What writing means to me.

Writing is like therapy for me. I’m not someone who likes to talk for a very long time. Not because I don’t enjoy it but for the sole reason that it wears me out. I feel both exhausted and tired after talking for a long time. I realised early on that I loved to write and I still do. In fact, I feel I can articulate better through writing. It is my personal space where just me and my thoughts wander about without any interruption. I get this feeling of talking to another person when I write.

Writing gives me freedom. I can write about absolutely anything under the sun and there’s no one to stop me. No bonds, no restrictions. Me and my world. It’s a totally different feeling which I’m not sure how many will understand. Such is the power of writing.

"You can make anything by writing."- C.S.Lewis

Many people find different ways to let out their creativity such as singing, dancing, painting etc. If you can make a living out of your passion, I believe you are incredibly lucky. Not everyone can do that. There are so many people who work on a strict schedule from 10 am to 5 pm chained to their confined office spaces. They do that under the promise of financial security while their hearts yearn to wander and live their lives with zeal, vigour and enthusiasm.

I believe what’s important is that you know who you are and what you are capable of. I’ve heard a couple of times that life is a race and you need to keep running to come first. But the problem with most people is that they are running somebody else’s race not knowing who they are following or what they’re pursuing.

But how do you know what you want to do in life?

The answer is actually easy. There’s always one person whom we keep ignoring while making important decisions. And that’s none other your own self. Just ask yourself what you love to do in life. Just observe your thoughts and analyse what you do in a day. I’m pretty sure there will at least be one thing which will make you feel happy and completely at peace. The next option is to evaluate the conversations you make with your friends and family. What do you mostly talk about? This will give you a hint regarding your passion and what you love the most.

I knew I enjoyed writing because I used to write letters with personalised messages for my friends back in school and watching their smiles from afar after reading them always made me happy. I remember we had an assignment in school where we had to write a four-line poem about every student in the class. I enjoyed writing it so much and I even scored high marks for it.

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart." - William Wordsworth

When you know that you are really good at something the urge to excel in it is unstoppable. But the sad part is that most people don’t even realise what they are capable of. Often questions like “Can I do this?”, “Am I capable of doing it?” prevent them from following their passion before even getting started. Negative thoughts and inferiority complex will step in and drive away all threads of positivity. During such times we must control our thoughts and not let them get in our way. Otherwise, we’ll fall prey to it.

Writing comforts me and soothes my mind. It’s like drinking a cup of hot chai on a wintry morning. I wish every single person knew what their real passion was and had the opportunity to follow it and earn an income out of it. The key to that is to know yourself and listen to your heart.