 |
June 20, 2010
A great problem solver
We all have problems – what matters is how we solve them. In my many years I have developed a system that always works for me, and I’m sure it will for you, too. When I realize that something is bothering me and making me feel angry and frustrated, I write a letter to the person who’s to blame, and sometimes that person is me. When I write, I word my thoughts very personally and deal honestly with my emotions.
And then I revise it again and again. The longer I work on it, the greater the release of tension. Finally, when I have constructed the perfect letter, I don’t send it. No need to, because the problem is gone, vanished into thin air. I might shred it or keep it – it doesn’t matter. It has served its purpose.
Better to write for yourself and have no public,
than to write for the public and have no self.
- Cyril Connolly
I have a folder containing most of these letters, titled “Lessons Learned,” which I store in a safe place. When I read a letter again months or years later I am relieved that I didn’t react in a way I would have regretted.
My personal letter writing helps me deal with negative matters without being overwhelmed. It has proven a great way for me to learn from my personal problems and mistakes, without having to repeat them over and over again.
Are you in the grips of a problem? Start writing!
