What if I told you writing would change your life?
There are many good reasons to write: writing can help bring clarity to your thoughts, writing will help you achieve goals, and writing will help you be a better communicator. However, my personal all time favorite reason for "writing it down" is because the process has improved my relationships with people I love.
I've had a long term relationship with writing. I learned to love the creative medium at an early age. I started out writing poems and short stories. Most were pretty cheesy; but, my mother always told me they were wonderful.
When I was twelve years old, my church arranged for our youth group to go to a musical play about a girl named Debbie. It was many years ago, so my memory may be a bit sketchy; but, I think the play started with Debbie getting a new Diary to write in.
Debbie sang a song with a line that stuck in my head all these years. Her words were: "I am the one who writes my own story. I decide the person I'll be. What goes in the plot, and what will not, is pretty much up to me."
The play was inspirational to me and probably instrumental to my future journal writing habits. Debbie named her Diary Solomon and wrote in it as if she were writing letters to a wise friend. Each entry she wrote started out with, "Dear Solomon." For a few years I tried the same thing, though I don't remember what I named my diary. Most importantly, I was writing.
After I married Kevin I began writing about our life together; but, it was mostly a "venting" process - a way to clear the worries and frustrations of life from my mind.
Years ago, I experienced a little taste of the mind altering power of writing. I was annoyed with Kevin. I didn't like how it felt; so, I decided to do something about it. I remembered hearing an idea that promised to help. It was a simple exercise to make a list of good things about a person when you are mad at them. Honestly, I wasn't sure it would work. (I was pretty annoyed with him at the time.) But, I decided to give it a try. I spent the next 30 days writing one good thing each day about Kevin. Before the 30 days ended I had forgotten why I was annoyed. (I still don't remember.)
A few summers ago, just before our anniversary, I decided to write the story of how Kevin and I met. I spent the next three months reminiscing and writing. As I wrote, I shared the story with Kevin. It was like re-living "falling in love" all over again - only better. We had an amazing summer - feeling closer and more connected than ever before.
Writing creates a permanent record of our thoughts. When we write "good things, loving things, happy things" we create a record of those things that can be easily reintroduced to our minds over and over again.
"Writing it down" has been such a tremendous blessing in my life. I want to share the joy I've found with you; so, during the coming months, I'll be sharing what I've learned about writing as well as many of my personal stories. I hope you will join me in a quest to create a permanent record of all the good things in life.
