Anne Frank | The Hurt Healer

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.’ – Helen Keller

Do you believe that every day brings the possibility for a little ray of sunshine? Or does negativity overshadow your life? Is your glass half-empty and running out fast? Or is it half-full and waiting for a sparkling refill? The choice is yours.

An upbeat attitude can bring brighten up the gloomiest of circumstances. Choosing to think positively can revive you when you feel weary, provide clarity in chaos and keep you encouraged during uncertainty And when you make a conscious decision to refuse to allow the darkness to engulf you, you keep the way clear for your optimistic thoughts to shine.

Admittedly there are some days when tragedy strikes or a huge disappointment has to be dealt with and it is impossible to feel anything but despair. That’s a natural and expected way to react to a serious life event. It’s during those times however that you need to dig deep into the warm memories from the past until the shadows of your trauma have passed.

‘Whoever is happy will make others happy too.’ Anne Frank

Some people however have a consistently pessimistic outlook that overshadows everything. Their negativity can be emotionally draining not only for themselves but those around them. My advice is to steer clear of those who continue to wallow in self-pity and misery. You don’t need that in your life.

Instead surround yourself with those who can nurture, support and encourage you. Allow their positive support to strengthen you and motivate you. Happiness is infectious, so keep near to bright, cheerful souls and catch hold of the light.

If that sounds too simple or too good to be true, I understand. It took me many years to catch hold of that light.

I grew up in a fearful atmosphere of darkness. As a result depression and alcoholism took their hold on my life at an early age. I developed a self-fulfilling prophesy of doom and gloom. Experience taught me not to expect good from anything or anybody, so I set myself up for repeated disappointments.

Whilst I had alcohol – ‘my sunshine in a bottle’, I could manage the rejections and failures in life. But of course my reliance on a drink rapidly developed into addiction and I spiraled into the darkness of despair.

‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.’ Psalm 119:105

An alcohol induced suicide attempt signaled the need to give up the drink for good, yet my pessimistic self feared the worst. I couldn’t imagine how I would ever be happy again. I held on to the tiniest glimmer of hope and somehow found the courage to make my way towards the light. The light of love.

It was faith that shone the light of love in my way and helped smash through the bleakness of my life. My journey of recovery involved breaking down the psychological barriers that were keeping me in dark oppression.

I replaced each negative omen with a little ray of sunshine that came in the form of trust, kindness, hope, healing. And if you are fighting your way through some dark times let me offer each and every one of those to you too.

On those days when I feel the clouds have gathered or I’m in the midst of a personal storm I am reassured that it won’t be long before I feel the warmth of affection. Those that love me are my little rays of sunshine. They are family and friends who illuminate my life and reveal the glittering promises of good things to come.

And it’s good to return the love. Even the smallest gestures can bring brightness to someone’s day. So follow the wise words from Amma;

‘Always have a smile on your face, kind words on your lips and a compassionate heart.’

And you too can be a little ray of sunshine.

Image thanks to http://doriah.deviantart.com/

Whether or not you write well, write bravely.” ~ Bill Stout

If you enjoy the process of writing or blogging, you might also enjoy reading why and how others share their creative talents. Thanks to author Jenny Alexander I have the opportunity to share some of my own insights from The Hurt Healer as part of The Blog Tour. Jenny’s post ‘The Grand Blog Tour arrives at the House of Dreams!’ gives a wonderful snapshot of her writing inspirations, aspirations and what makes her genre unique. Do take a look and watch out for her book ‘Writing in the House of Dreams’, due out later this year.

The Blog Tour asks 4 questions that I am looking forward to answering.

What are you working on?

“A word after a word after a word is power.” ~ Margaret Atwood.

As a freelance writer I am always working on a variety of different articles, sometimes for magazines or newsletters, or for online sites covering a huge range of subjects; addiction, mental health, women, family, abuse, relationships, faith, well-being. And of course I also write The Hurt Healer.

This week I am working on some articles for an addiction organisation to help others who are seeking to recover and lead extraordinary lives and I’m also doing a guest post for a therapy website. (I receive ridiculous amounts of requests to guest blog so I do have to limit how many I agree to!)

I’m continuously working on notes for The Hurt Healer and I’m also working on some e-books and e-workshops which will be integrated into my new website later this year.

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

“Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences” ~ Sylvia Plath

Whether it’s for publications on a shelf or on-line, I always write from experience and that well-known advice to ‘write about what you know’ is so true for me! Essential to all my writing is that it doesn’t just come from the head but that it comes from the heart.

Although there are lots of blogs of a similar genre to mine, I think what makes The Hurt Healer different is the amount of sharing of myself that is included in each post. When you read my blog, you read the work of my authentic self and not just the facts of the subject.

Why do you write what you do?

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” Anne Frank

If you’re familiar with The Hurt Healer you will know that my ethos is that your past doesn’t have to define your present. I have experienced many difficulties in my own life, so as I share these times I hope that the reader can be inspired and encouraged to overcome their own struggles.

I often get asked about why I share so openly, and the answer is simple. Because I can. By reclaiming my faith at the start of my emotional recovery I have been able to reclaim my life. Today I strive to live my life as the person I was meant to be, and I write so that others will see that it is possible and desirable to pursue their authentic too.

How does your writing process work?

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ~ Stephen King

My writing process starts with reading a lot. I’ve always several books on the go and I read online, with an e-reader and I still love a proper paper book. I have to admit my mind is constantly filling up with writing ideas and consequently I have notebooks everywhere to jot these down.

When I actually sit down to complete a piece I usually have a good idea of what I want to include, but I start with a rough draft. There’s always a great deal of editing as I inevitably write too much, so I fine-tune until I am happy with it.

Magazine articles tend to have to be quite structured and formal, so one of the nicest things about my blog is that I can allow the post to develop more organically. Sometimes it can turn out completely differently to how I envisaged at the outset. And I love that freedom!

Well I hope you’ve enjoyed my replies and now it’s time to introduce you to three other writers with a diversity of styles who will be joining The Blog Tour on 12^th May.

In her own words Michelle Smith says that her ‘writing has kept her sober’ but she is so much more than a recovering alcoholic who writes. Expressive and innovative, her blog rising woman is a great place to start to find out more about her short-stories and novels. If you love gritty, thought-provoking writing featuring strong women then you will love what she has to offer.

I first met Sandra Bellamy through her blog quirky books. Having been made redundant twice, she decided to turn her life around and pursue her two passions; writing and helping people. See how she achieves both by visiting her new site beat redundancy blues. And keep an eye out for her book due to be released on Amazon: Break Through The Barriers of Redundancy to Get Back Into Work – An A-Z ‘How to’ guide.

For full-on faith writing, Susan Schiller of Writing Ourselves to a Better World is a site that will inspire. Not only does she share her own amazing life-story, but she helps and supports others to do the same. Under the guidance of her passionate beliefs, she has a heart to help the hurting transform their lives. As well as offering the opportunity to share Heart Scribes , Susan offers an ecourse on memoir writing.

Please do visit them, and a final thank you again to Jenny Alexander for the invitation to the tour. My next post will be something completely different; ‘If you’re afraid to do it, do it afraid!’