X is Ten, Ten Lessons Over A Fortnight

A new post in the series - Reminders to self

Writing after a two-week-long break from this blog. Part of this break was because of being occupied with other things such as life and living. But part of it was also because I didn't want to write about things that were bothering me about some aspects of this whole thing called blogging. 

When I started this blog I had promised myself that I will NOT use this space to rant or vent about things. There is a whole lot of that happening elsewhere on the net, I didn't and don't want to add to that noise. As I begin this post I truly and sincerely hope it doesn't become a rant. 

So why am I bothering with this post, one may ask? Because I DO want to write about what I have learned for myself during this self-imposed break, especially with regard to how I want to approach this work of writing for my blog.

I have learned that: 

• I will not let others' behaviour, no matter how hurtful, come in the way of my pursuit of the deeper purpose why I started this blog in the first place. 
• I will not allow others' plainly obvious and blatant discrimination and disapproval to bother me in any way. 
• I will not be bothered by the fact that some of my views, positions and opinions, particularly on social-political-cultural matters, that I express in some of my posts on this blog or via other updates I share/post on social media might make some fellow bloggers uncomfortable. 
• Having once experienced a gag on my freedom of expression I am even more firm in my decision to write about topics, issues that I consider important no matter how politically incorrect or controversial they may seem to others, particularly fellow bloggers. 
• I will not give in to the temptation of writing about what I consider mundane and superfluous stuff, just to get more readership and views.
• I will try with all sincerity not to be inwardly moved by any words (expressed or un-expressed) of praise or disdain.
• I will try to constantly watch over the effect of others' actions on my ego and sincerely attempt to walk away from my egoistic reactions. 
• I will choose quality over quantity.
• I will keep reminding myself about why I should write.
• I will try with all sincerity to keep an inner poise of prayer and aspiration to help me remember these lessons every time I write and publish a post.

Not all these lessons are newly acquired, some have been picked up over the last 2 years as I gradually became more aware of the "tips and tricks" or the "do's and don'ts" of this world of blogging. 

Photo: Parul Kashyap Thakur

But what is new for me is the way all these lessons became more living as a result of some recent observations, experiences (real or perceived - same difference?). To be more truthful, what made me acutely aware of these lessons once again was the growing awareness of my egoistic reactions and responses to some observations and experiences. That created a disturbing dissonance within which not only compelled me to take a short break from blogging but also made me ponder upon what I needed to do to bring greater light into this dark place called writer's ego. Most importantly, the newness of these Ten Lessons is in the meta-lesson to which they lead me today.

These Ten Lessons basically point to one simple truth I want to practice as part of my writing work. That of "writing as a yogic practice." This is a practice which, I believe, will help me work on developing greater equanimity, greater sense of detachment, and most importantly greater aspiration to seek inner progress through the outer work called writing. 

This writing-as-yoga practice requires me to make all possible and sincere efforts in becoming a more honest, authentic and true writer, expressing truth only for the sake of truth; nothing more, nothing less. Truth as I feel it in the moment, as I see it, experience it, perceive it. No gimmicks, no stylizing, no obfuscating. 

At the same time this practice also requires that I become more mindful of when I should not write and what I should not write. No matter how strong the pull (push?) of the ego is to speak it all out, writing-as-yoga requires one to know when to stay silent.

"All Life is Yoga" (Sri Aurobindo)

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To see previous Reminder to self, click here.

To see all Reminders to self, click here.

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Linking with Blog-A-Rhythm's Wordy Wednesday

Linking with ABCWednesday, X: X is Ten