Welcome to the Grow Inward Podcast, I am your host Adrian Petrillo.
In my last episode I talked about books and reading and what a valuable tool that it can be on your path to personal development. I want to expand on this theme this week and talk about something that I consider to be equally valuable, and kind of the opposite of reading, which is writing.
Writing really is a window into your soul, and whether this is something that you have never tried before, or something that you do regularly, it is worth some closer examination regarding some different ways that you can use this tool to benefit you.
In terms of the different things we have been discussing on this podcast so far, this is yet another tool that I have found priceless on my own path to personal growth, especially in terms of turning my attention ever further within. I think it is very easy to feel as if we have a very good bead on our inner lives when it comes to who we are and where we want to go.
Although there are some that may have absolute clarity on these things within themselves, I believe that many of us are not as clear as we believe ourselves to be if we take some time to examine these things just a bit closer. Taking this even one step further, our underlying subconscious thoughts, beliefs, and emotions which drive the vast majority of our behavior, can be quite subtle and deceiving when it comes to their true influence over us.
This is somewhere that writing can be so incredibly helpful. I do not profess this to be a cure all by any means, or any substitute for professional help where that is needed, but it can indeed provide a very clear window into much of your inner life and external behavior if you take the time to document these things thoughtfully and carefully over time.
Now you don’t need to be an amazing or inspired writer to reap the many benefits that it can provide. The simple act of journaling regularly can do all of this for you, and it is something that develops and improves over time, like nearly anything that you choose to pursue in life. This particular practice, however, can be carefully crafted and adjusted in ways that serve you on a very deep level.
I have spoken a fair bit over the years about the benefits of journaling to those who have been interested. It isn’t something that I had ever done until much later in my life, but I am so glad that I began. It truly has helped me in so many different and wonderful ways. I would like to point out, however, that while I will talk about the benefits of journaling a fair bit on this episode, the simple act of writing can benefit you in many other ways as well.
Let’s talk about some of the ways that you can use writing to benefit you on a very personal level. One of these is a very basic, yet beneficial, way of working through the many different and evolving goals that you may have for yourself in life. When it comes to goals, I think that it is very easy to imagine them in your mind and think that you can easily keep track of them and their progress as you work toward them. Now this might be the case for some people, but I think many of you will agree with me that this method of tracking can quite easily slip out of our awareness and just simply fade away over time.
This is where writing down your goals and tracking their progress becomes very handy. It serves as a bit of accountability, but also motivation by visiting your progress somewhat regularly. This is a wonderful use case for your daily journal! By getting in the habit of doing a daily journal, you can not only firm up your commitment to the things that are important to you, but you can also write through some of the challenges or obstacles that you face to find different solutions. By having something to refer back to, it really helps to identify patterns that you may not have noticed in yourself, things that hold you back or get in your way?
This is an important point that I would like to elaborate on, and one that extends far beyond the simple tracking of goals. As I had previously mentioned, writing is a window into your soul. We all have patterns that show up in our lives, in our thoughts and beliefs, and the way that we show up in the world each day. The act of beginning to pay attention to these patterns and identify them is very powerful indeed. In fact, I would argue that this is in the very top tier of valuable skills when it comes to being able to create lasting change in your life.
It is of no consequence what your goals or desires are comprised of or require, it is of deep relevance however that you have the ability to recognize the areas that are holding you back from achieving them. Wandering through your day to day life without taking time to examine your inner self and patterns can rarely lead you to significant breakthroughs. It requires a great deal of commitment and effort, but as you begin to identify things it can be very exciting and insightful. A journal is such an invaluable tool in this way, but you must be using it consciously in this way.
Think of this as a fun experiment where you are putting together a puzzle that is you, the real you! Be curious about who you really are and what makes you unique, and be open to accepting each of those parts of you good or bad. Learn acceptance first, then work to change the parts that you find less than appealing. This is a very healthy and practical way to practice acceptance daily, and it will serve you very well.
Another important point of documenting these things is a matter of record. This is something I don’t always use to its full potential, but I have gotten better. By documenting your journey and struggles, you can go back regularly and see just how far you have come. Sometimes in our day to day life it all just blurs together and doesn’t seem like much has changed, but by looking back at some of the struggles or thoughts you had even a few months ago you can often see that you have indeed made great strides in some area or another. This is great for your confidence, and also to see the true value of documenting. If you rely only on your memory, there are bound to be many things that just fade away, lost to the tides of time and change forever.
