The Struggle to Stay Authentically True to Myself as I Write

When it comes to writing, I keep hearing the words "audience", "define her", and "what can you offer her" like it's a cheap sales pitch. I don't write to offer advice or give a cheap fix to problems. I write to discover what it is my soul is telling me. I write for self-discovery. I write because I know I'm not the only one out there trying to connect with the person God created me to be. I see my writing as giving others a window into my soul that they may learn to grow deeper in their own journey. It's more of an open invitation to have someone come alongside me and walk with me as I learn, stumble, and grow.

I am finding it to be a crucial practice to ask God to search my heart as I write something that I will be posting publicly. I ask Him to help me know what my motives are in sharing that particular piece. I ask Him to use the words to encourage, uplift, bring light and life to those who read it.

I have also found it necessary to have someone in my life who will listen and lovingly alert me when I start to fall back into my old patterns. We need people in our lives we can trust who will speak the truth in love in every area of our lives. For me, this has become most apparent in my writing journey.

I don't know who reads what I write or who is encouraged by it. I also know that I do NOT write to answer problems for my readers. All I know is that I write because it's how I process. I write, because in a world full of negativity, comparisons, and anger, I want to be a light pointing my readers to a deeper, fuller, and more peaceful inner life.