Life is a constant learning process and we all are gifted with wonderful and natural learning skills. This innate ability to learn from experience is key to survival, growth and development. As Paulo Coelho says, "Learning is possible only through action", hence all true learning is rooted in action-mental, physical and spiritual. This means that we all are capable of one or all the forms of action stated above. Hence, we all are engaged in a continuous process of learning. Now, some of us are also able to see this process of learning and identify clearly as and when they have moved from ambiguity to clarity. This ability to recognise an insight as and when it enters one's consciousness is the common lot of mankind.
But, not all of us are able to formulate their experience and insights into communicable terms, and this happens not because most of us do not have the capability to do so; it happens primarily because we are caught in the spider's net known as "the daily life". Our habit of living life on a day to day basis, focusing only on the present moment makes us oblivious of the larger picture, and blind to the permanent and lasting values and meaning of life. We are too busy putting out little fires, and are never able to dive deeper into the ocean of life.
We have music in our soul, but do not have time to play it! I know from experience that there are millions of people in this world, who are living with a book in their minds. Now, they do not simply have time to write this book:
"I'll write this book once I have retired."
"I'll write this book once I have grabbed my next promotion."
"I'll write this book once my daughter has finished University."
"I'll write this book once I have bought my dream house with a big library and study in it!"
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
And then all of a sudden the life is over, and the book never sees the light of the day.
This precisely is the most important reason for writing now: We must not take our music to the grave. We must compose and play it, here and now!
Secondly, writing trains, sharpens and enhances the quality of thinking as the former is closely linked with the latter. Thinking is the most important mental instrument available to man for understanding, organising and improving life. Following are some of the benefits of writing:
Writing Brings Concrete Clarity to Hazy Visions: All our ideas are fluid and subjective and generally hazy as long as we do not formulate them with a view to communicating them to other minds. Writing is a great process that exposes our personal vision to the day light, and we are willing and able to see our experiences and ideas more clearly and assess them a bit more objectively as now we are going to dish them out to the objective world. This process also lends concreteness to our ideas.
Writing Stimulates Thinking & Reflection: Writing essentially is an intellectual catalyst. It stimulates serious thinking in the wake of a view and review of the long-held assumptions and ideas. This leads to the development of critical ability which in turn leads to the selection and refinement of the ideas one is trying to reduce to writing.
Writing Motivates Communication and Sharing: It is essentially a form of sharing and communication and as communication is a circular process, the act of writing leads to response and feedback and thus motivates and promotes discussions and further sharing, stimulating the mind further for an extensive explorations of ideas. This process extends thought.
Writing Focuses Thought and Enhances Learning: Writing is a great way of focusing thought. This focus helps identify and keep out discordant ideas. It is a matter of common observation that most people when they take writing seriously also develop a keener interest in reading. This leads to further learning and better quality writing.
Writing Trains Mind in Organisational Skills: It is a great contribution of writing to human mind. As writing is bound to walk one's mind through various organizational skills, one is bound to learn and master these skills through repeated action. Preparing an inventory of one's ideas, selecting them for your writing, organising them into a write up, connecting them in a natural flow, and then lending them coherence and an internal organic unity develop or mind's organizational muscles quite well. This organisational ability is an asset that one can use in all the affairs of day to day life.
In short, there are great intellectual benefits one can reap from writing, other than recognition as a writer!
The second question asked by the title of this article is "What to write?"
To answer this question, I shall revert to the first paragraph of this article, and develop the idea of learning through action and music. A guy who has played cricket all his life may not be the best person to teach football. Every soul has its own unique music; every soul has its own share of wisdom springing from experience. Wisdom is our " ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting". It can also be defined simply as common sense and good judgement. It is a gradual accumulation of insights, as we walk through life.
Therefore, the best subject for one to write about is what one has been doing (physically, mentally or spiritually). Your best bet is the area which you enjoy doing and do passionately. It may be taking care of plants, parenting, travelling, poetry, relationships, daily diary, fashion, movies, music, eating, health and beauty, growing beautiful nails, cooking, politics, lucid dreaming, hypnosis, public speaking, blogging, life, drama, stories, life, happiness, teaching, learning, success or leadership. You can choose anything under the sun, but something which is familiar to you as the back of your hand.
Is it essential to be absolutely original? No. No one is absolutely original! Your uniqueness is clarity and depth. Your contribution is a new angle of vision. Most of the great truths are simple and have been discovered already. Your greatest contribution lies in sharing. If you are able to make the existing ideas available to your readers, and some of them are touched by those ideas, your job is done. Ambition for absolute originality and greatness has led many a fine mind to frustration and bitterness. This ambition can also strip one of the ability to appreciate beauty. Joy must be the basis of all the positive activities. If you do not get a kick out of what you do, something is wrong, and needs immediate attention.
Doing and learning is very important, but the intellectual benefits accruing from writing are unique and enrich mind, lend clarity to understanding and help mind develop better reflective, critical and organizational abilities.
