Take a nice, honest walk with yourself. You never know who you might meet.

I write (and coach writers) for a living, but I also write for my life. Writing is a wonderful tool for getting to know yourself, clearing your head, and learning what your Best Self wants for you. Here’s how I use writing to help me feel calmer, saner and more present in my life:

Free writes, when I just pour out my heart, with no attention to grammar, punctuation, even sense. Stream of consciousness, some folks call it. On a good day, I just write and write. For years I did three pages a day, as recommended by Julia Cameron, who wrote The Artist’s Way. Handwritten is ideal; it’s earthier and more visceral. You can destroy the writings if you like, or store them away privately, or call a trusted friend and read the juicy, important bits. The main thing, though, is that these are for you. No one is going to grade you. This is not about bad teachers and red pens. This is about your life.

Letters to God, when I let good ole HP know where I stand, what I want, and what I’m grateful for. God knows my heart. But I need God to know that I know. I always tag “…if it be thy will” on to any requests. I don’t want to play God. Maybe God has better in store for me than I can imagine, right?

Postcards and notes to others, when I let my peeps know how much I love and adore them, how grateful I am they’re in my life. I carry stationery and stamps with me when I travel, to use bits of time to send out a little something. When I write something sweet to another person, I feel better about myself and life.

And of course, this wee blog, my little conversation with you, where I share what I’ve learned in hopes someone somewhere will find it helpful.