Is My Handwriting That Bad?

 Photo by: Prachatai

Is My Handwriting That Bad?

Lyn and I just returned from our annual summer break. Totally unplugged. It was great!

I’ve shared with many of you how journaling is part of my regular routine. Helps me sort out my thoughts, and at times, while writing, there are moments of clarity, and, I daresay, even inspiration.

By no means an expectation, but may I suggest both the ideas to you – annual breaks and journaling. You might just be glad you did. 

So, while journaling this morning…All of a sudden I looked at my handwriting…pretty messy. When I can’t read my own, it’s not a good sign…I looked back at my handwriting while we were gone…pretty legible. Why the difference? I recognized this morning that, after being home less than twenty-four hours, HURRY has wiggled its way back in. In the past, you’ve read my recommendation of the book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by John Mark Comer. While I try and practice it, the elimination of hurry is a battle I continuously fight.

Now to inject a bit of positivity amidst my “habit” of regularly beating myself up, there was at least enough SELF-AWARENESS on my part to recognize my sloppy handwriting this morning. YAY!

So, now to my main reason for writing this edition of the blog: Here’s a question to ponder:

Is my SELF-AWARENESS on the rise?

A quotation regularly attributed to Socrates goes like this:

An unexamined life is not worth living.

What are your reactions to both the question and the words of Socrates?

Reactions…More journaling…I realized that I find myself regularly REACTING when I encounter

Reactionary Echo-Chambering…

What do I mean by that?

When I react to what I hear

and put that into the “chamber”

of what I already believe, I am practicing

reactionary echo-chambering.

Walking that path, I only perpetuate the “circus” that exists on social media platforms; in virtually every form of media we consume. How can we stop the madness? Let me throw out some ideas for your consideration:

• Step off the Merry-Go-Round of Reactionary Echo-Chambering.
• Pause…Take a few deep breaths…
• Now, step to the balcony. (Thank you, Brene Brown, for this word picture. Things look different from the balcony.)
• Ask, Where is this REACTION in me coming from? (Objectively analyze my reaction.)
• See if it’s possible to DISCOVER COMMON GROUND with my enemy(ies).
• Become Dutch! (Take “more ground” from the “sea” of discord.)

When I take time to practice what I’ve outlined above, I find I’m less stressed, maybe my journal handwriting improves, I eliminate some of the hurry from my life, and I’m a better version of myself, not just for myself, AND I would say, primarily for the people in my “world.” Isn’t that what I REALLY want?