5 Reasons to Be Fearless With Your Writing
Writing about my trauma brought sweet relief like nothing else
Getting vulnerable is a horrible idea.
Airing my dirty laundry with a sibling is one thing, but writing about it for strangers to read is flat out nutso!
Why would I pile more pain on top of the trauma I’m working so hard to forget?
That was me before I wrote my book…
On the flip side, I love reading about what others have been through, how they conquered their demons and found hope again. I always learn something and feel better about my life, knowing I’m not alone.
But we tend not to share the same compassion with ourselves as we do with others.
Life is full of tragedy, and I know you’ve suffered through your share.
We grieve for loved ones, we get divorced, and we deal with abuse. We fight cancer, lose important jobs, battle addiction, go bankrupt and have major fallouts with our families, all of which can play havoc with our lives.
Sometimes it’s too much to process, so we tuck the tough stuff away and downplay the effect it has in our daily lives.
The turbulence of our inner thoughts and emotions leave us feeling ashamed. We decide that sharing our pain leaves us open to judgement, questions, and unsolicited advice.
Why put a cherry on top of melted ice cream?
But as life piles it on, it gets harder to keep things from spilling over the edges.
Your journey is for a reason, and only you have the power to inspire others with it. Take small steps, but go where the pain is, and write to help us.
“What makes you vulnerable, makes you beautiful.” — Brené Brown
Share your experiences, your feelings, and your deepest thoughts.
Let the tears fall and smear the ink.
The process will heal you in return, even if you’re not ready to share your words with the world.
Write Fearlessly — Here’s Why.
- Find Out What You Think — There’s nothing like a satisfying vent on paper to discover what you sincerely think about things. There is no worry about offending or hurting anyone in the process, so you become uncensored. Reading it back allows you to see what’s eating away at your core; trust me, you’ll have some ‘’aha’’ moments.
- Take Leaps Instead of Steps in Your Personal Growth — Writing rather than thinking about your pain is cathartic. The methodical process helps you come to terms with more of your feelings. You’ll see them for what they are, therefore making it easier to separate yourself from the fear and shame that surround them. Writing about your pain will lead to more self-awareness as you experience it from a different angle.
- Protect Your Health — Build a healthy relationship with your mind for your body’s sake. Allowing anxiety and fear to fester too long will eventually cause physical illness. Writing requires using the analytical left side of your brain, leaving your creative right side to relax and play. It will calm your mind, reduce your stress and, in turn, strengthen your immune system.
- Process your Pain and Grief — Writing about your internal pain and grief helps make meaningful connections between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Capturing them on paper allows you to enhance your sense of well being by putting all three in perspective.
- Help Others with Your Story — Finding a way to learn from difficult times in our lives is something we should strive for. But taking that next step and sharing your story is transformational in your healing process. Your pain will shrink away as you help others with your words. You don’t have to be an expert in anything; you need to get vulnerable and be fearless as you write. Show others they aren’t alone and that there is hope for us all.
Wrapping it Up
For some, myself included, expressing private thoughts and uneasy feelings can be extremely difficult, regardless of your desire to start.
Writing in my journal was the first step to understanding that it wasn’t necessarily my fear that kept me from sharing, but the fact that I’d suppressed so much of myself over the years that I was completely blocked.
It was a struggle to write the simplest things. I’d pushed my emotions away for so long that it was difficult to pull them to the surface.
However, persistence did pay off.
A different level of healing began as I tackled writing a memoir.
It allowed me to further separate myself from that hurt little girl on the pages and realize how far I’d come in my life. The process was full of torment and tears, but the effect was life-changing.
I no longer recognize the girl in those chapters; she’s a stranger to me now.
I forgave myself on a profound level and began to love and trust myself again.
I want that for you too.
“Write hard and clear about what hurts.” — Ernest Hemmingway
Your suppressed feelings will leave you to fill the pages.
I believe others will find connection, comfort and promise in your vulnerability.
So write, breathe the sweet relief of unblocking your emotions. Stare them down with intention and refuse the control they exercise over you.
You’ve faced too much tragedy in your life to hold it all in. It’s time to share your journey from your heart.
Cry hard, grieve, tell the whole truth, let it out, and then let it go.
There is no shame in your story — only hope and healing in your words.
If you enjoyed that, you might find further inspiration in this story.
I’m Liz, the self-empowered, red wine & coffee lovin’, personal growth fanatic behind this article. I’ve stopped shrinking into places I’ve outgrown, and I’m a fan of straight talk and practical solutions. That’s why I’m here to Empower, Educate and Entertain.
