Think About Writing

28 Sep

“Reduce your plan to writing.  The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.”  ~ Napoleon Hill

I have had many people come to me over the past few years (since beginning these Daily Reflections) and ask me in one way, shape, or form, “How and why do you find time to do these reflections on a daily basis?”  I keep telling them that it’s all about priorities.  If the daily reflection is important enough, I will make time for it.

I lied, though.  Well, actually, not really a lie.  Just not the entire truth.  While is is true that I have made it a priority, I think I need to flesh out the reasons a bit more.  I have made the writing of these reflections a priority for a few different reasons:

  • They make me pray.  Yes, that’s right.  The reflections are a part of my daily prayer.  They are my time with God instead of with YouTube, television, movies, et cetera.  To have that consistent time with God is very important to me.
  • They make me focus.  As I surf the net, I see quotes that jump out at me and cause me to focus my thoughts on a particular item and how that quote weaves into my own spirituality.  If I did not make the daily writing a priority, I would not have considered many of the things about which I have reflected.
  • They make me disciplined.  Believe it or not, the busier I get, the more I want to look for ways to stop everything that I am doing and simply relax.  Dreams of vacation dance in my head but reality knocks on the door each morning.  Making the time to write also helps me make time for the other essentials of my day.
  • They make me open up to others.  This might be hard to believe for those of you who know me well; however, as much of an extrovert that I am, there is a very private person inside.  That person does not really want to be the center of things.  At the same time, I believe that I have been called to this life of proclamation.  In order to proclaim God’s word, I have to practice it on a daily basis.  Preaching at daily Mass and writing these reflections daily are two of the ways that the private person is more comfortable being a public person.

Napoleon Hill, a self-help author in America, contends that writing helps to concretize an idea because we commit ourselves to that which we think.  There are those who would claim that journaling helps in stress management, in job planning, and in many others areas.  Those who maintain spiritual journals would agree with him 100%.

If you find your spiritual life faltering a bit, you might want to write out your thoughts, your hopes, and your dreams.  Committing them to writing might help you take the steps that you need to put your faith plans into action.

FAITH ACTION:  Take the time to investigate “faith journaling” on the internet.  You might find some information that can help your spiritual life.