Sunday Night Surmising

After spending a quiet evening reading, I decided to dig out one of my old, seldom used, journals and begin writing. 

What started out as the usual grumblings about stress and anxiety, turned out to be an epiphany of sorts. A moment of clarity. 

Scattered thoughts became organized, and I came to the realization that I might be happier and more successful if I applied the same strategies I used to write essays in school to my life.  

​I was writing about making a plan--mapping it out--when I begged the question, "Did I ever write an essay without planning?" The answer, an immediate "no!"  

Suddenly, I found myself dissecting the essay-writing process.

​"Beginning with observations scrawled on a page, thoughts linked together by arrows heading in all directions, some of which lead to ideas incased in bubbles (almost always in cloud shapes). I start focusing on key points--what interests me and/or confuses me most. Then I work through it. Dig down. Do research. Find evidence. I immerse myself in the chaos without being too concerned with answers, but I almost always find them. Things become clear. I gain confidence. I feel buzzed. Things are exciting. They get figured out and, in the end, I feel accomplished."  

So, if I approach my woes with the gusto of writing an essay, perhaps I might just get to the bottom of things. Or, at least, enjoy the process.