Tip#95: Power of Writing, Part 3 - Biloxi Blues

Part 3) Writing to Unearth Your True Self

Writing can be a big key to rediscovering your true self and true path in life. Writing has a way of removing the junk in your head in order for your authentic thoughts, feelings and mission in life to shine bright.

In many ways writing is saving my life. It has become a companion during difficult times. It has become a passion and a daily ritual that, in hindsight, I can see how my career had benefited from. For years I wrote in a daily journal and now my blog allowed me to find myself and rediscover my identity again. I was able to heal and discover the paradigms that had been holding me back. Writing allowed me to face the darkest sides of myself and become the hero in my own life.

The Morning Pages: The Artist's Way

During my lost years when my life and career had crashed I gravitated to journaling every day. I wanted to notate the struggles I was going through and the movies and people that magically came into my life to give me hope. As I said in the previous tip#94 writing was deeply cathartic and brought me a sense of peace. I also received more awareness to its benefits when I was introduced to an exercise called the morning pages from the book, The Artist's Wayby Julia Cameron.

Someone I knew dealing with a substance addiction was dedicated to this powerful self-development process. Every day when he woke up the first thing he would do is spend time writing whatever was on his mind onto 3 pages. It didn't matter if it made sense since it was meant to be stream of consciousness writing.

This exercise was about clearing the junk in your head. It was like doing a computer purge of all unnecessary information, thoughts and feelings blocking your primary life purpose program. These morning pages were not meant to be art or even writing, they were meant for the writer's eyes only.

Peaceful Warrior

"Take out the trash" is a line in the movie, Peaceful Warriorthat speaks to this important key of purging. Nick Nolte's character, Socrates tells his hard headed apprentice to "take out the trash in here" and points to his head. He goes on to say that the first part in your training is to learn how to throw out what you don't need in your head. This is where the act of writing can help you move forward by first clearing your cluttered mind.

That's why any personal development program or self-help exercise is vital to discovering your authentic self. All these various programs, methods, workshops, books and exercises may be saying the same thing but every action helps to purge yourself. Even if it feels repetitious. Writing in any form of self-help exercises, daily journals or memoirs is an ongoing necessity for unearthing your true self.

Biloxi Blues

Prolific playwright, Neil Simon has made a career from his memoirs especially those turned into successful plays and movies like Brighton Beach Memoirsand Biloxi Blues. In his book, The Play Goes On: A Memoir,he says one of the functions of a memoir is "to discover a truth about yourself you never had the time or courage to face before."

Writing Is A Mirror

So if you find yourself gravitating towards writing when you feel stuck in life remember all its powerful benefits. Writing is a way of externalizing the clues and reminders locked inside you of your true gifts, talents and skills.

Writing is a mirror for the answers you are seeking. Writing accesses your memory banks and the buried files of your inner hard drive. Be open to the gifts that will come from your own written words.

Emmanuel Lopez
Life Skills & Career Development
www.motivatorman.com
© Emmanuel Lopez 2007