Healing Through the Written Word

Healing through the Written Word - Writing is the medicine we need to heal our everyday wounds and provide us with the immunity to go forth and live, knowing we have a powerful healer at our fingertips.

Everyday wounds are those hurts that present themselves to us on a daily basis through our relationships and interactions with others and stay with us until they are addressed and eventually healed. Each day we are presented with situations that can develop into wounds or contribute to our growth as a Higher Ground Human. It all depends on what we choose.

"Everyday wounds" consist of the following:

* Fears we have not faced or embraced. * Hurt feelings that either are not recognized or addressed. * Blocks or obstructions that keep us from achieving our goals, evolving, or developing self esteem. * Lost dreams due to overwhelm. * Feelings of isolation. * Frustration * Negativity and judgments. * Unable to focus.

We can choose to walk in integrity taking us one step closer towards becoming a Higher Ground Human or as many of us do we can choose to take the safe route, hide our true feelings, protecting our vulnerability and safely hiding our fear.

When we choose the latter, we are being untrue to ourselves, the biggest sin of all. We are our own worst enemy. Once we realize and accept our hurtful behavior we are ready to step onto our healing path and begin the journey. To do otherwise would be deliberately unkind.

Writing is an untapped natural healer, which according to The Med Serv. Medical News, reporting on a study by Smyth & colleagues, concluded that "The simple act of writing about bad times can be potent, and a low cost, method of relieving pain and symptoms of chronic illnesses....

Healing our emotional wounds is necessary for us to move forward, to grow spiritually, to live peacefully and to Be the best we can be.

Walking in integrity means our thoughts; actions and feelings are all aligned, all in accordance all congruent (in agreement). Actively and consciously inhibiting and holding back our thoughts and feelings takes work AND can lead to stress, ultimately affecting our immune system often putting us at risk for major and minor diseases.

James W Pennebaker, PhD is his 1990 book; Opening Up showed a relationship between expressing our emotions through writing and the positive effect this type of writing has on our immune system.

Healing is learning to be true to ourselves. To be true to ourselves and to trust ourselves takes courage and a knowing of who we are. To become true to ourselves we must embrace our fears, walking through them to the other side. When we do this we open ourselves to trusting and experiencing life.

Knowing who we are is a life-long journey AND it takes willingness on our part to consciously take that first step.

I believe we are all aware of what happens when our emotions are left dangling with no where to go, or no release. They can manifest themselves into physical ailments, leaving us confused and often making visits to the doctor's office.

Healing our everyday wounds is necessary for our mental health AND for personal growth.

Everyday wounds are painful and many of us choose to simply ignore or eliminate the pain by being in a constant state of denial.

For those who choose to travel through the pain, we find integrity and personal growth on the other side.

Writing is a powerful tool to have when moving through the pain. Through writing we can make sense out of confusion, giving meaning to emotional hurts, pin-pointing the root of our pain and sadness and opening us up to a whole new world.

Writing on a daily basis at the same time is a simple everyday ritual we must develop. When you have a conflict between your thoughts and your actions sit down and begin to write giving yourself a prompt. Your prompt may be "Why was I angry yesterday.........?" and just let the words flow through your fingers onto the paper. This free writing is powerful. You will know when you are finished.

Now give yourself the prompt "Why was I not truthful .......?" and begin to write, letting the words flow out onto the paper.

Once you are finished sit quietly and read both writings. I promise, you will be exposed to the answers to both of your prompts, giving you the opportunity to make amends to yourself by bringing your actions and your thoughts in alignment. You will begin to walk your thoughts and your talk AND be yourself. There is nothing more powerful and a battle worth fighting.

The famous American poet, EE Cummings, said, "To be nobody-but-yourself----in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else---means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight...."

This exercise will take only 30 minutes of your time, yet it is invaluable when it comes to your personal growth.

Writing helps us get in touch with what is hidden from us, giving us answers to those questions that seem to baffle us often exposing the reason behind our anger.

Writing gives us energy and frees us from the ties that bind. When we write we create a spiritual, truthful connection with ourselves and with others.

Give yourself the gift of writing.

Virginia Dever Writer - Coach - Healer