Pages

“Writing to find my happiness, I find my happiness.” Julia Cameron

The act of writing my pages helps me find myself and brings me a sense of peace by letting my thoughts and feelings “out” of my head.  Morning pages, three of them are the brainchild of Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way. They are a practice that enhances your creativity.  The point is to write, actually write, in longhand, which I love.  I practiced cursive extensively in elementary school.  It is stream of consciousness writing and it doesn’t matter what you write about.   Even when I am just recounting the previous day’s activities when I remember them as I write about them, I also remember how I felt and I take the time to allow those feelings and I try not to judge them (and myself for having them) and then let them go (at least somewhat).  And maybe I think about why I might be having them and maybe be compassionate towards myself - maybe.  But writing, being mindful and aware of my emotions and how I “react” to them, then pausing and trying to change that to “respond” to them, even in reflection is the practice, even if I do it the next day or even much later, it is practice for maybe being able to do it in the moment when it would be most helpful. 

There is parable where the Buddha teaches that when misfortune strikes, it's like being hit by an arrow. Pain is unavoidable. But if you then react with resentment, worry, or self-pity, it's as if you shot yourself with a second arrow, adding suffering on top of the pain. The second arrow is our choice to perseverate, to replay the situation that triggered the first arrow.  Wishing reality was different, blaming others, feeling wronged, repeatedly are the second arrow, the one we can choose to put down by practicing letting it go. So self-compassion and recognition and letting the emotions free helps remove the second arrow of suffering. If I can soften toward myself and give myself empathy for my part in any event that is causing me suffering, then I am much more able to give the other people or the situation empathy.  They are also only human, and their choices, reactions and responses are theirs and, in their control, NOT mine.  So, I write every day to know myself better and practice putting down the second arrow.