I’ve spent years working with women writers from a vast array of backgrounds. Regardless of their accomplishments on and off the page, too often women tell me they want to write but…but they don’t have time, but they aren’t good writers, but they haven’t written personally for years, but they only write for work, but they don’t know how to get started, but they don’t know how to keep going, but they are only journal writers, but they don’t think their writing is good enough, but they don’t want to humiliate themselves, anger their friends, or upset their families. The list goes on and on. But here’s the thing: whatever the reason, but ultimately translate into: Buried Until Told.
Why do women bury their words? The struggle to write is often not about writing at all; it is about the complex relationship we have with our worthiness, our value, and our voice. It is hard to write, to commit words onto the page, to allow our full range of self-expression when we believe what we have to say is not important, not valuable, not worthy. Writing against beliefs that we don’t deserve to write or that we don’t have the talent feels like writing through mud: It can be done but it is tough and sticky and takes a tremendous amount of energy. Wouldn’t you rather writing feel easy? Effortless? Joyful?
The key to writing with flow is to examine our beliefs about our writing and about ourselves as writers before we put pen to page. By taking the time to revise and release our limiting beliefs, we can save ourselves heartache, needless efforting, and even giving up our writing dreams. So how do we do this?
SoMeDocs is pleased to announce a virtual conference focusing on writing as a healthcare professional. Topics range from Book Publishing — Getting Started, to Writing Fiction: The Secret Sauce that Keeps Readers Turning Your Pages, and more.
Below are three easy steps to begin to align your beliefs with your goal to write:
- Write down the beliefs you hold about your voice. Be willing to be honest. Write down as many beliefs as you can think of about your writing, sharing your work, and expressing yourself
- Review each belief one by one. Ask yourself, does this belief support my goal to write? If the answer is yes, keep the belief. But if the answer is no, be willing to release it. Literally, take a pen and cross it out by drawing a line through the belief. Tell yourself that this belief is now cancelled. Often, in this process, we discover beliefs that are operating inside that are now too old, too small, too constricting, and simply no longer serve us. Think of this process as Spring cleaning of your subconscious mind. If your belief does not support who and where you are now, let it go.
- Create a new belief that supports your writing and your worthiness. Write them down. These new beliefs do not need to be dramatic as in, “I am bestselling author.” New supportive beliefs can be as simple as, “My words have value,” “I have something unique and important to share,” “Writing is a way for me to express my thoughts,” “Sharing my writing is a form of service to others,” “I write because I feel called,” “My writing is an offering of connection from my heart,” etc.
Revising our limiting beliefs does not happen in a flash. It is a process of letting go of negative self-talk and old beliefs that are much too small for us and actively re-reading and re-connecting every day to our new, supportive beliefs. Over time and with practice, our revised beliefs become part of a new operating system. When our beliefs about our value align with our desire to write, magic happens. We find ourselves writing with greater ease, flow, and joy.
