Catharsis of Poetry -- 30 Day Poetry Project

I love poetry. I haven't had the presence of mind to write poetry in many years; life and stress have reared their ugly heads. But I enjoy reading it, and writing it especially. What words can't describe in direct prose, becomes clear in the impressions and imagery of poetry.

Poetry has always been a therapeutic medium for me. It lets go of many of the worries and fears I have, no matter how dark and deep I choose to go into my chosen topic. Writing brings forth deep release, and poetry is king.

At Poewar.com, they have announced a 30 Poems in 30 Days Project. For each day in September, they will post an article about poetry, as well as a poetry prompt. You can use the prompt (or not) to create a poem each day, and share it with the other posters. I have decided to join this challenge. Check out the link here to learn more about it.

I chose to do this for a number of reasons. First, since poetry greatly improves my mental state, I decided to see how 30 days of poetry will make me feel. I will be posting the poems here, as well as my own mental progress. Second, I need as many outlets for my writing as I can, and poetry will always keep my writing hand nimble. Third, I wanted to see if my readers would like to join as well, to learn if poetry writing can improve your mental wellness also. If anyone joins, please drop me a line and let me know!

See you on the 1st!

Peace Comes From Perspective

Okay, I know I said I'd be featuring some of my favorite websites in my next post. This post has been rattling around in my mind for some time, so I thought it best that I share it with you all first.

Many times, people will suggest that when you are stressed, just think about how all of these little things won't make a difference a year from now. And that's true, a lot of the time. For me, however, knowing that the small stuff is indeed small doesn't always translate into immediate peace. Sometimes it takes awhile for the epiphany to kick in, and for the relief to finally arrive.

Here's a real-life example. I met the man of my dreams while in high school. Being a teenager, just learning about relationships and everything that goes with them, I often worried and criticized about the littlest things. I often wondered what others thought about him, and listened to well meaning bystanders who thought I should just leave him, because he didn't meet their standards. As I am a cautiously optimistic person, I weighed these points carefully for some time. Eventually, the overwhelming stress from all sides finally caused me to cave, and I did end the relationship.

Fast forward a few short months. On the rebound, I quickly got married to a person I barely knew. (Bad mistake, yes I know.) The relationship quickly turned sour, and was far worse than anything I could have imagined. I won't go into details here, for his privacy, but I had far greater things to worry about, and they were much more valid worries as well.

I stuck through that relationship well past its natural conclusion, but when I did decide to go, I returned to my high school sweetheart. He is my one true love, and all the little things that were "deal breakers" to a teenage mind, were absolute nothings to a more experienced adult. From going through the fire of an unhealthy relationship, I learned so much about what makes a good relationship. Most importantly, I finally gained the perspective I needed to be a good partner in a relationship. I had nothing to worry about anymore; there was nothing that my beloved could do to stress me out.

From the perspective I gained in my previous relationship, I found peace within myself to maintain my current one. Thanks to this experience, I can take that knowledge that the "small stuff doesn't matter," and realize that although it may take a long time for it not to matter, eventually it will happen, and I'll be all the better for it. I firmly believe this is one of the "School of Hard Knocks" lessons, that you'll only be able to truly understand by living it. Sometimes, we cannot control or eliminate our stress; we can only press through it, and learn from it.

Does anyone have a similar experience they'd like to share, where the peace was not immediate, but rather came years later? I'd love to hear from you!

Quick Review: Three Steps is All You Need!

Now don't get me wrong, there will be lots of steps along your way to a healthy life. The three steps I have outlined are all you need to make sure you're on the right track.

WMWB Step 1: Affirm that you will make the best choices for you today.

WMWB Step 2: Get up and do something, right NOW!

WMWB Step 3: Set a measurable goal.

Since you're a reader here, I'm going to assume that your overall mission is to live healthy and improve your overall wellness. Here are some additional guidelines I suggest to head you in the right direction. You need not do these all at once, and you don't have to do all of them. Just pick and choose which ones appeal to you today. They may help clarify your direction, and decide which area of your life to focus on right now.

1. Take a sheet of paper, and write the categories "Mental", "Physical", "Emotional", and "Spiritual" on it. Under each category, write down specific areas that you would like to work on. For example, under "Physical" you may have wrote down diet, exercise, and/or personal grooming. For each category, pick one area of focus that you feel is most important to you right now. On another sheet of paper, list these top 4 items, and post it somewhere you will look at it on a daily basis. When faced with a decision of what to do, see if it falls under one of your categories of importance. If it does not, then perhaps you should do something else instead.
2. Do some research. Find some websites that will help you reach your goals. Use caution when exploring on the internet of course. Do not let "get rich quick" schemes part you with your money; only invest in reputable websites that you have thoroughly researched and actually intend to use. In my next post, I'll list some of my top wellness websites.
3. Start slow. It's all too easy to get a running start toward your goals, only to lose momentum and give up entirely. Take small steps, and build a day at a time. Overall success will come day by day, not overnight.
   
4. Cut out anything unrelated to your goals. Unless surfing the web until 3am is a daily goal of yours, it should not be unrealistic to cut back your internet time each day. Any distractions, activities, or responsibilities that are unnecessary and counterproductive should be restricted or eliminated entirely. Focus solely on what you want in life, and let the excess fall away. You will feel a lot less rushed and stressed as a result.
5. Take time out for you. With all the emphasis on goals, you can feel overwhelmed. Be sure to take a little down time, and do what you truly enjoy. If your goal is to be a professional writer, wouldn't you enjoy writing in your journal as a hobby? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on your preferences, and what will help you unwind after a productive day.

More suggestions will be forthcoming in later posts, as well as more topic-specific articles. If you have any ideas for what you would like to see me talk about, leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear from you.