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siennaasloan · 2 years

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#247: Learning How to Fail

I’m back after a short break. Thank you for sticking around!

Young humans are exceptional at failing. We spend our first years doing things wrong, and that’s how we learn everything. When we enter the traditional education system, things flip around. Instead of being encouraged to fail, we’re taught to avoid it. School wants you to be consistently average, not ask stupid questions, take no risks.

And like that, most of us spend years being trained to avoid failure at all costs. Some people develop an existential fear of failing. The shame that they associate with failure will hold them back throughout their entire lives.

Learning to Fail Again

Developing a healthy relationship with failure is essential if you’d like to write or pursue art in any other form of art. This is not to glorify failure at all. It still sucks. Being rejected or ridiculed really sucks. Nobody enjoys failing, but those are the stepping stones.

The part that sometimes doesn’t make sense to our brains is that the way to avoid failure is to seek more of it. The more you fail, the more likely it is that you’ll succeed.

Trust me: it’s much harder than it looks.

Failing Like a Pro

There’s a lot of nuance to this. You can fail in many different ways. Only certain types of failures lead to the results that you’re looking for.

Failing to write a “good” story helps. You wrote a story. It’s not great. You took a risk and learned something.

When you fail to finish anything at all, that’s a problem.

That’s why some writers collect rejection slips. It shows them that they’re moving forward.

Calculated Risks

Taking the right types of risk is essential. If you risk too much, you will get crushed. What’s the point of jumping into a tank full of sharks when you have no idea how to defend yourself?

When it comes to writing, there are many small risks that you can take that have a negligible downside. You can always decide against publishing a specific story if you hate it. Worst case, you will be rejected.

Failing is a Skill

It might not seem like it, but failure is something that you can learn. Eventually, you’ll learn to work through the fear. It won’t cripple you the same way it once did.

Unfortunately, the only way is through.

I’ll meet you on the other side.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Radek 👋. I’m a writer, software engineer and the founder of Writing Analytics — an editor and writing tracker designed to help you beat writer’s block and create a sustainable writing routine.

I publish a post like this every week. Want to know when the next one comes out? Sign up for my email list below to get it right in your inbox.

(I won’t spam you or pass your email to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Past Editions

#246: Your Art Is Like a Journal Entry, May 2022

#245: Writing + Headspace, May 2022

#244: Making a Mess, May 2022

#243: Write the Worst Story You Can, April 2022

#242: The Art of Writing a Scene, April 2022

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siennaasloan · 2 years

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Awesome Eats For Your Stay In Las Vegas

When I went to Las Vegas for the first time, I could not get over how good the food was. Everything was terrific. I visited several different restaurants and was not disappointed by a single meal. I am a very picky eater too, which says a lot about the food in this city. Included in this post is a handful of some of the best restaurants I have eaten at in Vegas, as well as various dishes I have tried at those restaurants.

1. Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge

Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge is one of the most discussed restaurants in Las Vegas travel itineraries, and rightfully so. Not only is the atmosphere unique, but the food is exceptional. In my opinion, the eggs benedict is the winning breakfast dish. The hollandaise sauce was rich and creamy, mixing delightfully with the flavors of ham and egg to create a little flavor firework in your mouth. For lunch, the pesto burger is a delicious choice. The tender patty was seasoned and juicy, topped with pesto and thick mozzarella, and the bun was soft and buttery. It comes with all the typical burger fixin's, and you can customize as you wish!

2. Giordano's

Giordano's, located in the Grand Bazaar Shops on the Vegas strip, was my dinner spot the first night I stayed in Vegas. If you love Chicago-style deep dish pizza, you will love Giordano's! The crust is thick, melt in your mouth good, and you can customize toppings to your liking. They have a wide array of meats and veggies to choose from to create your own perfect pizza. They also have pasta. I have had their chicken alfredo. The chicken is lean and juicy, giving a boost of flavor each time you get a bite of it. The sauce was cheesy, creamy, and peppered, giving that wonderful classic alfredo vibe.

3. Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, located in MGM Grand on the Vegas strip, is another divine restaurant with quality ingredients. I got the three cheese macaroni, which was rich with cheesy goodness. Along with the cheese sauce, cheese was melted on top of the dish, and breadcrumbs were sprinkled on top, making it a fine dish for upscale macaroni lovers. The winning dish in my friend group was the mushroom pasta. Now, I personally do not like mushrooms, but for those of you that do, you will not be disappointed by this dish. Fettuccine is smothered in a mushroom ragu sauce and topped with several different kinds of mushrooms. In fact, there were types of mushrooms that we had never seen before this dish! Lastly, it was topped with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese. I was told that this dish makes your tastebuds sing.

4. Dessert

There are many places to get a sweet treat in Vegas. In Eataly, we went for gelato. I got the sweet cream affogato. I am a sucker for affogato. The warmth and boldness of the espresso mixed finely with the cold sweetness of the gelato, making a comfort treat to satisfy any coffee nerd out there. Plus, it's a great dessert if you ever need a "perk-up" after a day of heavy walking.

