I was reading an article earlier by Caleb Kaiser about the limiting beliefs we have regarding writing. He noted that 80% of Americans believe they have a book in them, but we don’t share…in fact, “We question our own quality, the openness of the world around us, and the ‘worthwhileness’ of our stories. We convince ourselves that we aren’t capable, that our ideas aren’t good enough, that the world will mock us. The reality is this: writing is one of the most powerful ways to change ourselves and the world around us…”
We are surrounded, daily, by words, pictures, videos all trying to tell us a story, espouse a point of view, or change our minds. Words can be so powerful, particularly if they come from a place of truth. A place of reality. When we write we are opening ourselves up and making ourselves vulnerable to critique; that is hard enough. But in this age of ‘anonymity’ provided by the wall of the internet, that critique can be especially harsh and judgemental. All too often, reactions are given without taking into account the person behind the words; the soul that opened itself up.
If a person was sitting in front of you, saying the words that are written on the page you read, would you say the same things to their face as you write in the comments? Would you really? Could you look that person in the eye and rip them apart and see the pain in their eyes and steel your heart against their pain? Because if you could then maybe you need to take a long hard look at your soul.
We are called to care for this world we live in, from the smallest to the largest we should take nothing for granted. Least of all the gift of other beings, other souls. This world would be a dark and terrifying place if we had to face it all alone. We were not created to be solitary beings; we were not set adrift in this cosmos alone. We are to be caretakers and caregivers – to receive love and to give love – to write words and to share them…fearlessly.
Will To Grow 