One of the greatest values of journaling can come in the form of working through the endless parade of difficult and challenging emotions in your life. I think about this one often when I feel the sorrow or frustration of others in the world. It’s as if they just want to be seen and heard, but they have no idea how to even do that. I think we can all relate to this at different times in our lives. There are so many situations and people that create turbulence in our lives, and we often feel helpless in the face of them.
Journaling is such a wonderful and safe space to work through things such as this. You can spill out all of your feelings right onto the pages of your journal. There is no need to filter how you are feeling, in fact I encourage you to never try to filter your feelings and emotions here. Let them out, just as they are!
Having a private space to release this energy is a very powerful and valuable tool indeed. If you think about it, how many places do you have that you can say exactly what is on your mind without offending someone else? If you are perfectly comfortable speaking your mind, regardless of the content, there is no doubt that you will offend someone today. I understand that some people have no problem with this, and I can’t discourage those who feel this is right for them. Sometimes we need to be honest, but I do think there are lines, depending on the circumstances?
Without a healthy outlet to release and work through our emotional stresses, it can create a great deal of unhappiness, loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, malaise, or all sorts of other issues. Even if we have wonderful friends willing to listen to us and help us, we may not always want to spill all of this out onto them. After all, they have their own issues to deal with. It’s fine some of the time, and even good to talk with others, but we can’t always find that or rely on it?
Your journal is the perfect place to release this negative energy, and even begin to turn it into something more positive over time. You might be amazed how good it can feel to just write down how you are feeling. At face value, it doesn’t seem like writing your feelings down would do anything, but it does! It does in a big way. Especially in a private space where you can really say what is on your mind. I just can’t think a healthier space to do this than in your journal, outside of a good therapists office? But many of us don’t necessarily need therapy, we just need an outlet where we can speak our mind and work through some of the challenges we are having in our lives. I invite you to try spilling all your frustrations out onto pages, not onto people, and see how it feels for you?
Something else you can use your journal for is also buried within the process of identifying patterns in yourself. Try to identify your patterns of limiting thoughts and beliefs, and then examine them closely and rewrite them to what you would like them to be. Carry this around with you and visit your new thoughts and beliefs regularly just to remind yourself. Recite this to yourself to help you shift the things that are limiting you in your life. This really does work, but it takes persistence and dedication as anything else does.
You can learn so much about yourself through writing and journaling specifically. I really want to encourage you to try it, and to be creative in the ways that you use it as a tool in your life. We are all unique and have different goals and dreams, different parts of ourselves that we would like to change, different things that we would like to expand or contract, use your journal to find your own and document the journey. Revisit it often and remind yourself of where you are and where you have been. Celebrate everything that you accomplish along the way, and write down who you want to become. Bring the best parts of you to life by weeding your garden daily, so to speak!
Beyond journaling, I had mentioned that writing is good for many other reasons. One that comes to mind is to play with your own creativity, and to develop that through words. You don’t necessarily need to think of this in terms of being a writer or a poet, maybe you can creatively explore the things you want to build into your life by writing out a story of how that looks for you. Try writing a story about the best version of yourself and the life you see yourself living, and let your creativity run wild. This is really fun and also a great way to build a clearer picture in your head that will stick with you. This can help you to create those things more effectively in your real life.
You can do this for anything. If there is something you struggle with, create a story of how you overcame it and what your life looks like after it is all over and behind you. Maybe you could write down all of the things you have learned in your life that you would like to leave behind for those you love. If you are a parent, let your love for you child guide you to write a little story of the advice that you would like them to remember when you are gone. Maybe you could write little notes to those you love and slip them into a pocket once in a while to remind them how much you love and appreciate them?
Writing really is an incredible tool, but often we just need to shift the way we look at this tool. I think it’s a really easy thing to take for granted. It’s not something many of us think about often, but writing can be used in so many beneficial and fun ways. It can help us learn, express our love, get lost in another world, or soak up wisdom and words that light up our hearts and minds. You have so much within you right now, consider the ways that you can begin using this beautiful gift, and express gratitude by using it to improve your life and maybe even the lives of others. It won’t cost you anything at all…
Until next time, never underestimate the power you have within you, and keep Growing Inward.
