What happens when we bring our personal narratives to consciousness and share them with others? How can we utilize our own and others’ writing to bring greater understanding to our lives and instill a sense of empathy and solidarity in our society? Writing in your journal, and briefly reflecting on the different stages of your life, can dramatically improve your understanding of yourself and others.
Bodhidharma Meditating
The use of autobiographical writing in retreats and classes has been an important part of my work for the last ten years. Through reflection on classroom experiences, I have seen firsthand the benefits of personal narratives and how, when students find their authentic voices and reflect on the meaning of their lives, they find a better connection with their communities and families. Later, when they share their writing with others in a safe environment, all of those participating experience the growth and understanding that arises through empathy and solidarity.
Why focus on personal writing at this point in time? Given the impact of economic developments on families, students and communities, autobiography helps us to understand the complexities of our experiences using all the aspects of the person –the intellectual, the creative, the economic, the spiritual, and cultural. By writing in our journals with others, and sharing our experiences, we can explore the complexities of the personal and the political, the creative and the spiritual within ourselves, but also learn to “see” others and their experience in the light of understanding and loving kindness.
El Salvador
Despite our fascination with “reality shows,” and other fraudulent investigations of “reality,” only rarely do we make time to investigate deeply who we are, and how examining our own lives and suffering connects us with the people around us. By paying attention to our creative self-realization, rather that being addicted to the consumption of the so called “reality” shows, we can experience positive growth and grasp the liberation available when understanding and compassion arise together. When we don’t distinguish one reality from another, we repress our own suffering, quickly forget about the people who suffer in our communities, and we become cynical and passive when facing the problems of the world.
Writing serves as a catalyst for a unique investigation in the realities of your life, the people around you, and the promotion of justice and empathy through creative self-realization. Your writing practice will help you to stay grounded and in touch with who you are, where you are in the journey and what are the connections you see with the people and the community around you.
Juan Velasco