All the greatest and most important problems of life are fundamentally insoluble…. They can never be solved, but only outgrown. This “outgrowth” proved on further investigation to require a new level of consciousness. Some higher or wider interest appeared on the patient’s horizon, and through this broadening of his or her outlook the insoluble problem lost its urgency. It was not solved logically in its own terms but faded when confronted with a new and stronger life urge.
—Carl Jung

When you start doing Morning Pages, you’ll be surprised at the things you find lurking within. And, just as you feel refreshed when you step out of the shower, your mind, heart, and soul will feel refreshed after writing Morning Pages. You will walk a little lighter. Your mind will be more focused on the task(s) at hand. Your thinking will be more clear. Your heart will be open — so you may find yourself more patient or less irritated with the day’s events.
—Website discussing Julia Cameron’s morning pages

I’ve been thinking a lot about Bob’s comment to last week’s post: “My big problem is that I just do not do well with any kind of conflict in my life. Any time I think that someone is upset with me or disappointed in me, it really tears me up.” He raises an important point…getting some perspective and seeing things rationally is important, but it’s not enough. We still have to respect our feelings and deal with them. Feelings are, they’re not to be judged but listened to. And when they’re deeply heard, they shift by themselves.

I’ll talk more about this in future posts. For now I’ll just say free association writing is one of the most effective ways of dealing with feelings…and to get the kind of shift Carl Jung is talking about. Just get some paper and a pencil or a pen (or do it on the computer if you prefer) and let it all out. Keep the pen (or pencil or fingers) moving. Don’t worry about punctuation or spelling…just write down anything that comes into your mind. The important thing is not to judge or censure, just put it all down. If things come up that you would rather not share with anyone else, then shred the paper afterwards. The idea is to get in touch with the deepest parts of you. You’ll be surprised what you learn. And you’ll be surprised at the clarity and integration that comes from the process.

What about you? Have you ever tried free-association writing? How do you deal with your feelings? This site is about sharing, so please tell us your thoughts in the comments section.

Picture of girl writing by arkworld via Flickr. Used with permission. All rights reserved by owner.
Picture of hand writing in green ink by snorrlax via Flickr. Used with permission. All rights reserved by owner.
Picture of hand writing in notebook by bgblogging via Flickr. Creative Commons license.