I’ve always been an aficionado of words. It all started on Saturday evenings with my mom when I was only three. We would pile into the bed together, upright on a mountain of pillows, and she would study for medical school. Wanting to be just like my dear old mom, I would study my books too. I couldn’t read just yet, but I would study the words, flipping through the pages intently. We would finish our night by her putting her textbooks down and reading me to sleep. Our favorites were Dr. Seuss. Talk about words!
I developed a love for reading, and there wasn’t a book I encountered that I didn’t enjoy in some way or another. I could lose myself in the world of words in a way not possible by mere television. It focused me. It soothed my mood. I loved reading, and still do.
I always enjoyed how words could be crafted, how they could make you see, and make you feel. When I tried my own hand at penning word craft I realized I enjoyed that too. I found myself driven to write words, and was honestly surprised at the pleasure writing brought me. What has surprised me the most though is how it’s changed my life.
Maybe that sounds silly, but it’s true. As I found myself writing every day, I realized I was changing. God was using it to teach me life lessons, and I thought I should naturally share them.
1. Perseverance. When I first began to write and share my words with others I made a decision to commit to the task. I told myself I would write something every day, and that’s just what I did. It wasn’t easy I can tell you, but I had made the decision and I wanted to stick with it.
The weird thing is, I wasn’t even sure why I needed to do this, but I felt driven. I promised myself I’d commit to writing daily for one year, and it became important to me. It wasn’t always convenient. It wasn’t always a simple task to pull words out of thin air, but I kept at it. I persevered. Through writing I realized that I could do anything I set my mind to if I persisted to see it happen.
2. Honesty. As I began to share my heart on a daily basis I realized that meant I had to tear down the walls I built around my life. I had to banish fear and open myself to possible ridicule or rejection.
In life you must try to succeed. You must persevere to reach dreams. You also have to be honest with yourself and with others. Too often we hold back the truth out of fear, and it prevents us from moving forward in life.
I’m not saying everyone has to bare their soul as I tend to do, but I think it only helps when you can speak truth, even if it’s only to yourself. Personally I’ve found sharing truth encourages others. I’ve learned to be honest with my feelings through my writing.
3. To be real. I have learned through my writing how to not take myself so seriously. By being honest and sharing my raw emotion I can take a step back and realize my plight isn’t so bad after all. I can laugh at myself. I can cry out loud if I must! I can be real.
4. Confidence. As I began to share my heart and break down my walls I saw it resound positively with others. I received encouragement, and that built my confidence. Something I really needed! My writing showed me how to believe in myself again.
5. Faith. I would often sit down to write and be unsure of what I would say, but I still felt like God wanted me to write. So even when I didn’t think there was anything to say I would persevere because I felt led to do it. In those moments I often wrote some of my best work. Writing showed me that even if you don’t know the outcome you can still proceed through faith.
6. Be still. Writing caused me to hone my ability to watch my surroundings and listen to what God wanted to show me through my everyday life. I learned to be still and listen, to be still and watch. God reveals the most when we stop and simply be still.
7. Reputation. As I began to share my feelings through written word I realized two things. One, I finally understood I shouldn’t care what the world thought of me as long as I was right with God. Embarrassment? Didn’t really matter anymore. Not really.
The second thing I learned was the exception to that rule, the one instance where I should care what people think. I realized the importance of a good witness. I understood that as a child of God I was required to uphold the family name through not only my words, but also my actions.
8. Encouragement. Writing showed me the power of words. They can tear down, or they can build up. As I matured in my writing style I realized I much more preferred to encourage rather than discourage. I discovered the joy experienced when lifting the spirits of others, and I felt like that pleased my Savior.
9. Enjoyment. I realized as I went along that I could do what I enjoyed. Writing was a dream for me, and I discovered I could fulfill that dream. I’m an author. Feels good!
10. Priorities. Most importantly, my writing has taught me what’s important in life. It has afforded me the opportunity to reflect on my life and the things that make me truly happy. I’m able to ruminate on my blessings and be truly thankful even in the face of adversity.
The awesome thing is that I believe God desires to constantly teach us. I think it’s just easier to receive the instruction when you’re doing something you enjoy.
With that in mind, I would encourage you to do what you love. Find a hobby, find a dream, and pursue it. Spend time doing what you enjoy and allow God to teach you as you go.
That is all.