Halfway | Processing 2020
Care; sickness. Hope; despair. Community; division. Kindness; anger. Unity; isolation. Tenderness; brutality. Comfort; pain. Peace; violence. Optimism; fear. Suffering. Confusion. Loss. Loneliness. Grief.
Six months in and this year has overbrimmed with feeling a hundred times. The tumult of emotion has engulfed us individually, collectively, globally.
As someone who argues for the use of words to connect us, to speak to our inner being, I’ve been very much alive to the outpouring of emotion at every breath. Huge weights. Feelings that cannot be squared away with a few neat lines of text. Emotions that are as raw as a bleeding wound. Emotions that sit leaden on our physical being.
Of the two landscapes painted by the words above, surely we would all rather live in the kinder part? I’ve no answers to put forward as to how we can all thrive in a world with greater hope and less fear. Last week I wrote that a copywriter’s job is to ‘connect to the humanity of a situation. To be an amplifier of experience.’ And so, I give this newsletter over to you.
I’ve noted some questions that have been buzzing around my mind. The space is for you. Print this post, note your thoughts. Copy and paste it and type out your reflections. Or simply sit in meditation for a few minutes. In any case, it’s an invitation to explore your thoughts, ideas, your words.
Loud voice. Quiet voice. Who is heard?
What impact do your words have?
How do words impact you?
How do words inform actions?
What happens if you pause your words and listen to others’?
Our words ripple outwards, an invisible wave moving through the world. They spark action, reaction, they have consequences. So, let me say, without doubt: black lives matter. Your life matters. Your feelings, emotions, the weight, the levity, the hard, and the kind experiences of this year all matter. And, whatever conclusions you have drawn, be mindful that…
Today. Tomorrow. Next year. Always: your words matter,
Laura
The Weekly Writing Reflection
Welcome back, welcome anew.
Each week I share a quote that I’ve found inspiring. The idea is to create space for you to do some active reflection through writing. Nothing demanding, simply jot down a few thoughts about your week. There’s no need to share, though if you’d like to, I’d be delighted to read your writing. Or, you can simply reflect on how your week has been. So…
Your quote, to find a moment of pause this week, is:
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
- Leo Buscaglia
And your writing prompt, should you wish to use one:
- …….. is an act of caring.