Writing as a Sacred Act

Who am I?

This is a question that so many people ask themselves. It’s probably one of the most frustrating questions you can ponder. And one of the most beautiful.

Because to know yourself is to know the Universe. It’s to have divine knowledge and enlightenment that fosters awareness, self-acceptance, and love.

Some people say if you want to become more self-aware and get closer to the divine, then you should meditate.

And I believe that meditation comes in all forms. It isn’t just incense and crossed legs, chanting “oohmmm.” Real meditation is simply allowing yourself to slow down.

For me, writing is my meditation.

Why writing? Because writing and journaling allow your mind and thoughts to slow down to a specific moment. In order to write, I have to pace myself and slow down to develop my thoughts. It requires effort and mindfulness and a sense of presence that is often missing in my day-to-day life.

By going slow and being mindful of what I’m writing, I create the stillness and silence that is so sought after in meditation practices.

This helps eliminate the clutter in my mind, and allows me to be more creative, more open, more aware. Thus, I get closer to my divine self and access the higher power within me. And ultimately, it gives me the gift of awareness.

Awareness is the greatest agent for change. Being able to be aware of our WHOLE selves, even those dark and dreary places in our hearts that only serve to keep us down, that is key to transformation.

While we don’t want to bypass the negative emotions and thoughts, we also don’t want to feed those beasts while starving our hopes, dreams, and our soul.

This is why self-talk is so important. And the greatest form of self-talk is journaling.

In writing, I’m able to look at all the different facets of myself. I can allow myself a safe place to just exist as I am, even in the midst of my own fear.

Because fear is necessary. It has the ability to help us achieve great things in life.

Fear helps:

• Raise our standards for the things we desire
• Protect us from unhealthy, unsafe, or toxic environments
• Motivate us to move forward from stagnant situations
• Cultivate an awareness and mindfulness about our actions and surroundings
• Create healthy competition and a drive to do better
• Act as the catalyst for growth and transformation

Repressing fear and other negative emotions creates chronic anxiety, panic, and sorrow. This robs us of our ability to develop, transform, and grow. This is why it’s important to embrace ALL of our emotions and feelings.

When I’m writing, when I’m allowing myself to put pen to paper and exist completely as I am, I can embrace my emotions, my feelings, and I can release what doesn’t serve me. I find my bravery within the ligatures and lines of a word.

And I can see my own growth over time. When we are appreciative of our journey, we heal faster. When we acknowledge what stumbles we have taken, we stand taller. When we love what breaks us, we become more open to loving ourselves.

Writing is also a way to quiet my mind. It gives me a sense of peace and serenity that I don’t often find in my daily life. As a caretaker, an entrepreneur, a mother, I’m usually left with very little peace at the end of the day. My mind is racing, my thoughts are skewed, and I can’t find the energy to focus on the next thing I need to do.

Silence is a commodity and a lost art in this noisy, hyper-connected world. Writing helps me find the quietude I need.

We live and breathe the din of the digital cacophony, rarely finding time to just be. There is no stillness in this world anymore. No pause between breaths. No space to just be. Or not to be.

We have forgotten: There is profundity in silence.

We are, after all, made of ivory and stardust and whispers from the galaxy. We are meant to evolve in silence. In those achingly soft spaces between our online statuses, we find our personal supernovas and the unbearable lightness of being. That lull is the quiet mirror of introspection which shapes us. And it’s often when we’re silent that we finally find our voice.

In silence, the truth lives boldly, with #nofilter. The quieter we are, the more we can hear — the unspoken honesty of our souls and the wisdom of others who go unheard.

Everyone in life is on a journey. And it has nothing to do with a destination, a set amount of money, a big house, a car, an award-winning career, or fame. No, our journeys are not outward. They are inward.

And while it is up to each of us to determine the meaning and purpose of our individual journeys, there are things we all share collectively. One of those things is having a sense of divinity and a search for purpose and enlightenment.

When I write, I thread the needle of my life, stitch by stitch, word by word. A divine tapestry of flaws and fortitude. Becoming and unbecoming at the same time.