Digging Deep

Recently a heating specialist was cleaning out our furnace and dryer ducts. He came upstairs and told me, "I have some good news and some bad news." You can image, I felt some chills creep up my spine. Who wouldn't?

In the end the bad news really wasn't that bad. He had broken a ceiling tile while trying to get to the ducts. And the really good news? That we hadn't burned our house down.

Apparently a lttle animal thought that our dryer duct would make a perfect home. It had started storing away nuts and had managed to collect about a pound of walnuts before we took apart its pantry. At least that was according to the worker's estimates.

How does this relate to writing towards health? Just because something is hidden away doesn't mean that it can't have disastrous and far-reaching effects. If we hadn't found those simple nuts, we could have lost everything. Stuffing secrets and challengeing thoughts deep inside doesn't make them go away. It can, instead, lead to damaging results.

So:

• Write about whatever it is that you are stuffing away.Something may have happened in the past or recently, something that upset you. Rather than pushing those feelings away, write about them. See if they are related to anything else.
• Fill this in and then go from there-- I felt_________when_______said or did _______because it made me think________.
• Write about whatever is hiding deep inside. Use the prompt--Deep inside is.....And then buried under that is....... What I never let other people see...... What I never want to let out into the light of day..... If people knew this about me, they would see me differently......
• Write what is hidden in your heart, your brain, your soul. My heart hides the truth of.....My heart knows..... My heart weeps because.....My heart sings when....
• Write a letter to your inner self and ask your true self what is wrong. Why do I feel sad (or lonely, or angry, or whatever feeling) sometimes for no clear reason... What is that empty space inside....
• Write about your fears. I am afraid of.....I am afraid when....I am not afraid of....I am not afraid when.... Understanding the light places and your strengths are as important as understanding your fears.

You've got some prompts, so Go, Write On!

Martha Peaslee Levine, MD

Comments

[CJ @ http://healthy-happy-whole.com/]

I always enjoyed journaling group in program and worked with the occupational therapist on ideas of how I could possibly keep my mind active as a distraction after meals...Healthy, Happy, Whole, began as my own personal journal, because I was too lazy to get out a pen and paper :-) but then it blossomed into something I am very proud of, and I think I have a helped a few people on their journey, as well. Thank you Dr. Levine for all the encouragement to pursue my writing!

[grow taller]

It had started storing away nuts and had managed to collect about a pound of walnuts before we took apart its pantry. At least that was according to the worker's estimates.