Writing to Heal
Stories hurt. Through stories, we re-live the pain from our past. That’s why expressing them can be healing. For a few reasons. One is, then you are not alone.
Isolating yourself and keeping negative stories in your head will grow them bigger. Sharing them relieves this. Have you ever heard, “You are only as sick as your secrets.”? Shame makes us want to hold them in. But this just compounds the shame.
The second reason is that when you share stories, you have an audience to hear, challenge, be inspired, and feel connected to. No matter what you have been through, no matter how you have felt- someone else has been there and felt that too. Not only do you get healing from sharing, the audience receives healing, too.
This is where Sheila Kennedy comes in. Believing everyone has a story to tell, Sheila supports others as they write their wisdom. With Zebra Inc, her publishing company, she helps others speak their stories and impact the world with what they have been called to share. Aside from her daughter, her greatest joy in life is connecting others with the resources and audience they need to succeed.
Listen in as Sheila tells her own story of transformation. Her and I talk about how healing is possible by sharing our stories and also, how connection is so key in helping us grow and serve others in big ways.
Most notably, Sheila shares how she forgave herself. You need this!
Writing to Heal with Sheila Kennedy
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Writing to Heal Using Self-Compassion
So often we color our life stories with shame and guilt. When something negative happens, stories fly through our head — stories about what happened, why it happened, whose fault it was etc.
The stories about the feelings and what happened to bring about those feelings — blaming yourself and blaming others — fill your head and don’t allow you to feel. Without self-compassion, it takes so long to heal. You may think a feeling is unbearable, yet you’re willing to endure years of self-torture.
Our stories can and are changing constantly. We are not tied to anything, rather we can reinvent ourselves and change the story every day.
When we allow ourselves to feel without the old story — just feel — it can go away. Having someone reflect back what we have been telling ourselves for years can help. It can allow us to sift through the muck to uncover the truth: We are not guilty and we do not need to feel ashamed. We are human.
How will you re-write your story to help yourself and others?