There are times in life when the only way to find clarity is to write the hard stuff. We all have some of that, and fortunate the folks who don’t have very much. No matter whether it is a little or a lot, its tough and sorrowful.
Clarity is not the only thing to be gained from tackling and writing about the hard and painful bits of one’s life. There is also, eventually, the possibility for resolution and even peace around the issues. Not easy, rarely a fast process, but definitely a possibility.
What exactly do you save your life from? The main risks are bitterness and living a half life (with the other half caught up in keeping the hurt from surfacing). It is very difficult to bring joy into your life if all your energy is going into keeping the lid on sorrow and pain. We fool ourselves into believing that’s easier, get stuck on a roller coaster of busyness going so fast we’re always near ready to drop with exhaustion, but at least we don’t have to think or feel anything.
Facing the hurt and sorrow on the page is much less draining and a lot more life affirming than always running to out-distance yourself from it.
Yes, it’s a risk, no one can guarantee that it won’t hurt like hell. Chances are good that it will be a cathartic pain, that will lead you to resolution because you have left the burden of it on the page. No, you won’t forget either the pain or the sorrow, but you’ll have something you may never have imagined you could have–a new perspective.
Is it worth it? I believe so. In my experience it was, if that’s any help to you. All it takes is courage and commitment–you have plenty of that to draw from or you wouldn’t be reading this!
Let me know how it is working for you in the comments.
