I’ve been thinking about applying the writing techniques I’ve learned to self expression. I’ve read about how writing your feelings down is therapeutic and prepares you for stressful situations.
I find it problematic. Not because I don’t feel anything or because I feel too much, but because I have learned other ways of expressing myself.
Something I’ve found really therapeutic is to flaunt my flaws and let people see them.
For someone who has always been very private (and had feelings of inadequacy), the fear of ridicule is enormous. But to see my flaws exposed and to share them with others has a dramatic effect. Don’t ask why because I don’t know.
A hero of mine was quoted making the point that once you face your deepest fears, you are free. Perhaps this is due to the fact that you consume energy on the things that scare and worry you.
As a thirty year old, I am a lot less insecure than I was about ten years ago. Now I don’t worry too much about how I’m perceived by others. My feelings of inadequacy start to fade over time and when I try to write my feelings down I find that less is more.
It’s a dramatic improvement for me after many years of being bogged down in a perpetual state of being terrorised for revealing my flaws. As soon as you let go of the fear of judgement, the insults don’t hurt you anymore. Plus I’ve decided to make a change—to stay away from situations which compromise my self esteem and away from people who just want to hurt you.