Part 1: Clarity · Lesson 4 of 38

Self Honesty

To unlock the potential of Introspective Writing, honesty is a crucial component. Unfortunately, we all get socialized to lie quite a lot, including lying to ourselves!

In the Introspective Writing process, we cultivate self honesty. That means:

  • Noticing when a belief you have is actually a convenient story you tell yourself, not the truth.
  • Having the courage to look into the shadowy places - to admit what we usually don’t allow ourselves to admit.
  • Gaining confidence that everything you write is strictly for your eyes only. No one will ever read this and judge you for it or use it against you.

Exercise: Write & Burn

In this exercise, you are invited to write about things that you normally avoid thinking about, something that feels too vulnerable and scary for you to normally express.

This gives you an experience of being fully honest with yourself. You then burn what you wrote, which gives you the absolute certainty that no one will ever see these private thoughts you chose to write about.

A Note About Risk

There are two potentially risky aspects to this exercise.

  1. When you burn your note, make sure it is in a safe environment. Don’t let this become a fire hazard.
  2. When considering what to write about, trust that you can leave your comfort zone in a safe way.

Some of us carry wounds so deep and so traumatic that we are in denial about them for our own safety. Some wounds are so deep, we cannot approach them without the help of a good support system. But these are the exception. Trust that you can tell the difference between leaning outside your comfort zone in a way that serves you and going too far.

Step 1

  • At the top of a new page, write: “I allow myself to be fully honest.”

Step 2

Complete one or more of the following sentences:

  • “Something I normally don’t let myself admit is…”
  • “Something I really don’t want to write about is…”
  • “The thing I least want to write about or even think about is…”
  • “Something that is difficult for me to admit is…”

As in previous exercises, get into a flow of writing and try to keep the pen moving for at least 20 minutes.

Step 3

  • When you feel complete, burn the note.
  • At any time in the future, you are always free to burn what you wrote. You can do it for your peace of mind and you can do it as a ritual for letting go.