I celebrated my son's 25th birthday with the first issue of Reflections.  I liked that date because, in my life, it represented a wonderful new beginning with a mysterious and exciting future. Motherhood had turned out so well, I wanted its special day to bless the new adventure. 

I didn't know what to expect. I was scared of putting myself out there, presuming to offer something worth the time it took to read.  I was scared of the commitment to writing something new every week (having never done that before).  I was scared of the unknowns.  Looking back, I see only good and I am grateful for it all.

I have found that a regular commitment to writing for others stimulates a mindful life.  For more than 300 weeks, I have brought heightened awareness to everyday events because I am always scanning the horizon for material to reflect upon.

I have found that writing is a powerful tool for bringing experience into perspective.  I usually sit down at the keyboard without knowing what I am going to say.  I do not write from an outline.  The words flow through my fingers, and they seem to come through my mind more than they come from it.  The act of writing reveals insights for me in a way that contemplation and conversation do not.

Finally, I have found that it is so much more enlightening to reflect in the context of community than on my own.  I have found it helpful to write personal journals on and off over the years.  However, the process of writing for you, and the delight of hearing back when a particular topic touches your heart, raises the experience to a whole new level.

This year, I gained enough confidence from Reflections readers to collect 100 favorites into a book, Going Deeper.  Then I started a second email series on the process of personal growth, and called it Sharing the Journey.  I shifted my life- coaching model away from face-to-face or phone-based conversations toward an email model.  All these new ventures grew out of the original experiment with Reflections.

Reflections is six years old today.  Some of you have been here since the very start.  Thank you!  Some of you are new to our Sunday morning conversations.  Thank you too.  Six candles on the cake, and more to come. Let's party!

Do you find value in writing to illuminate your experience?  Do you share your writing with others? How about expanding your scope and trying something new?