{"id":1526,"date":"2018-06-01T22:39:54","date_gmt":"2018-06-01T22:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awritersheart.com\/?p=1526"},"modified":"2018-06-01T22:39:54","modified_gmt":"2018-06-01T22:39:54","slug":"writing-for-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolhollandmarch.com\/index.php\/2018\/06\/01\/writing-for-my-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing for My Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Book of the Center<\/strong><\/p>\n

While I was working on my novel a few years ago, a thought dropped in. It had nothing to do with the book and came with the little jolt I associate with the part of me that is NOT my ego-mind. The thought was, \u201cThe Book of the Center.\u201d I heard the words as if a voice had spoken aloud.<\/p>\n

The first time this happened I was 28 and it scared the heck out of me. I thought either God was speaking, or I was losing my mind. Maybe both. A self-professed humanist, I had no religious convictions or grounding in metaphysics. I sought help. To no avail. Finally, I realized the voice was a part of myself I didn\u2019t know. It seemed prudent to record what it said. That was the beginning of my awakening to spirit.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned (the hard way) to listen. When I heard about this mysterious book, I pulled out a fresh file folder, labeled it The Book of the Center and stuck in a file with other writing projects. Going to write that someday, I thought. Wonder what it means. Sometimes I pondered if Center meant my own center or Self, my heart, a place of neutrality, or something different.<\/p>\n

Reading The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself<\/a>\"\"\u00a0recently, I remembered how my Book of the Center appeared. Finally, I\u2019ve started it.<\/p>\n

Journaling for Healing <\/strong><\/p>\n

Between the first intrusion of the voice of my Self and the title of a book I didn\u2019t understand came a lot of years of journaling. In the beginning I journaled to deal with the drama of my life.<\/p>\n

In midlife, I was embroiled in a difficult relationship that made no sense. By then, I had learned to meditate, work with my own energy, and use healing methods to address my issues. With this situation, nothing worked.<\/p>\n

One day I sat at my computer, opened a new file, and wrote my latest take on The Situation. Although I judged my relationship problems as too petty to bring to the attention of my deeper parts, I decided to try anyway. I typed a single question: \u201cWhat is going on with me and this person?\u201d Then I sat with my keys on the keyboard and waited.<\/p>\n

After a few minutes I wrote whatever came up, without thinking or judging. No voices spoke, no visions came, I just wrote.<\/p>\n

What I wrote was not profound or particularly clear, but it made enough sense that I asked another question, waited again, and wrote again.<\/p>\n

That was the beginning of me using writing to connect with Self.<\/p>\n

The more I dialogued with my Self, the more useful the exercise became. It took several years to convince me I was talking to more than my ego-mind (one of my issues is self-doubt), but I kept going. No one read my journal. I didn\u2019t talk about it. I just kept writing because it seemed like the right thing to do. Also, I\u2019m a fast typist and the faster I write, the easier it is to bypass the mental critic in my head.<\/p>\n

Many others have discovered this method. It\u2019s even mentioned in books on journaling. I teach my journaling students how to do it. The great thing is you don\u2019t have to learn to meditate, take a class, or learn special techniques. All you need is a notebook and pen or a computer, and a mind willing to open.<\/p>\n

An Easy Exercise for You<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you tried it? If not, this could be the time. This is how it works.<\/p>\n