Caroline, what you write is true. “One-sided advocacy is the norm” is particularly noticeable, probably because that’s how people achieve and maintain television ratings. With so many other options competing for air time, it almost seems as if the media personality’s survival depends on taking a one-sided stance.

Yogamum, I liked the last one too, and was glad he offered it, because some days I know that the only thing I can do is to pray some sort of prayer like that. Maybe I could write one called “The Prayer of the Desperate Writer.” Ha ha!

Alida, I hadn’t thought of chakras when looking at this mandala, so thanks for that comment, because I’ve often found it useful to look at things from that perspective. And then I forget.

I agree that this mandala is actually a good perspective for approaching the whole life, rather than merely the writing life. For instance, as I encounter new people I might consider running around the mandala in order to have a whole perspective. I generally will consider the “I” and the “Thou,” but forget that both of these involve the ancestors/history and also something Divine. Considering only polarities has caused me to make some mistakes.