[2020-11-28] From the inside out
Today, I reread my favourite quotes from a book called Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper by an author named Sark. One quote was especially meaningful to me:
We write for so many reasons. We write and share our stories because it's fun, it's important and because it changes us from the inside out. And others are changed by our offerings.
The notion that writing changes us is consistent with my experience. That was certainly true of the kind of earnest writing I did in my early 20s, which I truly believe altered me in very profound ways. It allowed me to examine my emotions, understand my thoughts, uncover my beliefs and explore my memories. More importantly, writing led me to challenge and change negative memories, beliefs, thoughts and emotions.
Our views about our lives are shaped by our experiences. The most noteworthy experiences—often the most positive and the most negative moments—form our memories. These memories shape our beliefs about ourselves and others. These beliefs colour our thoughts. And thoughts drive our emotions.
When we believe something—for example, that we're not lovable—we tend to let in information that confirms this belief and ignore information that contradicts it. We often do this without even knowing it.
That's why writing can be so powerful. It allows us to tap into memories, beliefs, thoughts and emotions that are sometimes hidden from our conscious self. Sark notes that when she starts moving her pen across the paper, "words leap out or sneak out, or are pried loose from previously hidden places."
This is what I found with journaling. I would sometimes have a-ha moments when something would emerge in my writing that I hadn't been aware of. As a result, I saw past events in a different light, developed healthier beliefs about myself, began to think more positively, and—in turn—became a happier person.
Though it's been many years since I journaled, my current practice of posting a daily article in this blog is having a similar effect. I believe that it's helping me to cope with cancer, to stay positive and to focus on all the good in my life.
This may be backed up by research. In The Power of Writing, Amber Bauer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology quotes several studies that found that expressive writing helped cancer patients cope with their diagnosis and treatment. In one study, for example, women with breast cancer who wrote about their deepest thoughts and feelings and focused on the positive reported the fewest symptoms and had the fewest unscheduled visits to their doctors. She states:
Although researchers differ in their explanations of why putting your thoughts down on paper is so effective, it seems this practice allows people to process and express difficult feelings, clarify their goals, figure out a way forward, and better cope with their illness.
Bauer also references blogging:
Instead of journaling, some people living with cancer are making their thoughts, feelings, and stories more public by writing a cancer blog.... Because blogging is much more public than journaling, it not only acts as a way to cope with the highs and lows of cancer treatment but may also connect you with and help inspire other people who are going through a similar situation. Other people find this same outlet posting about their experiences on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Through blogging, I have met other people who have faced ovarian cancer, which has been extremely helpful to me.
And, judging by the comments I have received on my blog, readers are changed by my writing, as Sark suggests. Blogging gives me a purpose and allows me to derive meaning from what could otherwise be viewed as a trying experience.
