Loving Learning Stuff – blogs

I have had one of those ‘lightbulb’ moments this past week as I learnt I had missed the lesson on mindfulness when dealing with difficult situations or people.

I began reading author and counsellor Kristin Neff, PH. D. On the proven power of being kind to yourself.

And just now, my favourite blogger, Mary Carroll Moore posted her weekly blog which confirmed to me that I was indeed thinking in a new way.

I wonder whether the blog speaks to you at a timely time?

Writing as a Way of Healing Ourselves–via the “Radical Power of Personal Narrative”

Can writing save your life, or some part of it? Does writing allow healing, or a small step towards it?

Although those living with the effects of trauma may not agree, I have used writing in my life to mitigate and sometimes heal from the effects of cancer and other trauma. Recently I was talking with a songwriter friend who has read one of my novels and I mentioned a scene that was fictionalized from my own life–and how satisfying, indeed healing, it felt to get that experience on the page. It didn’t matter that I changed stuff to keep privacy; it was still cathartic.

I know the research on this. Dr. James Pennebaker is a longtime proponent of writing as a way to healing. Watch his video here. Louise DeSalvo is the author of Writing as a Way of Healing and other books, following Pennebaker’s theories with her own evidence. 

More recently, Jim, a former student who is working on his memoir, sent me an interview from Northeast Public Radio with author Melissa Febos about what she calls “the radical power of personal narrative.” (If the link doesn’t work, go to www.wamc.org and search for her name.) Febos is also the subject of a short piece in Poets & Writers on her book, Body Work, which they laud as one of the best books for writers. She speaks convincingly on the podcast about how writing has helped her in her own memoir work.

I wanted to share these links this week in case you are facing some personal demons in your own writing and life and are interested in trying out some of these theories.

What is the book series ‘Journeys of the Fortune Seekers’ really about? They are not only intriguing and hard to put down historic fiction stories but they are written to help those of you who are sorting through who you are as people. By bringing to light the history that our ancestors lived through over the last two hundred years I discovered more about my own self. I have become mindful and kinder to myself during the process.

As I continue writing ‘Secrets’ my forth novel exploring our humanity and its historic effects upon our lives in this century, I am motivated to add mindfulness into the life story of the heroine in dealing with her family relationships.

My book series set between 1860 and 1920 explores religious and social principles which moulded the lives of the characters. How the creeds and rules affect them is the basis of the four-book series. Life is a journey- the series, Journeys of the Fortune Seekers is available from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/author/glennisbrowne

Also available at all other book buying sites. Some weekend reading awaits you.

Until next time, may life be kind to you,

Glennis