Hi everyone,
Welcome to the Brave The Page book club. I’m so happy you’re here! This week, we are chatting about the second chapter, “The Power of Genesis Stories.” One thing I hear over and over from folks starting to write their books or any other creative project is how afraid they are of beginning. I know this feeling well.
"Beginnings have always been a source of stage fright for me, be it a new class, a new relationship, or a new project. This fear is also at the beginning of healing our stories. Just as endings involve a journey through a grieving process that includes acknowledging the emotional upheaval, beginnings have a similar journey—through our fears rather than around them. This can only happen when we are willing to choose the risk of staying put when everything inside us wants to run away. Usually, this fear of beginning stems from origin stories that are keeping us attached to old fears. Stories that shape our self-worth, our ability to trust others, and our confidence in our own voices. There are so many messages we grow up with that are implanted in our psyche from a young age. Messages from friends, family, teachers, mentors, the environments around us. These voices can be both positive and negative, but often the negative messages are the ones we cling to the hardest.”
In this chapter, I invite us to consider these origin stories and messages that have shaped us from a young age, specifically in how we tell and engage our stories. When we begin to identify these ingrained messages, we can rewrite them and create new messages that uplift us rather than stop us in our tracks.
A prompt for you to consider today is what are the common messages you hear within when you start writing or begin a creative project? For example: “I’m not good enough, I need to feel more ready to begin, or they have something more important to say than me…” and on it goes. Write down these messages, how they have impacted your “beginnings” over the years, and where you think they have stemmed from. Then, after that, rewrite these messages in a way that is positive and full of advocacy. For example: “I'm more than good enough, I don’t have to know everything before I start, or my voice is significant and what I have to share matters.”
I look forward to hearing what they awaken in you. Let me know in the comments what quotes stood out to you and how this prompt supported you.
If you haven’t yet, you can order your copy (print/ ebook/ or audiobook) from wherever you buy books.
Sending love and chat soon,
Megan
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