Tuesday, January 23, 2007

"Signs" by Scott Russell Sanders

I think it is important to be able to write things down in order to understand them better. I don't do this often, usually only if I have a big problem that I can't think through clearly by myself. Sometimes, when you write things down and really take a look at them and fully grasp what's going on you see things in a new perspective.

For example, if I am having a fight with someone and I don't really know how to express myself right away, I take time and write a letter to that person, even if I'm not going to give it to them. I write down everything: what I think about the situation, my feelings towards them, my feelings in general, and whatever else I think is signficant. After I'm done, I read the letter over and over again. If there's something I left out or feel I worded wrong I'll change it and then read it again, until I say what I need to say correctly. After reading things over and over again, especially problems with other people, I tend to understand what's going on better and am able to cope with my feelings better. Many times I read and analyze my letter and then think about what the other person might be feeling as opposed to my own feelings.

Sometimes you just need to look at things from a third person so writing things down, as if it were a story, is really beneficial.

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