Should I Write for the Public? - #write31days 10-23-16

With the craziness in our lives lately, the quote below rings TRUE with me. I seem to be writing my own personal story lately. I feel as though I need to write for myself lately. I wonder if anyone else cares what I have to say. I wonder if someone will be encouraged by what I say. I wonder if someone will relate to what I say. And yet, a part of me doesn't really care that much about the "others". I feel the need to write for me.

"It is better to write for yourself and have no public
than to write for the public and have no self."
~ Cyril Connolly #quote

I began writing as a young child. I wrote only for myself - feeling that what I had to say was of no interest to anyone since it would not relate to anyone. I was also embarrassed of what I wrote and who I was. I was insecure and truly felt that I was not worthy of sharing my views & thoughts with others. As I matured, I began to think that perhaps there might be one other person in the world that might be a little like me. And, I began to feel as though I had to be open about my weaknesses and my battles & challenges. 

As a young adult, I grew in my relationship with Christ and asked God to use my words, thoughts, views, etc. I began to see that many others in the world felt insecure with who they were... with what their worth was. I was also convicted that the feelings of insecurity & self-loathing were a tool... and not a tool of the One I called my Lord & Savior. I felt isolated and helpless in my insecurities. This isolation made me feel powerless. And, I began to question whether others might be feeling isolated and powerless.

So, I began to share openly about what I was facing. I began to write about the things that blessed me and the things that pulled me down. I began to write notes to myself as a reminder in the years to come to not lose perspective of views I had when I was "younger". I began to expose things that I'd hidden for years.

The Connolly quote above reminds me of one of Shakespeare's most famous quotes:

"To thine own self be true."
~ William Shakespeare #quote

"To thine own self be true." ~ William Shakespeare

Should we really do ANYTHING for the public...or for the betterment of ourselves... first? 

5 Minute Free-For-All - Should I Write for the Public? - #write31days 10-23-16

Creating an Emotional Connection

I began writing at a very young age - mostly in the form of journal entries or short stories. My writing was often based on an emotional experience or feeling. I've always been a very emotional person. I think that many people would see me as being too emotional. I wrote about my emotions for various reasons:
   * to analyze my feelings.
   * to document an event or happening in my life & the effect it had on me
   * to remember how the emotions felt & affected my actions
   * to learn from what I experienced

But, often I wrote about

F Words

I'm pretty sure this will be one of my shortest posts ever. Because... I'm writing this just because I cracked myself up a few minutes ago with the thought: 

"I need to make a list of "F" words."

For years, I've been wanting to share life & my story with more people than

Life is for Sharing

A friend posted the picture below on Facebook. When I asked for her permission to share the picture & her words, she replied, "Feel free to share. Life is for sharing."

...where I learned a lot of life lessons

What she had shared with the picture stirred something within my heart:

These last couple of months, my husband and I have spent time looking ahead, after we married off our youngest daughter. However last week, I was taken back 30 years after the sudden death of my cousin's son. Oddly the only picture I took was on the starting line at Mountain Park Dragway. I stopped here on my drive out of Clay City, Kentucky. This is where I learned a lot of life lessons, so did my cousin's son, Joey. They closed the track this weekend in memory of him. 

What's happening around us in life often changes our focus.  As we enter into a new chapter, our focus is forward.  As we face a loss or radical change, often we look back.  There's no control over what will happen in our lives.  The only control we have is how we handle it.

Do we learn from what happens?  Do we grow from what happens? Do we look for good to come from the hard times?  Do we recognize & are we thankful for the "little" good things in life?

Where do we learn our life lessons?  Are we always open to learn more & become a better version of ourselves??

We need to share our lives with each other... 

• to be honest with where we are & where we are headed - Confess faults (failures, discouragements, etc.) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. James 5:16a
• to encourage others that there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel that life can be at time - He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4
• to reassure others that their efforts are not in vain - For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart! 1 Chronicles 22:13
• to ease the burden of others - Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Life is for sharing!

Linking with Ann Voskamp - A Holy Experience today...