David Smart's Blog

I���ve spent the last year writing a book. But instead of writing another book about my life, I wanted to write a fiction book from the subconscious mind. Basically, writing with no plan. Trying something I���ve never done before.

It���s a much different process compared to my non-fiction books. There, I had a known beginning and end��� real-life experiences to act as landmarks guiding me in the darkness. Now, I have none of that. I just keep writing, hoping things might connect in the end...

I wonder to myself at night

On a night I should be fast asleep:

Could it be that man made God

Or was it Him who has made me?

The Bible says��

We were made in God���s image.

The Ultimate Creator:

All seeing, all knowing, all powerful

open eye atop the capstone

Gazing down

With Words to shape the world

palms to hold the oceans

And breath to breathe

the gift of life.

Who are we to think ourselves like Him?

A mere fragment of such Great potential...

Since starting this blog in 2015, I���ve put a decent amount of my life story into writing. Looking back, a few pivotal moments stand out as landmarks. While many posts on this blog address ideas and concepts, the selected posts below stand out as posts about me.

This is the path I���ve both stumbled upon and chosen. To share my experiences and document each step. If you find a drop of inspiration in these stories, that any might contain useful tools, insightful gems, or point you in a new d...

After my ACL tear, I was at a low point in life. Post-surgery was probably the most pain I���ve been in. I remember lying on the couch, my knee throbbing, just praying things would get better. That one day, I���d be able to walk again.

When I finally could, I began searching online for answers. While I had a decent physical background up to this point with sports, yoga and fitness, none of these perspectives gave me the tools I needed to understand my body. The fitness world seemed to offer ...

If left to my own devices, I tend to do the same things every day, defaulting to what I know and what���s comfortable.��This conditioning applies to both my physical behavior and also to the mind. It���s easy to get stuck within a single paradigm. To keep the same perspective for years (or a lifetime) and never change.

In my experience, this approach of doing only what I know, what I���m good at, and what comes naturally is an approach that limits potential and eventually leads to...

I���ve been doing mostly the same things every day,
mainly writing, movement, and stillness.
It���s a lot of repetition,
which forces me to get creative,
otherwise I���ll go crazy.

I find routine takes me through cycles of��peace��and��stagnation.
Mindless repetition,
Doing for the sake of doing because that���s what I���ve always done
Leads down a dead-end path.

Whenever I slow down and rediscover presence,
I find so much peace and novelty within repetition.
It���s no longer old business, but something e...

I recently returned from a weekend movement workshop in Miami where I met the founder of movement culture, Ido Portal.

He was the real deal. A man of intensity, passion, skill, wisdom, and humor. Alongside him stood Odelia, a lifelong student unmatched in her dedication to the study of movement.

I felt blessed to meet and learn from them. Ido in particular demands attentive presence, weaves masterful stories, and shares his insights willingly. I wish it lasted a few more days. I���m sure ...

A capable body performs and adapts. It is prepared for life itself rather than one narrow specialization. It transcends and includes strength, fitness, dance, martial arts, and sport. In moving toward weakness, the unknown, and the unexplored, the organism evolves past stuckness and adopts a greater perspective.

Ongoing examination of mind and body means returning to previously skipped stages, the parts of ourselves we thought we knew but had only scratched the surface. Self-observatio...

The biggest downside of using artificial intelligence to write books is that it robs the artist of the opportunity to observe, study, and understand oneself deeply.

AI will be a great tool for making money and helping with efficiency. It will free up time for some writers to focus on ���more important��� matters. But the degree to which we take shortcuts will come at a cost to the artist who misses out on the individuation process.

When used sparingly, AI could be just as useful as any ot...

The monthly email update, a week later. Better late than never!

I���m 60k words into an 80k fiction novel, so about 75% done with the first draft. I���m excited for what���s ahead and can���t wait to share more details later. Once the first draft is complete, the real writing begins. I���ll solicit feedback from generous friends and family and rewrite the whole thing at least once over before sending it out to an editor.

I ...