Writing is a Tool I use to access my feelings. It sometimes opens the door to emotions I didn’t know I was experiencing. I’m not sure how or why that happens, but I know I get a clarity from writing that I don’t get by trying to sort ideas out in my head or even by talking about them.
I write a daily Tenth Step inventory, which lets me see my character defects in black and white. There’s an honesty about it that sometimes eludes me in my simple thinking process. With the clarity that comes from seeing things on paper, I can take hold of the next amends I need to make or address a character defect that the writing process has brought to light. Writing helps me clear away the wreckage from my past—both the near and the far.
Others in OA have clearly benefited from writing as well. I recently read a Lifeline story that dealt directly with one of my most glaring character defects and the way it manifests itself. I immediately called my sponsor to talk about it, because the story specifically addressed work I’d recently done on my Sixth and Seventh Steps. My recovery has thus been enhanced by other program people who are brave enough and willing enough to share their thoughts in writing.
I can’t argue with success. I’ve become a firm believer in writing as an excellent Tool of Recovery.
