Wow. I think this is my 34th post, and the first time I’ve approached the computer without a sense of what I might write about. So maybe I’ll write about the experience of writing every day.
It’s been amazing.
Knowing I would be writing something every evening, something connected with the theme of peace, has sharpened my focus on my daily life. It’s given perspective to my thoughts, my frustrations, my choices. When I get upset, I consider what I might say about that experience, and how badly I am willing to make myself look to a potential reader. When I have a choice about how to spend my time, I reflect on my goal of building peace in my life and what choice would bring me closer to that. I find myself thinking through possibilities, running over words and ideas, as I look for a moment or theme or experience to capture. All with the goal of advancing myself, my family, towards peace.
And knowing that I want to be as honest as I can in my writing has helped me think more honestly about what I am doing during my day. When I find myself indulging in stinking thinking, at least I admit fully to myself that that is what I’m doing. When I choose to take the easy way out (t.v. versus meditation – as I will choose to do once I’m finished this post) I can’t ignore the fact that I have made this choice. And similarly, in hopes of having something worthwhile to write, I am occasionally inspired to choose better than I would otherwise: go for a walk, take a breath, engage and really play with my girl.
Writing daily is also fueling my creativity, something I’m most grateful for. I now have a writing space (though I am not writing in that space at the moment :)) and more energy for writing than before. And, with carrying through on my commitment to do this project, more confidence than before that I could carry out a project.
Focus, creativity, pleasure, inspiration. Just some of the rewards so far from this blog.