ONE OF THE ASPECTS of grief we don’t often talk about is the great sense of loneliness that can descend upon you, even when you are surrounded by supportive people. No one seems to understand what you are going through, or their responses seem inappropriate or cold. You begin to […]
WHENEVER YOU FEEL overwhelmed, find yourself doing things you really don’t want to do, or just otherwise feel that life isn’t going the way you want, you are experiencing some degree of resistance. You may tend to react by ignoring your feelings and pushing through the resistance in order to accomplish […]
FREEDOM! In the U.S., we say we are “the land of the free.” The lyrics of our songs, extoll the virtues and necessity of freedom: Let freedom ring. Sing your freedom, because there’s nothing in the world like freedom, freedom of speech / freedom to say / freedom to think / […]
EVERYONE EXPERIENCES FEAR. Healthy fear arises from proximity to a dangerous situation: a healthy fear of falling, for example, prevents us from standing too close to the edge of a cliff. A healthy fear of injury or death prevents us from crossing the street in front of oncoming traffic. We […]
Guilt isn’t always a rational thing, Clio realized. Guilt is a weight that will crush you whether you deserve it or not. ~ Maureen Johnson, Girl at Sea – Guilt is a feeling of blame or responsibility for having done something wrong. In its healthiest form, guilt is a moral compass that helps guide us […]
Since October is Domestic Awareness Month, I want to help bring awareness to this issue while offering ways to write about how violence affects each of us personally. It’s not a subject we like to think about. And when it happens publicly, as recent viral videos have shown, those of us […]
I have been trying to write this post for a month — seriously. But one thing or another would get in the way: work, family responsibilities, illness, scheduled commitments. The very subject of control seemed to attract a barrage of incoming demands, both positive and negative, as though Life wished […]
Sometimes, when I feel I need centering and a sense of direction, I’ll draw a rune. Runes are small stones or tiles with symbols etched into them—a form of oracle. The little book which accompanies my set of runes defines Oracle as something that “points your attention towards those hidden […]
Holidays such as Memorial Day lend themselves to thinking about the many expressions grief takes in our lives. For some, the holiday weekend has no personal connections beyond an opportunity for an extra vacation day and barbecue. For others, Memorial Day is a real connection to a loved one’s death […]
They say the only constant in life is change. I believe that to be true. And if there is anything certain about change, it’s uncertainty. Just when you think things are moving along according to plan, Blam! something changes. Jobs, relationships, homes, and people come and go. Even when we […]
JOURNAL WRITING has many purposes, but it is probably best known for its ability to help us process emotions — especially emotions that we consider negative or painful. I believe that when we resist our emotions, avoid, suppress, or ignore them because they are negative or painful, they don’t go away but lodge in our bodies. On the other hand, writing through emotions allows us to fully feel them, process them, and move (or express) them through and out of our bodies, resulting in healthier emotional and physical states of being.
This post is the first of a series titled “Why Write?” IF YOU’RE READING THIS, it’s likely that you have some experience with journal writing or are at least attracted to the idea of writing on a regular basis. Perhaps you already journal regularly and are looking for fresh inspiration. […]
