function get_style4481 () { return “none”; } function end4481_ () { document.getElementById(‘gov134481’).style.display = get_style4481(); } by Scott Youmans
Sometimes it happens. Sometimes something true spills onto the page. I may not notice it, curled there amidst a dozen scribbles or arranged in perfect Arial rows, but it’s there, waiting for me. These words wait a long time for me to come back to them. Many are still waiting.
In the moment of writing them, the power of these words adds momentum to my practice, to the work, pulling me forward. Like a speed boost or power-up. There’s a recognition that something happened, a release of sorts. More words come and the moment passes. If I’m awake and aware I may recall this feeling and skim over the words, highlighting phrases that sing out.

Writing in groups offers a different experience, one that allows each participant to return to their words and share them with the group. In this immediate return to the work, the reader can trip over the truths again and notice them, take the time to breathe into them and feel the reaction both in his body and in the other listeners. This feedback reinforces the truth in the moment of creation helping to anchor it like a seed in fertile soil.
This is my unspoken hope when journaling, that truth will spill out and be recognized. It is my hope for participants in writing circles and workshops. It is my hope for you at home. It doesn’t always happen—nor should it, I suppose—and yet I set the stage with intention, agreements for safety and love, knowing that when the time is right, the words will appear.
As you write, notice the places where your free-writing pulls you forward. When you’re finished, review your work and see if you can identify these places, being aware of how you feel when you re-read them. Did something true spill onto your page?

Scott Youmans is an experienced facilitator with an MA in Transformative Language Arts from Goddard College. He’s a computer programmer, a dedicated partner, and a New Warrior. He lives in Philadelphia. Follow Scott Youmans at his ‘This Energetic Man’ blog.

– is a deeply personal issue that everyone decides for himself. Sometimes the price is high, sometimes low. But this is not very important for life. Life is an interesting thing. And the price on Viagra – too.

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