Monday, September 21, 2015

Writing for my Soul



I believe writing (long-hand, in a journal) is an essential, dare I say, critical tool one MUST engage in, in order to have true growth in life.

I have been a journal-er for years.  I derive so much from long-handed writing that I literally, in 2013-2014 did my entire doctoral dissertation in writing before typing it up.  When changes were needed, I wrote them as well then edited my original document.

I find the process of writing deeply revealing.  Information which has never come into your mind is suddenly appearing on the pages as you allow it to siphone from your brain to the paper with no filters.

I believe daily writing (in the morning because you are still in the spirit of shaping your day) connects you to the world.  I’ve discovered my deep love of certain things in the world around me through allowing my pen to float along the page as I think about general happenings.  I have solidified political stances and changed my mind as I presented my arguments to myself.  Writing connects us deeply into our world.

Writing nudges us to remember and connects us with our deepest longing.  Years into my current career I answered the question “when you were a child playing, what game or scenario was your favorite?”  I knew the answer immediately!  TEACHING!  But further still I loved making worksheets, guided learning papers, and test which I required my poor cousin to complete.

When I realized this, I didn’t immediately quite my job in order to teach, but I do look for ways each week which allow me to have a little time writing which also makes my heart sing.

Frederick Bueckner, noted theologian, said “where our greatest passion meets the world’s greatest needs, there we find our vocation.”

Through exploring oneself slowly and intentionally one may just find vocation and much clarity.

Writing allows passions to rise and the clarity to either know to stoke the flame or let it burn out.

Often when we are upset about something, a personal slight, a rude customer, or we are just having a bad day, we can let it rip in our journal.  We can scream using ALL CAPS and exclamation points !!!!!!!!! and this allows us to et it out of our system without another human being having to survive our emotion tsunami.

By the same experience, we may realize that we have had a life-long love for gardening and decide to experiment with setting up apartment gardens for assisted-living apartments.  With pen in hand, we may learn how to fan the flame from spark to roaring fire.

Writing, I have found, soothes my soul and connects me with Spirit by being blessed with self-understanding, direction, and intention.


May writing benefit you greatly as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment