For someone who's known as being pretty chatty, I occasionally have moments when I don't know what to talk about. Call it writer's block, call it creative slowdown, call it brain freeze. . . sometimes I just can't think of anything interesting to say. Or I have too many topics running through my brain and I can't decide which one is worth sharing. That can be a problem when you have a column or newsletter to write and you don't have the luxury of getting to it later. The package must be delivered!

So, yup, if you haven't figured it out yet, that's what happened when I sat down to work on today's newsletter. And then later when I tried again. And some time after that when I returned to it and not too much time was left in my Sunday. So I decided to write about that. . . about what we should do when we don't know what to do.

Here's my take on the challenge, with a few suggestions for getting through the slump:

• Be okay with your imperfections. You've probably heard this before: Your failures don't make you a failure. They are part of your journey of growing in wisdom and strength and integrity.
• Be okay with other people knowing you don't have everything figured out. I know all too well the temptation to act smarter than I am, braver than I am, more competent than I am. Not only is this exhausting, but it almost never ends well (and most people can see through artifice). I may have shared this before but I'll never forget something Brennan Manning wrote in one of his books. Paraphrasing, he said that the problem with wearing a mask is that you may get everyone to like you but no one to know you.  
• Take a deep breath and try to look at the problem from a different angle or take it apart to look at its various components. Like I did with this letter, can you turn your problem into its own solution? 
• Don't be afraid to ask for help, more time, or—if all else fails—grace. 

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary..

– unknown