I recently heard someone on a podcast say: you write what you need to hear.
I can’t speak for others, but it often rings true for me. Writing gives me the opportunity to process my thoughts and arrange them in a coherent order.
There have been times I’ve gone back and read something I wrote – it can be days, months or even years later. I’ve discovered more than once feeling surprised with what I had written.
Being able to revisit my thoughts has shown me that sometimes my words still ring true for me now just as much as they did in the past. Other times it is a reminder of my ignorance or humanness. Or maybe, like an onion, I’ve peeled back another layer and learned even more about myself, or how old thought patterns have changed and are now reshaped into something new and better.
About two years ago I came across one journal from a long time ago. It had guided prompts with questions. This was during a period of what I will call spiritual “murkiness.” I could hardly read it because some of what I wrote just felt “icky.” I even considered throwing it away or burning it. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to do that, partly because this was a part of me, representing a lived experience and shaping me into who I am today.
I recently pulled the journal back out and started looking at it again. This time, I was able to read it with a new lens and could see so many areas of transformation and growth. I was able to see the things that no longer rang true for me. More importantly I saw that even in the midst of all the cloudy, shadowy thoughts and beliefs back then, there were also rays of light filtering through. This was evidence that truth was always there, waiting patiently for me to see it.
Not everyone likes to put down on paper the things that are whirling around in their head and hearts, but for those who do, it can be a catalyst for growth and discovery.
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