Writing makes me a better person. How do I know this? The holiday season is filled with activities that take me away from my writing. And in the magnetic pull of seasonal revelries and necessities, kindness appears to dissipate.
What normally draws me in and captures my attention and the resulting analysis is missing as I find myself showing true colors of stress and time starvation. Ricocheting reactions, unthoughtful responses as I often neglect the feelings of my receiver emulate the result of forsaking my writing as it waits patiently without demanding my attention.
The love I have for writing is wrapped around the fruits of its labor. The time I take to review and untangle deeply entwined messages offers me the opportunity for revival, and a renewed aspiration to be a better human.
It is easy to critique another’s words. It can be more difficult to allow those words to move you in the direction you need to go. The definition of inspire is, “to fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.” So I find myself inspired by the words of dear friends and family as they share their days in words.
I was once told a story about considering the receiver when you speak as misinterpretation can easily change the intentioned meaning and be taken derogatorily. It can also be humorous when you are caught in this precarious situation. Albeit, possible projection, the receiver may manipulate the message from a set of biased lenses. How much of that is our responsibility? Words that escape from our lips cannot be reeled back in. And words that are written are a permanent record of our thoughts and cannot be erased by any amount of time.
The message today brings me back to intention. What is my intention for sharing these particular words? Am I trying to heal from an unintentional attack from another’s chosen words? Am I considering how my ill-timed or careless words affect others? Or am I simply inspired by others to “breathe in” (as the second definition of inspire) and take steps toward kindness, forgiveness, and renewal?
Maybe it will never be clear. What is transparent, though, writing helps me be a better me. My hope is that you also find your solace in an activity this holiday season that renews your spirit.