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Upon Writing

When I decided to finally start writing this blog on moderation it was the culmination of years of thoughts and frustrations and silence was no longer an option.  There was literally a compulsion to begin writing so that I could unload what had been pent up.  Regardless if anyone else actually reads this blog or if the people that read it think that I am bonkers, it doesn't matter to me anymore.  I had to write this stuff down.  Basically this blog is my therapeutic journal that I am choosing to make public.

Upon writing we efficiently and accurately express the pent up thoughts that circulate our consciousness over extended periods of time.  Sometimes in conversation when you are forced to think and talk on the spot, there is a loss in translation.  Rarely is there a sense of satisfaction that everything that wanted to be said was actually said.  Especially in modern day conversation when everything is in passing and attention spans are struggling to hold on mere seconds.  Writing can be a cathartic way to say what you need to say in the way that you want to say it without the pressure of holding another's attention.

Upon writing we see thing more clearly as we connect the dots.  There is a video camera running constantly as we live life and our eyes and ears are capturing the raw data.  In those silent moments alone we replay the movie to process what happened.  Sometimes we think about the moments that lie ahead and project what we think will happen.  Writing it down helps to process all the seemingly disconnected moments together into the narrative of your life.  There are also some plants that help with that, one in particular.  But I digress.

Upon writing we encourage reading.  Reading is my favorite way to consume information.  If I don't understand something I can re-read it as many times as I need to until I understand it.  If I read my own writing and I don't understand it, I delete and re-write it until it reads the way I want it to be read.  This is a slow drip into our long-term memory which is where we want information to land.  If you are constantly sloshing loads of information onto your brain and never slowing down to process it, only a little bit will stick.  This is where technology is good and bad.  We have access to more information than ever before and collectively our hive mind is robust.  But what about the individual mind in each of our heads?  Train it to be strong and process information into long term memory.

Upon writing we connect with others.  When other people read what we have written and engage in any way, either in affirmation or in criticism, it brings us closer together.  There is an understanding that wasn't there before.  Graceful and considerate criticism can be one of the kindest acts you can do for another person.  You are saying I hear you and I understand you and I think you are slightly off here and want to share with you another perspective that might change your mind.

So we should all write and we should all read what each other have to say.  Go ahead and get it out!

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