Pat, a million tiny sparks of thanks for allowing me to be part of your blog once again. We’ve been doing this for four years now, and I finally have the courage to admit this – I apologize for nothing. That’s right … the knee, the cat nip in your underwear drawer, the accusation that you were Jack the Ripper … I meant it all! Oh, wait, this is live? Um, disregard the last several sentences as I begin to change my name and address.

Your soul. Your heart. Your gut. The tiny inner voice that encourages you to make leaps in both life and creativity. These are some of the names people give to an extremely important element in one’s life which keeps energy, imagination, and productivity flowing. Unfortunately, not many people hear it, and that’s because there’s another part of the body which practically screams at you.

It’s your ego. Your governor. Your safety patrol. The guy who was voiced by Lewis Black in Inside Out. It likes to tell you it’s not going well. It has fun making you panic. It scolds you for not doing things like cleaning out the lint trap or the lint from your partner’s bellybutton. Your soul spends an inordinate amount of time trying to get past this brash entity in order to tell you everything is going to be okay.

And you need to embrace this creative soul like it’s a long-lost relative, Beyoncé, or, for those who like his looks, the Prime Minister of Canada. I believe I mentioned this once before in my other tomes, but the ideas for books, articles, short stories, or podcasts don’t come from the mind. The brain is the driver, the operator, but it isn’t where the brilliance which is you exists. Regardless if it’s a dystopian, science fiction novel or a manual on grommets, the ideas come from the creative soul. Generating concepts is its job, and it loudly whispers at the top of its voice when a spark of an idea becomes a conflagration. It also demands your brain move upper appendages around to start writing or recording.

Many people feel the creative soul is just a myth and the brain is where everything percolates. I disagree, because after many years I can distinguish between the two. My head is constantly raising alarm bells over paying bills, getting clients, completing books or other assignments. In other words, it’s logical. My creative soul is what tells me to start a podcast or generate additional revenue by offering creative counseling. How did I distinguish? Through coaching, meditation, and a good deal of listening to my inner self.

There’s no need to feel bad about listening to your soul over what your head tells you to do. In fact, as 2017 approaches, it’s time to embrace the gifts it gives you and feel proud that you do. It’s a New Year’s resolution easier than going on a diet, improving your time management, or joining a reality show as your first step toward world leadership.

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Richard Keller is the owner of Wooden Pants Publishing & Media and Wooden Pants Creative Services. His voice can be heard on KRFC’s Between the Pages, The Leap Podcast, and The Daily Author. Discover more about all things Richard and Wooden Pants at http://www.woodenpantspub.com.