On Thinking Out Loud
Ever since I was a young girl, I always loved writing.
Back then I had a lot more time, so I used to fill notebooks and notebooks with all my thoughts, feelings, experiences, letters to others, poems, plans, and more... and it really helped me.
I usually never even looked back at what I wrote, because it wasn't about holding on to my memories.
Writing was just my way of organizing my thoughts and getting more in touch with myself.
It helped me think more clearly and deeply and fully understand my own thoughts and feelings. And after that, it was also so much easier to express it to others if I wanted to.
But as life kept getting busier B"H with more and more responsibilities, it got so much harder to find the time to write. I started writing less and less, and in giving it up, it sometimes felt like I was also giving up on living the fully meaningful life that I crave.
Recently, I decided that I really want to start writing again, even if just sporadically - when things are a bit calmer, and I can somehow find the chance.
But this time, I considered the idea of also writing "out loud", at least some of the time, if I'm already writing anyway.
After all, I always enjoy reading other people's thoughts, stories, experiences, etc., and I'm grateful that these sometimes "anonymous" people are open enough to share their inner world with strangers. For me, their stories are usually much more inspiring and helpful than anything I can read in a cold "textbook."
But on the other hand, it feels SO scary and vulnerable to share my own personal thoughts with people I'm not close to, and perhaps haven't even met!
"No two minds think alike," - so that means that anyone reading my post thinks differently than me, and I have no way to know or control if they will relate / think it's normal / judge favorably... or not.
After writing my "story" about Levi's 6th finger for example, I felt so scared to actually share it with people I'm not close to. I'm embarrassed to admit that I contemplated it for quite a long while, before finally clicking "post".
But turns out that the ability to share "publicly" is really such an amazing feeling!
It actually means that I choose to TRUST in the basic goodness of humanity. To trust that mostly all people are goodhearted and mean well. To trust that most people are kind, will take my words in a positive way, and will be supportive in their own minds and hearts.
Just like I can trust my close family and friends, not because they think the same way as me, but because I know that they are loving, caring, and compassionate people, so too I can trust in people as a whole, even if I didn't get to know them well yet, personally.
And the fact that we are all different, with different life journeys and different ways of viewing the world, is not a reason not to share, - but the opposite. It's exactly the reason why it's so interesting and important to share our big or little stories with the world. We each have our experiences for a reason, and part of that purpose might just be to share the new perspectives we've learned from it, with others. Because there is only one of "you" on this planet.
At the same time, sharing our thoughts and experiences also remind us that inside, we are all really so much the same! Yes, we are each unique, but not nearly as unique as we sometimes imagine. While no two minds think the same, no two faces look the same either, and yet we all still have the same 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, mouth, and chin... and usually, 10 fingers and toes.
The differences are only in the fine details...
The more we share, the more we learn that we are not alone in our life's journeys - and it's SO much easier to ride the waves, when we're all in it together.
Back then I had a lot more time, so I used to fill notebooks and notebooks with all my thoughts, feelings, experiences, letters to others, poems, plans, and more... and it really helped me.
I usually never even looked back at what I wrote, because it wasn't about holding on to my memories.
Writing was just my way of organizing my thoughts and getting more in touch with myself.
It helped me think more clearly and deeply and fully understand my own thoughts and feelings. And after that, it was also so much easier to express it to others if I wanted to.
But as life kept getting busier B"H with more and more responsibilities, it got so much harder to find the time to write. I started writing less and less, and in giving it up, it sometimes felt like I was also giving up on living the fully meaningful life that I crave.
Recently, I decided that I really want to start writing again, even if just sporadically - when things are a bit calmer, and I can somehow find the chance.
But this time, I considered the idea of also writing "out loud", at least some of the time, if I'm already writing anyway.
After all, I always enjoy reading other people's thoughts, stories, experiences, etc., and I'm grateful that these sometimes "anonymous" people are open enough to share their inner world with strangers. For me, their stories are usually much more inspiring and helpful than anything I can read in a cold "textbook."
But on the other hand, it feels SO scary and vulnerable to share my own personal thoughts with people I'm not close to, and perhaps haven't even met!
"No two minds think alike," - so that means that anyone reading my post thinks differently than me, and I have no way to know or control if they will relate / think it's normal / judge favorably... or not.
After writing my "story" about Levi's 6th finger for example, I felt so scared to actually share it with people I'm not close to. I'm embarrassed to admit that I contemplated it for quite a long while, before finally clicking "post".
But turns out that the ability to share "publicly" is really such an amazing feeling!
It actually means that I choose to TRUST in the basic goodness of humanity. To trust that mostly all people are goodhearted and mean well. To trust that most people are kind, will take my words in a positive way, and will be supportive in their own minds and hearts.
Just like I can trust my close family and friends, not because they think the same way as me, but because I know that they are loving, caring, and compassionate people, so too I can trust in people as a whole, even if I didn't get to know them well yet, personally.
And the fact that we are all different, with different life journeys and different ways of viewing the world, is not a reason not to share, - but the opposite. It's exactly the reason why it's so interesting and important to share our big or little stories with the world. We each have our experiences for a reason, and part of that purpose might just be to share the new perspectives we've learned from it, with others. Because there is only one of "you" on this planet.
At the same time, sharing our thoughts and experiences also remind us that inside, we are all really so much the same! Yes, we are each unique, but not nearly as unique as we sometimes imagine. While no two minds think the same, no two faces look the same either, and yet we all still have the same 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, mouth, and chin... and usually, 10 fingers and toes.
The differences are only in the fine details...
The more we share, the more we learn that we are not alone in our life's journeys - and it's SO much easier to ride the waves, when we're all in it together.
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