy is trying to scream lies..

    You lead us back to the heart of what God sees in us, His kids, His marvelous creation, unique, gifted and loved.

    Thank you Billy for doing what He calls you to do.

  • Joanne Sher

    Being extraordinary in what I do with my commonness. Gonna remember that for a LONG time. Incredible as usual. Tweeting this :) Blessings, my friend.

  • http://matteroffactsite.blogsite.com Sherri

    YOU are extraordinary in your commonness.

    Beautiful inspiration. Thank you.

  • http://prairiebren.blogspot.com ~Brenda

    As a writer, I was just telling myself these things the other day. Not the extraordinary part, but the ordinary part.

    I needed this today. Thank you for the inspiration and TRUTH.

  • http://www.moonboatcafe.com Cassandra Frear

    I can’t believe you published this today. You should read my Friday post on blogging, especially #4 “Ordinary is Extraordinary”. It looks for all the world like we had a chat.

    Of course, we didn’t — my post is a re-working of a post that I originally penned in December. But I feel sometimes like you and I are part of the same Inklings writer fellowship. (That’s the name of the writer fellowship which included Tolkien and C.S. Lewis)

    Hmm. I guess, in a way, we are.

    Anyway, you are right. Realizing this changes everything. And it moves us from trust in ourselves to trust in our Designer, who knew what he was doing when he crafted each one of us.

  • http://www.cdposey.com Crystal Posey

    “Fall for it, and nothing will really happen. Don’t fall for it, and everything will.” Fabulous!

  • http://www.terri-treasures.blogspot.com terri tiffany

    Wonderful! I can imagine you blessed more than one kid with your talk:) and it would be awesome to see what they write about now. Good reminder of what we are supposed to be doing.

  • http://sandraking-beholding-god.blogspot.com/ Sandra Heska King

    Extraordinary post! I needed this.

  • http://wp.me/smU9D-snippets Marilyn Yocum

    To be content shining one’s light in the room one has been placed is heaven on earth. What excellent advice you gave the teens and your readers here!

  • http://lauraboggess.blogspot.com laura

    I needed this today, Billy. Thank you. It’s great to sit in your classroom.

  • http://writingwithoutpaper.blogspot.com Maureen

    Are you planning a book tour? Because this kind of writing is going to mean that every stop you make is going to be jammed with people.

  • http://www.charitysingleton.blogspot.com Charity Singleton

    This was probably the first time some of those students (and some of us readers!) have ever heard this about themselves. And for the others, the first time they believed it. Your words make it real! Gods word makes it true.

  • http://bethinnc.blogspot.com Beth

    Truth my friend. I’m sure you’ll need to remind yourself of these words some days. Right?

  • http://katshappyathome.blogspot.com Kathy

    That was cool that you could inspire them

  • http://got2havefaith.wordpress.com jer

    Again. You amaze me with your great post. You say it better than I ever could. This is something every parent should say to their child. Every. Single. Day.

  • http://marie-delasuitedanslesides.blogspot.com Marie Viaud

    I forgot too often this little light and don’t allow her to shine. I needed this reminder today. I will let her shine……….

    It’s always a pleasure to read your posts. You express these ideas so well. Thank you for everything you share with us by your writting. It’s what I call a Treasure.

  • http://www.keepingon.launchrocketship.com Kay

    Another point, at least as far as this extends to writing: it’s the ways in which we ARE like everyone else that makes us able to write something they connect to; it’s the ways in which we are NOT like everyone else that makes them care to read our way of thinking about it. (And you, sir, do an EXCELLENT job of presenting things we can all connect to in ways we’ve never thought of them. Thank you!)