In conclusion, Vegas is a food hub that doesn't disappoint. This city has restaurants of all kinds, and a little bit of everything for everyone. I did not have a bad meal in Vegas, and would recommend this city for any foodie to visit.

#las vegas #vegas #vegasstrip #travel #journal #travel blog #food #foodie

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siennaasloan · 2 years

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Permission to Dance On Stage Las Vegas - Concert #3

If anyone follows me closely, you may know by now that I am a hardcore ARMY. I had the glorious opportunity to see BTS live when they came to Las Vegas for their Permission to Dance On Stage tour. It was the best concert I had ever been to! Being in the same room as my favorite boys and feeding off of their energy throughout the show gave me a sweet little serotonin boost. Here are a few highlights of the show for fellow ARMY, and anyone who may be curious about BTS and their productions.

1. ARMY Bombs/Lightsticks

Any ARMY who attend a BTS concert has the opportunity to purchase an ARMY Bomb (lightstick) before the show. ARMY Bombs are Bluetooth devices that pair with an app on your phone. After setting up your concert seat on the app, your lightstick becomes part of the show! The entire arena became a light show as BTS performed on stage. I had never seen this in concert before BTS.

2. Choreography

BTS is well-known for their insane dance routines. Each song is filled with wild choreography that they practice for hours on end. The first time I had seen a routine from them, I was blown away. Seeing it live, though, is another story. I loved watching them dance their hearts out like Michael Jackson.

3. Being Themselves

BTS is filled with goofballs. The boys love to cut up and act silly, no matter if it's behind the camera or on stage. They did not disappoint during the show either! At the very end of the concert, streamers were shot in the air, and one of the members, V, gathered as many streamers as he could around his waist and model walked the stage.

4. Both Languages

Being from Korea, BTS communicates best in Korean. Some of the members know basic English, but only RM is fluent. I got to see them use both languages throughout the show to talk to us, and it was a really beautiful experience. There were translations, but I loved hearing them talk to us from their heart in their native language.

5. ARMY

During my stay in Vegas, I met many wonderful ARMY who attended the show as well. ARMY are a highly diverse fandom, filled with kind and respectful people of all ages. Each ARMY I met was incredibly nice, excited, and helpful. We have good role models, so it came at no surprise to me that they were as sweet as they were.

During the show, they boys told us that despite all of the dancing and singing, they were not tired. It was because we gave them energy. The leader of the group, RM, says that ARMY charges their battery, and they charge ours. I couldn't agree more. Being in the stadium with BTS and fellow ARMY gave me a wave of energy and joy. I couldn't be more proud to be part of this fandom.

#bts #bangtan #rm #jungkook #v #jimin #jin #j hope #suga #army #bts army #permission to dance #permission to dance on stage las vegas #ptd on stage #ptd las vegas #bts ptd #las vagas #vegas

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siennaasloan · 2 years

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7 Ways To Save Money While Traveling

Most of us enjoy a nice getaway from our busy lives every once in a while. However, vacations are not cheap. From airfare to hotels, excursions to food, these costs can easily add up. Here are some tips for a relaxing vacation that is easy on the wallet.

1. Kayak

Kayak is one of the best travel search engines. They have a travel calendar that shows the cheapest days to fly in and out of a destination. By toggling around with the Kayak travel calendar, you can plan your trip with mega savings on airfare.

2. Priceoftravel.com

Priceoftravel.com is another amazing trip planning tool for those on a budget. This tool will give you the cheapest months to travel, and the expected weather for those months. Priceoftravel.com will also list the best budget hotels, and research your destination for you while keeping budget in mind.

3. Airline Advantage Card

What better way is there to build your credit than a card that gets you airline miles? With an airline advantage card, you can rake in airline miles by taking care of your regular expenses with your card. Many airlines will give you miles just for signing up for one of their credit cards in flight.

4. Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines is a great option for flyers who are on a budget. Many people are turned off by Spirit Airlines due to their fees on baggage. To bypass this issue, take a backpack as your personal item, and roll up your clothes so that they fit neatly into your backpack. Then, you can fly at a low price with no baggage fees! Another reason to go with Spirit is that they have the safest, newest planes. You're in good hands with them!

5. City Pass

In major cities, the City Pass is a wise purchase. The City Pass allows you to get drastic discounts on all of the city's top attractions. It will sometimes allow you to bypass lines to those attractions, too. Pick a day to do all of your city pass attractions, so that you only have to pas for the pass for that day.

6. Food

For meals, it is much cheaper to go to restaurants where the locals eat. Get off of the main city strip, and delve into the best local spots in town. These restaurants are often better the tourist attractions, and at a fraction of the cost.

7. Be Flexible

To best utilize the above resources, flexibility is the key. Suppose you want to go to Hawaii during the first week of June. By broadening the location or timeframe, you could find a more affordable alternative, such as a trip to Hawaii during the third week of June, or a trip to the Bahamas during the first week of June. The more open you are, the more deals you may find.

In conclusion, there are many ways to hack travel for an affordable trip. That said, it takes flexibility to decrease the budget all around. By utilizing these tools, and your flexibility, you could be a world traveler and a mega saver!

#travel #travel blog #how to travel on a budget #travel tips

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