Since I had only one goal when I first became a mama was to BE a mama, I didn’t imagine there would be something to develop beyond being a mama.
Who knew, I would discover a love and a passion in writing that even helped my homeschool mama role.
I didn’t anticipate that I would be developing myself beyond my homeschool role.
“That’s exactly what writing is: to be able to duplicate our original mind on paper, with all its odd, kinky turns. Writing is about getting close to our genuine selves and the authentic way we see. Barbara got this–it took her a long time on her own arduous path to capture its extent from ground to heaven. But never fear, she was a Midwesterner–she stubbornly continued until the paper reflected her true self. I took this as a great lesson: not to hurry for sense when I write. I might land too quickly and miss out on half my mind.”
Natalie Goldberg
Writing helps you become more you as you’re developing you beyond the homeschool mama role.
1. When you write, you learn to own your voice.
What do you even think? You’ll learn as you write.
But what if it’s different than what you believe others would expect of you to write? You’ll have to accept that it’s different than others.
(You, and everyone else, already knew that though, but when you publish your voice, you’re loudly claiming it).
Which, in turn, will strengthen and embolden your voice.
2. You might alienate people, but you’ll also build relationships.
Were you thinking that you’d go through life where everyone liked you anyway? Trick question, because I think most people actually do think that most people will like you.
Do you like everyone? (Oh, I know you’re trying to be kind to everyone, but I mean LIKE everyone?)
Nope? Do you know why? Because you’re a human being.
Does following the pack feel authentic to you anyway?
Certainly, when you lay your thoughts on the page, everyone won’t agree, and might gradually dislike the thoughts coming from you.
But they might also like and appreciate you more: and that might bear out in stronger relationships in real-time.
3. You figure out what you think, and what you don’t.
And when you write it and send it into the blogosphere, magazines, or en novel, you might discover later that you even disagree with yourself.
(Ask me how I know!)
In the meantime, carefully choosing a turn of phrase to express yourself, more closely aligns your words with your inner thoughts, and you build an inner congruence.
And you build your own true self.
Homeschool Mama Daily Journal
Journal questions to aid in self-exploration, to develop self-awareness and identity, and to maintain a weekly planner for homeschool and life. This Homeschool Mama Journal helps you organize your inner world and your outer world.
Were you thinking that you’d go through life where everyone liked you anyway? Do you like everyone? Does following the pack feel authentic? Just the questions I needed to ask myself today.
Yes. Sometimes I write to myself. We write because we write.
Yes, the words on paper are my reflection, not always a pretty one, sometimes surprising, and always honest given enough time.
I’ve never aspired to be a ‘writer’ or ‘blogger’ but I am forever grateful I started blogging because I have learned all three of these. I needed to learn them, I needed to ascertain, assert and identify myself.
Yeah, I didn’t aspire to it either. Just always did write and decided to put it out there. The more I write, the more I learn that too. It’s worth the effort, affecting the rest of my world.