Your Words Can Shape Your New Year–and Your Life
In the last week, several pieces of writing have appeared in my life about words and the way we use them. Two of these articles are about choosing one special word to guide us through this year; another is about metaphor and how the metaphors we use to describe our life help to shape our life. The metaphors of your life may have changed significantly after your brain injury or that of your loved one.
In my book After Brain Injury: Telling Your Story, one of the journaling exercises asks people to create their own metaphors to describe their lives after a brain injury. Michael wrote this: “My motorcycle accident was on 29 September 2007. I tell people that each day it’s like as if you went to bed and you woke up in China or New York City not knowing how you got there. It’s like I don’t speak the same language as everyone else anymore. Not knowing how you ended up in this strange place is how I feel all the time.”
As his metaphor, Ken wrote, “Before my brain injury, my memory was like a long shelf that could hold a lot. Now, it’s much shorter, and memories fall off the back when I add a new one to the front.”
Both of these extended metaphors present a descriptive look into life after brain injury in terms that we can all understand and connect with. What are some metaphors you would use to describe your life after brain injury, as a survivor or a family caregiver?
One of my teachers, writer Mark Matousek, recently wrote an article for his blog, Ethical Wisdom, titled “What’s Your Metaphor? Shifting Shapes in the New Year.” In it, he described “…the great power (metaphors) have over us, how we use them to symbolize, contain, and explain our existence. Our metaphors create us…as much as we make use of them.” Take a look at his insightful article for some metaphors for describing a life and what they might mean.
The other two articles I saw recently were about choosing a special word to guide us through this new year. One is on Jan Spilman’s excellent blog, Caregiver Wellness Workshops. In it, she explains how you can find your special, guiding word. Have a look, and see if the idea appeals to you. What is your word for 2012?
And another one comes from the blog of my dear friend Lynda, Bloom, Bake, and Create. She creates fantastic art journals, and if you scroll down in this post, you’ll see her word, which she used as the focal point of a new art journal for this year. (And if you love crafts and making art, her blog is always lots of fun.)
Ken and I are in the happily crazy-busy home stretch of getting our new house ready for our move near the end of this month, so I haven’t had much quiet time to contemplate what my special word for 2012 is or what metaphors I might use to describe my life. But when I do, I’ll let you know what they are. If anyone would like to share theirs, you can use the Comment link just below this post.
—————————————-
Today’s journaling prompts
If you’re ready to do some private writing in your journal, choose one or more of these prompts to get started. Do your best to write for at least five minutes, and I encourage you to write for 20 minutes if you’re able. Remember, though, if the topic feels too uncomfortable or scary, don’t force yourself to write.
If you’ve had a brain injury:
• Fill in the blank with one word: Life is ___________________.
• Why did you choose that word? Write about why you believe your life is described by that metaphor. You can begin with: I believe that life is __________________ because…”
• Using the process in Jan Spilman’s blog, can you choose a special word that will guide you through 2012? What might it be? And what might you do to stay true to it?
• What is a metaphor you can use to describe your life or a part of your life after brain injury? You can freewrite your metaphor as Michael and Ken did, or you can begin by using one of these prompts: A brain injury is like…. OR Living with a brain injury is… OR A brain injury is…
If you’re a family caregiver:
• Fill in the blank with one word: Life is ___________________.
• Why did you choose that word? Write about why you believe your life is described by that metaphor. You can begin with: I believe that life is __________________ because…”
• Using the process in Jan Spilman’s blog, can you choose a special word that will guide you through 2012? What might it be? And what might you do to stay true to it?
• What is a metaphor you can use to describe your life or a part of your life after your loved one’s brain injury? You can freewrite your metaphor as Michael and Ken did, or you can begin by using one of these prompts: A brain injury is like…. OR Caring for someone with a brain injury is… OR A brain injury in my family is…
Like this:
This entry was posted on January 4, 2012 at 5:36 pm and is filed under Brain Injury, Family Caregivers, Journaling and Writing for Healing. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: After Brain Injury: Telling Your Story, Bloom Bake and Create, Brain Injury, caregiver, Ethical Wisdom, Family Caregiver, Jan Spilman, journal, Mark Matousek, metaphor
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
January 9, 2012 at 8:58 am
Happy New Year, Barbara! Thank you for mentioning my blog post about “letting a word choose you” for 2012. I have already noticed a change in perspective since choosing my word and look forward to the gifts that may come as I hold it receptively throughout the year. I would love to hear from any of your readers who decide to choose a word for themselves. Every good wish to you and your readers and thank you for this wonderful blog, Jan
February 1, 2012 at 6:54 pm
May 2012 be a wonderful — and EASIER — year for all of us!
I think I first read about choosing a word for the year on Sage Cohen’s blog, Writing the Life Poetic. Last year I chose GROW … well, hmm, be very careful of the word you choose! Yikes. But, yes, I did grow.
Anyway, my choice for 2012 is …………… BALANCE.
I’m so impressed you’re moved in — that’s astoundingly fast and says so much about you and Ken as a team.
Happy house-warming!
February 9, 2012 at 7:42 am
Hi, Wynne. Yes, “balance” sounds like a great word for this year for you. May it be a calm, beautiful one.