A Mission Statement for the Writer I Actually Am

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A Mission Statement for the Writer I Actually Am

Healing from OCD is possible

Aly Prades

Oct 14, 2024

Transcript

Hi friends,

It’s OCD Awareness Week. I was diagnosed with OCD at age 35 even though my symptoms began at age 3 or 4. Diagnosis and proper treatment has been life-changing. This OCD Awareness Week I want to focus on a message of hope: OCD is treatable and healing is possible. If you are in a tender spot, where this feels like healing may be a reality for other people, but not you, I see you. I was there and I am sorry it feels so heavy. If you need to scroll past, I totally get it. I know hope is costly, but I also know it’s necessary to keep pushing through the terrifying work of OCD recovery. Please know I am holding out hope in your relief and recovery someday. You do have the strength to keep going, and you are not alone.

OCD especially attacked my love of writing and ability to write, so this OCD Awareness Week in addition to sharing some OCD resources, I would love to share a mission statement I wrote for the writer I am in recovery.

This piece flowed out with passion, excitement, exuberance, and ease. What a gift of healing. I’m not saying all of my writing goes this well, but before OCD recovery, none of my writing went this well. I wrote this for me, but also as an invitation to you, writer friends, OCD warriors, and grace-filled growth seekers and I have some questions for you below. May we have the courage to push through the hard to see, share, enjoy, and create beauty in our everyday lives.

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A Mission Statement for the Writer I Actually Am

I was made to notice and connect, 
Words swirl, loop and linger until they land 
Just right
On the page.
For years they had to be
Just right
And now, 
I can just write
And I will
write and write and write. 
Prolific not apologetic

I am doing this for me. 

I vow to trust my instincts, 
To jump at the spark, 
To fire away
Unfettered by fear of exposure. 

For years the failures were prolific
Looping looping, branching growing 
Twisting in the tendrils of my identity. 

Did you know the good loops too?

Loops repeats requests
Until they cannot be denied
Write me write me write me
Make order from chaos
Leaves from spiders
Beauty from ashes.
All things new
Repeat

Sometimes new things look like no things. 
A new moon is no moon, 
But we know it’s still there.

Will I recognize it? 

The new thing no thing that’s always been 
My thing
Making meaning from darkness on darkness, 
Baring my soul in hope of connection, 
Cracking open
Creating anyway

Yes, this is my thing, 
But the invitation is
Open

Will you?
Won’t you?
Don’t you want to taste the metallic courage
Of creating anyway?

An Invitation

For my writer friends, what phrase(s) resonated with you? What would you include in your mission statement for the writer you actually are?
For my fellow OCD warriors, what’s one area you want to reclaim or rewrite OCD’s story?
For my grace-filled growth seekers, where have you seen a challenge or struggle become something positive in your own life?

Discussion about this podcast

A Glitch in the Good Enough

Authors

Aly Prades