The Power of Writing

I've been inspired to share with you a blog about writing after I stopped journaling for almost a month straight. Back in May I was experiencing some incredible changes within my personal life. I found myself really caught up in the moment because I was so excited with what was going on, which was great. On the other hand though, I've always used my journal to help reflect on what has happened which results in me learning and growing through my experiences. If you know me, you know that I don't go anywhere without my journal. I started out with just writing down to-do lists and thoughtless manifestations when I was 16, and later turned into one of the biggest tools that has tremendously helped me in my life. I'd consider my journal to be therapy for me. No matter what happens in my life, good or bad, I feel that I have a safe space to express it by writing it down. For years, I have been an avid journaler, not going more than a few days without needing to fill up pages of my thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams so when I did take a little writing hiatus, I later saw how truly important it is to me.

If you like to write, hopefully this blog will let you see the power you have between that pen, paper, and obviously that beautiful mind of yours. If you wouldn't consider yourself to be a writer, I encourage you to keep reading to discover a whole different world of self-expression. Your quality of life really depends on how you perceive it, no matter what goes on in your day to day you have the power to dictate how you want your experiences to affect you. Is everything an obstacle, struggle, or difficult? Or are you being led down a different path for a good reason, learning lessons, and having trial and error for a fu-fulling victory? Maybe you could be perceiving a little bit of both, but let me tell you, with the Power of Writing you can create a space that can help you see your life more clearly. I believe that writing is a powerful tool to get connected with your creativity. As you know there are authors who write captivating, addictive books that keep you on the edge of your seat. Or even musicians who sing their songs that we can't help but want to play again and again because of the beautiful array of words. Some people are into poetry because it helps them feel and express themselves. When you think about it, writing is an incredible force that is all around us. For me that looks like journaling, it's less structured but just as rewarding because it has helped me sort things out on paper so I can reflect and have it make more sense in my mind. Writing can be a release, you won't know how much of a tool it can be in your day to day life until you try it.

Here's what I suggest, I got this idea from a book called The Artists way. Since some people draw a blank when their pen hits the paper, whether they feel pressured, or uninspired. Try taking the pressure off by writing down whatever comes into your mind when you first wake up in the morning. You can write anything you want, like recapping the crazy dream you had that night, or what your goals are for the day ahead of you. You could write down how you're feeling or what your surroundings are, whatever you can think of. See if you can't fill at least one page worth of words that are simply just floating through your head and down onto paper. I did this exercise, every morning for a few weeks and I found it to be a form of meditation for me. To be honest, at first it felt like a chore, I told myself to write three morning pages daily to get my creative brain up and working again after feeling like I didn't have time to write, which was just an excuse to not have to face whatever I had going on hidden in my thoughts. The more I wrote each morning the more I felt clarity and a sense of connection to myself.

Whether you are already a frequent journaler, or haven't even attempted trying to record your thoughts, I encourage you to write at least one page a day. Do not let that one page go unwritten, consistency is key, try it for three weeks. In the grand scheme of things the task is small, but the benefits are endless. Let your head and heart come together to express yourself while filling up that page. Compare what you wrote from week one to week three, try and reflect to see if you feel any different. I believe after this exercise you will be able to communicate more clearly to yourself and others, find solutions to your problems in a quicker more effective way, if you choose to write them down and reflect on them. If you are someone that gets overwhelmed easily I also think that you will start to feel a sense of ease seeing the thoughts that were just in your head laid out In front of you. You have the power to change your thoughts. If you have been in a negative state of mind, try writing down positive affirmations or make up a story of your perfect day, see how that makes you feel. Have fun and get creative over the next three weeks and see where this self expression task can take you.