What's right with your life? Roselle Angwin is here to guide us.
Life doesn’t have to be a journey of constantly improving yourself. That can be tiring and counterproductive. What if you were to look at self improvement from another perspective? Examine what is right with your life and take a closer look at what is working well for you.
Writing for self discovery can be exhilarating. Are you brave enough to look inwards? Perhaps we’ll start gently – by looking outwards. During a recent writing workshop for WriteWell, renowned poet and author Roselle Angwin asked us to look at things to celebrate in ourselves, our lives and the world we live in. To make a commitment to letting go of stress and always trying to achieve and succeed.
We made a list of what is working well in our physical life. This could be the body, family, work, home and possessions.
Other areas to consider would be the heart life, your emotional makeup.
Your thinking life is the mind or intellect. Is it steady, focused or muddled? Is there an awareness of how much dialogue goes back and forth between the self?
Your spiritual life includes creativity and intuition and our connection with the natural world. Do you spend time in nature? Or do you give time to creative joys like writing, art or dance?
Writing helps us focus, to bring clarity to what works really well in our lives. If something is not serving you perhaps it might show itself by allowing you to focus on the opposite. You can then empower yourself to do things differently.
These types of writing exercises will help you change your story and overcome limiting beliefs. If you wrote a long list of what is working well for you for example, having good knees to exercise or being emotionally grounded which helps you keep going even when challenges appear, that’s really great. Often we can slip back into ‘I’m just not able’ or ‘I can never seem to’. By being aware of the stories you tell yourself and consciously reversing those stories, you can make better decisions.
Roselle has another simple writing practice. When you go to bed at night, before sleeping, recall 3 things from your day for which you are grateful. They may be as simple as a smile from a stranger, the first flower of the year, a good conversation with a friend or a family member.
‘Once you start you will probably find a longer list. This practice is particularly helpful at times when you are down or troubled’, she added.
WriteWell’s Finding Purpose 4-week course is designed for those who are interested in writing for self discovery. The weekly lessons open online each Monday. This gives you the freedom to write at your own pace while keeping you motivated. It also assists you with developing a regular writing routine.
We also have a lovely digital journal, available for free for anyone who likes to type their words out. There’s plenty of prompts in there to get you writing today!
