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Touching One's Soul
...The Ultimate Inspiration for a Writer
by Edward B. Toupin

From smoke and dirt to pollution and oil, it is amazing how much gunk can collect on a window over time.   I sit here in my office looking out the window that appears to look the same as it did when it was new, but wondering why it was always a gray overcast outside. I was just used to the slow collection of crud so I never really noticed how opaque the window was becoming.  It took a lot of cleaner, four rags, and a lot of elbow grease to make the window acceptably transparent again, but it'll never be the same as it was when it was new.

Just as with the window, from birth, we all collect some level of gunk on our souls.  This gunk consists of misinformation, prejudices, conflict, trauma, and myriad other experiences that layer over our creative insides.  These layers slowly change the way we see our world by creating an opaque film over our soul's eye.  With that we begin to see the world in a way that we assume that it is and not necessarily in a way that it truly exists.  Our reality becomes tainted preventing us from perusing and becoming everything that we could possibly become. However, somehow we need to clean off that gunk to obtain a clear view of life.

---Writing to Clear my Vision---

After 15 years of sharpening pencils and banging on the keyboard, I am still amazed at the things that happen as I continue to write.  In the early days, I simply did it because it helped to pay the bills and it was fun to see my books at the bookstore.  But, as time passed, I began to realize that the more I write, the more I learn about myself, and the more layers that peel off of my soul.

I must say, that the most fulfilling experience I ever had as a writer was the day that I saw my soul.  To settle your doubts, it wasn't so much a physical manifestation of a soul, but it was the automatic typing of my fingers to create content so rich that I had to pinch myself to see if it was still me.  This bizarre, yet fulfilling, sensation pushed me into an entirely different frame of mind and a sense of satisfaction and self-belief like I had never known.

---Writing to Scratch the Surface---

Writing can take on many different shapes and sizes.  Some write for research.  Some write for pleasure.  Others write for money.  But, at the core of writing is the expression of one's inner being.  It is an outlet for the soul. A way for it to give so that it can dig its way out of the layers of contradiction and goo that have piled on over the years.

Many books have been written about the act of keeping journals or writing pages in the mornings to describe the first things that are in your mind to clear the way for the remainder of the day.  The idea behind such practice writings is to begin to dig through years of muck and mire to touch the ultimate writer within us.  However, it is much more than that.  It is the release of our creative self that we all have inside and provides us with guidance and direction through our lives.

---Writing to Touch the Soul---

The soul is that energy that keeps is alive and connected to the Universe.  It is the most basic part of our existence, but contains the knowledge and emotion of the Universe.  When you touch your soul, your fingers take on a life of their own and you "feel" the things that you must write.  Whether you feel it as inspiration or some divine message, it doesn't matter.  It all boils down to the fact that you are connected to your inner self and have punctured a hole through which the inspiration can flow.

Once you touch your soul, your life will change.  It's like a chain-reaction that changes your outlook and your direction.  You feel what you are truly made of and find that you are capable of everything. All of the challenges you've encountered throughout your life suddenly transform into lessons.

The easiest way to begin the journey of self-discovery is to begin writing.  Don't write about the fly on the wall or the sunset.  Write what you feel.  What is the first feeling that comes to you.

While your first few attempts will appear, perhaps, embarrassing, they are simply a representation as to the way the soul's message is translated through the years of experience piled on top of it.  The objective is to dig through the layers to reach your core.  Just keep writing.  Every time you write, you'll find that the feeling you're documenting becomes clearer and more intelligible.

---What's next?---

Whether your objective in life is to be a writer or not, the idea behind writing is simply to touch your soul.  It's no wonder so many people live their lives in spiritual destitution. The creativity that ought to fuel every thing in life is stifled.  Don't starve your spirit. Learn what creative gift the Universe has given you. Love it and care for it. It's as important as the food you eat and the air you breathe as it is what supports your life.

Copyright © 2003 Edward B. Toupin. All Rights Reserved.

Edward B. Toupin is an author, life-strategy coach, counselor, and technical writer living in Las Vegas, NV. Among other things, he authors books and articles on topics ranging from career success through life organization and fulfillment. For more information, e-mail Edward at etoupin@toupin.com or visit his sites at http://www.toupin.com or http://www.make-life-great.com.